^ ^ ^ ^4^ ^9*. '^^>.lj^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^ >^ U.A u.. r^ 1.0 I.I mm m 134 US a^n 25 2? 2.0 L25 III 1.4 1.6 Photographic Sdences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STMIT WIBSTIR,N.Y. 145M (716) •72-4503 ^■V <«^ "v, '^'^ Ktration. >1 UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO LIBRARY As l^ ». THE itht,.; AMERICAN SLANGIST. BY SHERMilN MALCOLM, BLENHEIM. " O wad some Power the giftie gie u^ To see ouraels as others see us ! It wad f rae mony a blunder free us and foolish notion What airs in dress and gait wad lea'e us and ev'n Devotion." •' Ah, Tam ! Ah, Tam ! thou'U get thy fairin ! In hell theyll roast thee like a herrin'." Burns. BLENHEIM: 1888. UlElSISISISISISISSISTiii ' Ji^ lungfL -xfjfc TUff/fi mjfCTqgK'iuijfr-iuigfc i f^' f m m^ 1 i i m f.r • \ THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. BY SHEEMAN MALCOLM, BLtNHEIM. m n I'm " O wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as others noe lis ! It wad frae mony a blunder free us and foolish notion What airs in dress and jyait wad iea'e ua and ev'n Devotion." " Ah, Tani ! Ah, Tam ! thou'll get thy fairin ! In hell they'll roast thee like a herrin'." Burns. BLENHEIM; 1^88. % Entered according to the Act of Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight, by Shbrman Malcolm, at the department of Agriculture. 102U66 PREFACE. e year one ALOOLM, at Kind reader, I have endeavored to practise the use of the little English gratumar I was able to learn in early life, and have been assisted through my moderate business affairs toler; ably well by its aid, nearly holding my own with slangists, till t^ithin the last four or five years. I have to candidly admit that slangs and slurs have struggled very forcibly with me and others around my field of labors, to induce us to lay aside English grammar on the shelf with the things of the past. But as I still wish to be true and loyal to my mother tongue goodf plain English, this may now be considered my excuse for endeavoring to wield my quill in writing this work, as against the mongrel foes of the good English, which slurs and slangs certainly are ; and my only regret is that the space contained in my work will not allow me to treat the subject as elabor- ately as it deserves to be. I trish to dedicate it to my friend, C. L. Vongunten, Esq., of Blenheim, Ontario. SHERMAN MALCOLM. Blenheim, 24th March, 1888. INTRODUCTORY. While musing over the predominance of slangs, slurs, and fash- ionable by-words now in common use throughout this fair country, and, as far as I can learn, being fostered among and sown almost broadcast into the homes of thousands in our beloved Canada, and of millions of our American neighbors, and from thence being carried into our public schools, public journals, and, I'm sorry to say, into many of the pulpits of our fair America ; and, being obliged to witness their blasting effects upon society, I am forced into the following conclusions : — They tend to degenerate our fair and. popu- lar English, slaughter our Latin, smother out our bland French and tend to play havoc with the Italian and German tongues. The adulterated use of slangs, slurs and by- words among our young men and fair maidens tends iu the end to vitiate them. Thi» taste, it is pretended, arises from a prevailing wish among them for something plain, handy (and as some of ^.hem say, a mode of speech which they call amusing), in conversation at places of public amuse- ment, such as dances, bazaars, exhibitions of all kinds, and billiard and card-playing tables, etc., etc. Slangs largely originatb in public shows, at billiard and card-play- ing tables and probably are most of all matured in slang novel-reading society ; while there is aloW, absurd, outlandish and most disgusting class of slurs, coarse jests and polished blasphemy 1l>red and fostered in the low vile whiskey dens, from which it is poured forth into our midst, with all its blasting effects on our otherwise fair American society. From these places of origination they are transplanted into the homes of the pure and discreet, sometimes by hirelings of an adul- terated taste for slangs, slurs and novel-reading, or for whiskey drinking and dancing, or for billiard playing, gambling and wild I. v< T 6 INTRODUCTORy. party and uircus-guing ; aud such is their tendency fur life, they generally only want to be introduced and oft repeated in order to take deep root among the genteel young men and pure young maida of the family, where the too common use of luch slangs inoculates the whole family, when fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, and hired men all sling slang too freely for the health of genteel society. They are drifting us away into a carelessness of speech or a want of gracefulness in our deportment, which, in the case of many is to be much lamented, while others, not <][uite so fortunate, will be vitiated, debauched, and iinally by reading slang novels, slinging slangs and associating with the companions who use them and love the low dens in which they are nurtured, \.'ill be landed into irretriavable ruin . While we may grant that some few by-words, slurs and lo-calle.i slangs aie a little amusing to vitiated tastes ; yet we should never for- get that there is truth in the quaint saying : — ' ' That show me the company you love and therefore cherish and I'll tell you who you are." And as " continual dropping weareth a stone," we should not allow coarse jests and a continual flow of slangs, slurs, by-words or the habit of novel-reading to prevail in our most sacred family circles ; and, above all, guard slangs, slurs and by-words from our places of learning, the pulpit or the press of our beloved country, never for- getting that " evil communications corrupt good manners." No abler pen having been wielded against this ever progressive crying evil, I am induced to use my own inexpert quill in collecting as complete a vocabulary of them as my time, talent, and space in this small book will allow me. . My object in doing so is to bring them prominently before the jury composed pf our beloved America, and, if possible, make an attempt at least to have them discarded from our otherwise pure and genial society, or as much so as possible^ I give below my collection of slangs, by-words and slurs which includes nearly all of recent origin, and many that I remember from my sohool'boy days. My definitions are such as suggest themselves to me, and [ hope may be satisfactory to all common-sense readers that are not too cunning to exist in good society. If there be any such, perhaps reading this work may cure all of them worth saving. VOCABULARY. " You BBT," (or you better bet,) emphatic— Means you can rely on what the speaker says in earnest ; 'tis so true that you can bet your bottom dollar, or, as the speaker means, hang aU your hope on it, and swallow it without dyspepsia resulting. " Never a Time " — Means nay, no, one can't rely on or count on the speaker or his assent, the best authority under the circumstances mentioned; sometime;^ a fair one means to withhold her heart or com- f)any from a proferred beau -by the expression^ or a man dissents rom a bargain by it often ; sometimes a lying truant uses it as hib swearing oath. If you never exercised faith, now is the time. " Go IX Lemon," come out squeezed — Means fair show to begin with, bun deception and injury to end up with, or to be led into a place (ft position that you nave to be squeezed out of ; to get rid of one by sijueezing him or her out. "I'm Gettin' There"— Means fair show to succeed, but if one says he is getting thoite while climbing a **greaied " pole he may slide back just as he lays his hand on the top, and never get there all the same ; when getting there go for all your worth and mind your eye, and don't stay if it don't pay you socially. "A Soft 8nap " — Means anything as easy to accomplish as falling off a log if we let go ctf it and don't hold on ; a gun that shoots easy may be so called ; eating your father-in-law's bread is a soft snap. " Slino it on "»-Means putting on'inanners or dress that don't become or fit one, begins attractively and domes out often at the little end of the horn ; dudes, jim dandies slin^t on, a wench slings it on when slie wears a light silk dress, when a dark calico one suits her complexion best. "That's What's the Matter With Banner" — Means a term of reproach for all unfortunate males or females as used by slang slingers or slur-hurling dudes, who got there once too often, so they stayed for ** keeps." " All Serene, Nancy Jane '' — Means to acquiesce fully, surren- der your heart and purse to a fair one, or, as the King, even to half his kingdom, to Queen Esther^ I am yours most respectfully ; I'm all attention to you ; you can catch on it. in 8 THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. I i " That's the Stuff " — Means, when politely used by a tramp or dude or jim dandy, that fruit cake, that dance, or that mince pie, or that Balona sausage is ever so nice, — they could eat it till they (bust their boiler). Generally means nothing could take its place worth a button top ; forty-rod whiskey is called "the stuff," by slang-slinging drunks. "Draw in Yodr Horns" — Means for a great big gas-blower to brag till he is likely to get more than a match for his lordship, when he begins to shrink so that he gradually does himself up into a small shell like the snail, and only shows the tips of his horns any more. " Hano it" or (darn the thing) — Means to kill it with a rope or sew it IV with a darning needle till it becomes as \iseless as on old mitten hanging up in the chimney corner all darned to death ; a man as mad as a hornet generally uses it freely "to cuss by." " Sold Again and got the Money For *' — Means stock or farm or horse or a bribed man or a wife's last jewels sold for whiskey that kir.^ at 40 rods — or a inortgaged farm or a plug hat, to a dude, of the stovepipe kind, or a chance lost or a horse race sold, or as a huck- ster says that, when selling trumpery on the streets to those that love slang, and so by slang gets their spare change. " Bats ! Ratz ! Ratz Squeelbrs " — Means sometimes that a slang-slurring slinger has only one word in his dictionary and he very much wishes to publish it ; sometimes applied to sneak thieves who are meaner than the dirty little squealer. As they can't find blasphemy more vile, they swear by their own vile persons and hurt no one else ; they won't kill any dead thing. " Skunk, or Skunks" — Means a man or men of more flagrant perfumes than that little animal the skunk, the perfumes of whiskey, cigars, etc., that cost him every dime ; and he would steal your money and steal his way into jail if it were fashionable to get one's living for nothing. This is skunky muchly ? "Simmer Down" — Means to curb the temper; to cease doing anything gradually ; for a chiKl to stop crying l3y blubbering and shutting of voice and breath steady by jerks, is^simmering down. * ' Dry up " — Means to stop talking foolish or slurring or blubber- ing like a baby, or may mean for a drunken rowdy to knock his. faithful wife over the head to make her stop crying for bread and clothes for herself and half -starved children ; alas ! that often hap- pens, while he tells her to dry up ; too much of such slang dries up good English and French, and vitiates society. " Boomer's or Bummer's Roost" — Means a low whiskey dive where the inmates drool for forty-rod whiskey like the swine at the swill tub ; the inmates of that place all belong to the swallow tribe. They are the stuff, you bet. THR AMERICAN SLANGIST. 9 •* Clap-Trap '* — May mean to be sprung and no game to catch around, so may you shoot off your lips just forty times a minute and nothing be gathered up after all ; it may mean to be used by a politician as a trap to catch votes with ; it savours much of the chenanagan type. What a slangist says to his daisy of a sweet- heart may be nearly like clap-trap. " A Square Meal " — Means enough for a horse feed, or enough to give a glutton the night mare for a week, and generally consists of plenty of delicious food, as half a bushel of oysters and eggs, beef- steak, pies, and fruit cake in abundance, to be taken at one meal by a slanger ; enough to make his neck expand like a rubber hose. •' Mind Your Eye " — Means look forty ways at once, at boat race, horse race, at your work and everything not material here, and keep an eye on your father and mother, (and another eye on the girl's father when you're running away with said man's little daisy of a daughter, etc., etc. ; mind your both eyes in the company of showmen, bricks, or sluggars. " Make a Mash " — Means break a leg or arm, or make a bran mash for a sick horse, or to sveim into the affections of the lady with her approbation, till her heart seems queer all around the edges, says a slang-slinger, whose heart goes pit-a-pat too, and ^o their hearts keep good time together. "I'll be Blowbd " — Means blasphemy against the users own body, or may mean cycloned first, then hurled through a water- spout ; or that the uger will relieve society by getting a pal to teles- cope his brain with a bullet when his friends, or whiskey, or sweet- heart leaves him out in the cold world all alone, and he gets strapped. "For They ARE on it"— Means fondness past all control for oysters, whiskey or wild dances, or anything else ; "on it" may mean the man or boy is on it too mnch, who lies down and goes to sleep with his work all around him, or taking too much opium every day because fond of it is being " on it " too ever so much ; being over fond of bad company and whiskey may be on the road to ruin. "I Won't Squeal or Chirp" — May mean I won't squeal or grunt like the swine if I can get my own way every time and whiskey enough at the bar to fioat a vessel weighing 20 tons, says the bumming slang slinger or the chicken from bummer's roost, who has no feathers to cover his birdship except the old rags begged from others by his poor wife. " Don't You Forget it " — Means rest assured, rely on it, bet your sweet life on it, remember, be aware, mind ^nd you'll be safe as a citizen, for the slang man or woman who utters it assumes to be the only authority in the world. " They are the stuff" every time, bet your boots. 1 ,1 1 t ( ( 1 10 THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. " SoPHisTii'ATBD " — Means polished with blarny or sophistry so thin that it won't stick fast in a common or ordinary mind ; has nothing good about it, and not very much harm, if one minds their eye and dr*^ 't iniiiilge in slang. " SUP-.R Illigant " — Means an Irish b9ast when making a sale of potatoes, or moleskin cloth when out peotdling. Generally used by those wishing to show off their profound learning when in the pre- sence of those who are truly learned and genteei, being too nice to last long. "Bonnie" (Scotch) — Means fair (awful purtie, as the slang slinger has it). lu English it means that the object, be it a pretty maid or fine young man, appears so beautiful as to make the heart feel queer about its edges or to go pit-apat, when beheld at first glance. *' Immense " — Means, when used by the slang-slinger or merchant, beyond computation ; when the jim dandy applies it to a fair one, he, I presume, means that she is so great as to fill all his love vacuum besides giving him >^arry on the brain. He thinks her im- mense, being so small himself in manhood, like the mouse vievving the buUephant. - * Ix(!UMooEious " — Meaps so sweet to the ^aste of the animal senses tbao it never reaches the intellectual faculties — food for the animal not the intellectual senses, as punkin (pumpkin) or squash pie, may be said to be ixcum^'^rious muchly. *' HuNOA OA Bunk " — Means just suited to the place, a fair one seated in the cushioned seat of the car or buss is hunka ca bunk ; lips to lips in a kissing carnival is sometimes called that way by dandy jims. The little words ** <:i'and " or " good " in the English, knock the spots off hunca ca bunk, however. " All Hunca Dora " — Means that fills the bill, or may mean thaf a r;lang-slinging drunk says that to hir wife Dora when he is eat- ing what he thinks is mush and milk, v hich he attempts to hunt out in the dark himself, and when she gets up and finds he is really eat- ing hogs lard in milk, and he says, all hunca Dora, it goes down slick, anyway, hunca Dora ! just fills the bill ; she just falls right back and smoles her sweetest smile. " Flumoxed" — Means an all-gone feeling, all calculations upset till one feels not inclined to use life or limb any more ; to be in a panicky state is much the same. A soldier wounded and left on the battle field is flumoxed very muchly. "I'll Stay With You" — Means you can't lose me worth a cent if a friend, or may mean a debt, a mortgage, or a big proboscis, or an old maid or a drunkard's bad habit, or a true and faithful wife that won't go away with that other jim dandy. Poverty sometimes comes along and puts up at our house, and just stays like nobody's dog or cat. THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. 11 " I Catch on That'' — Means I'm won by your love-making pranks or may mean a drowning man catching on a straw to hold him up, or R tree to a cyclone says, " \ really do catch on it." 'Hanging ON OR Around" — May mean a l;2i.u hanging on to his girl Sabbath evening, while he has both eyes on her pa coming in suddenly and bringing the exercises of the evening to a close by telling him to skedaddle. " Lallaoagging " — May mean hugging a whiskey jug thinking it to be your poor wife, or may mean a couple of green lovers em- bracing till one would think their all-gone hearts melt into a squash. I once witnessed a lallagagging carnival on the cars, which I give in my illustrations below. " Gum Smacking " — Means the operations of a gum-chewing gin, or may mean a young pair of love-making young friends trying to buss, and not stopping at the place they should, they miss the mark and don't get there worth a cant ; not a buss after all, only a gum- smacking carnival. *'ByGum, I Will" — May mean an oath of affiance between gura-chewers to love one another as long as the gum holds out ; may mean gum-swearing, if any one knows what that is, besides a gum chewer. "Take A Dive Into Bummer's Roost" — Means going into a whiskey saloon where they get all — and gobble it down — that their companions will buy for them, and drool like swine for more, and to be hung out in the morning as a sign for rum, poverty and rags. That's the man that rum makes. ' ' Done Gone " — May mean what I saw a glutton do and heard him say as he gulped down a balona sausage, three feet long by three inchesdiameter, I'm done gone, s%ys he. May mean quite over- come, till feelings are uncontrollable after sausage is done gone. '* A Brick, or a Perfect Brick "—A rough, fighting, plucky man that nothing but the waves, the blizzard, cyclone or lightning or bullet you'd be fed to think could whip ; a bulldog is a brick dog, a slugger i i a brick man. "A Crank" — Means a handle to turn a grindstone or mill, or may mean a man always turning the wrong end up of any article he holds in his hands ; he will kill himself trying to turn the world up- side down, or to gain celebrity in oddities — lolls his head on the foot-board of the bed instead of the pillows at the head — he leaps into the whirpool to knock the rocks to pieces with his head. " Come Out Cat-Bird " — May mean the finding of the early worm by early rising, or may mean to be first in the race, as the cat-bird gets to the worm first in the morning. Slang-slingers are said to come out cat-bird when they chase away a mossback from a fair one. mm 12 THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. "A Crook" — May mean a burglar who bungles his business, although he don't blow himself up with {i^ynamite as often as could be desired, but often gets caught and is sent to tin top, but not so aften as he deserves to be, oi would be healthy for good society. " Whoop her up, or Hoop Her up " — May mean to put crino- line on, or to hussel up, or to hurry till panting sets in ; or may mean to do more than a considerable in a short space of time, as a gait of 2.13^ is a whoop-her-up gait ; or may mean for Sam to get a mash on his leg while Dan is fritting a fresh holt on the log with his prye and while Sam is crying, ** Whoop-her-up V Dan is only spitting on his hands. "Gumption (probably derived from gum-shum) " — may mean a brain in good healthy working order, and may mean to shun gum or tobacco-chewing, or any other ingredient that spoils the teeth and brain. " Gumps or Gawkibs " — May mean intellect destitute of self-re- spect ; and may be practised to such an extent in glaring at each other like hawks or owls, till the ocular optics dilate so prominently that they look ungenteel ; such business might be carried on by gumps or gawkies on the streets. ** Dummies" — means without hearing or speech, oif may mean don't know enough to pound sand, though speech and hearing be good all the same, and having mouths large enough to eat with, how- ever. " A Jim Dandy" — May mean a fantastically dressed man, or part of a man, showing so little judgment that one can be sure his head was never half finished. " CHENANAaAN " — Mcaus a tricky kind of farce used by black- legs, wizards, billiard and card-players, showmen — used by stock- brokers, etc., a panicky play among the bears and bulls in the stock market, etc; *' Skunkfd " — May mean beat all to pieces in any game, left behind with nothing — this may arise from carelessness, or oftener by being too flagrantly perfumed in whiskey or cigars, as drunks, ratty men and skunks are always perfumed like jim dandies. '* Strapped " — May mean a money trap to be sprung and having not caught a dime ; or may mean being introduced to a cow-hide lash ; or may mean one has been so innocent in life's game as to have handed over all the aces and kings and queens to his oppo- nents, and lost that way every game ; or may mean bad manage- ment throughout in business by mortgaging or otherwise squander- ing a fortune, and then left — badly left. " Git Tebre Eli" — May mean lively action of any kind, for a beau to win his way to the good graces of a fairy belle in attending THE AMERICAN SLANGI8T. 13 one single danoe ; for a horse to trot to the homestretch at a 2.40 gait, or for a dog to try to make travelling lively as he can to run away from a string of bells hitched or buckled around him, gits there Eli, you can bet on that, don't you forgit it, Hanner Jane ; ho gits there muchly. " A Bully Good Fellow" — May mean a "rough" who lows like an ox while he tries to pound every fellow who won't buy whiskey for him, till that other feller makes a bully good fuss and makes him take back water — you bet, more'n a bucket full. ** Bully Fot You " — Means you are master of the situation ; if running for any office, of course you're elected. If you have found a large nugget of gold in the gold field or won your way to fame, the slang slinger says, bully for you ! come out cat bird. '* Pals " — May mean helpers in mischief, such as thieving, etc. ; but pals always try to play the part of eves-droppers, and walk in shaded places, and envelope themselves in mist and dark gloom as a shield for villainy not often caught. *' By Craokee " — Means the blasphemy or boast of a boxing nose-cracker. Sometimes, for something better to say, one not know- ing enough to blaspheme, wickedly says, — By crackee ! which is as empty of sense as the user of it is empty of sand, that is the stuff. '* I'd Smile ;" Oide smolo a smile — May mean a man so homely he can't handle his phiz in a whole laugh, and can only draw it out into a grin of the cheese-oat type, for fear he can never get it fixed back again ; and he dare not venture that often, so one must count it a favor for him to condescend to be such a benefactor at all. If a man or woman don't believe a statement made by a chum, they indicate it by the expression, '* I'd smile," 'tis too good too be true. *' I'd Laugh "—May mean Fm so delighted I would deign to use my laughter for you, but no one else ; or may mean, though I was bom with a frown on my face, if you would bring to pass impossi- bilities, you'd drive my frowns away, and I'd just laugh a little then to please you — you bet I would, and don't you forget it. "I'd Lopf if I Did" — Meaning I have told you the truth already, and I solemnly try to laff the fact I told you before into your understanding ; or may mean a denial of and unbelief in all state- ments made by a chum. " A GiLLOUT OR Greeny "— Trying to be a great big overgrown somebody, without knowledge or gumption enough to hide or con- ceal the sham. "Ain't Got the Sand in Him" — Means too delicate in gump- tion and physical strength to answer or suit the place. I knew a boy who kept company with roughs, black-legs, drunks, billiard and card-players who spent a large fortune left him by his mother, and was laid out, The dandy jims all said he haint got the sand in him, ain't the stuff. i 14 THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. bft) " — May mean cheated, or crowded oi..; — thus mourns a fair one when her fellow ran away with another lady : I'm left, as the newly married man said when the cars steamed away from the station with his young, fair, newly-married bride on board. While his back was turned to give the parting shake and greeting to a dozen friends ; he was left till next train twelv'3 hours behind, bound from his town to Chicago. "Left Out in the Cold*' — Not invited, name dropped out, slighted, and feeling much the need of warming sympathy to chase away the cold chills that had set in. '* Blamed Things " — Means the blame is always put on some- body or something because success don't crown the efforts of some people ; or may mean, to swear at the Creator for putting, as they think, tiouble in their path. Sometimes an old maid swears at him for giving her a homely face with a large proboscis on it ; every one who frets at Providence for bodily deformity, calls them blamed things, — it is blasphemy without doubt against the Creator. " Shut Your Bloody Mouth " — May mean a man's mouth who swears away another man's life, or one who commits murder and swears himself clear ; or may mean so mean as to waste his life in revelling at the tavern on whiskey, while he leaves his poor wife and children to starve. He certainly is a bloody man, and must have a bloody whiseky mouth anyway, ** and don't you forget it." "DoBBiNG IT ON TOO THICK "—May mean putting on too much mortar or too much paint or too much praise — credit that don't belong to one ; too much paint on a lady's face ;— a man on a rail THE AMERICAN SLANOIST. 15 sometimes gets tar and feathers dobbed on tod thick to come off right away. "Pallatheb " — May mean pretended friendship ; a whitewash too thin to stick on the Y^all, or friendship that don't keep its color good — not worth a ceni,. "By Golly" — May mean a jolly assurance of something sur- prisingly good or nice ; a man sometimes uses that word to swear genteely with (he thinks, when in company with Christians or preachers)— a Christian blasphemy, when at church or Sabbath school, or a teacher d^f day school may use it. " By Jolly Eastkr " — May mean for a stingy man to use to his wife to be saving, especially when he tells her that wheat is a dollar a bushel, and they'd better live on corn meal. I once heard of such a man in our town and his heirs had to dig up his gold and silver, buried in kettles in the orchard after his demise, having been shot with cranberries by himself. " Co Smash" — May mean a train of cars telescoped by another train, or the potato masher coming down pell mell on the potatoes in the pot surely is co- smash ; a man let down froD\ a high position suddenly, or a young lady bouncing her fellow the morning that was to have made the twain one, is co-smash, for him anyway. '* As Mad as A Hoknbt " — May mean for a fellow to strike his father or mother or fister or brother when nobody is around, or that one bumps his own head to spite himself, or bites his nose off to spite his face. A rattlesnake bites itself because it can't bite anytning else, certainly they are mad as hornets can get when they try their best to sting a barn post behind which the boys hide who stirred up the nest. ^' Spoiling For A Fight "—May mean one is wasting himself or hercelf all away in blubbering around because they can't make up their minds to fight. All cowards are affected with this complaint. " Nacjging " — May mean horses kicking at their traces or shadows ; or may mean for a husband always belittling all his dear wife choses in dress, or all she does, till she feels that a divorce would be the surest cure for his complaint. " Pbpbry " — Means too much smart or too hot in temper ; cayenne pepper thrown on a red hot stove till the room is filled with too much smart when one feels like throwing him or herself out of the window to gain good ventilation to the nasal organs, is a very peppery exercise. *' Sulky " — May mean nursing one's wrath for^a tornado of satis- faction. "Huffy " — May mean the feeling of a kicking mule, or a man or woman trying to get their dimder up — and can't find reason enough till the cow kicks over the milk pail with her hoofs. ! 16 THE AMERICAN SLANQIST. I'll Spot You. — May mean I'll throw mud on your dreiB or paint you yellow with rotten eggs ; or may mean mark you out, watch you till I can catch you in the place where I can spite you. The constable spots the culprit till he can smell him from New York to Chicago. MuLEisH. — May mean putting on a long face witk eyes and ears extended, the mouth wide open throw, till all who pass do say and wonder how much the animal seems to know. Said muleish indi- vidual generally is a ratz squealer. Jackasitivekess. — May mean sticking pins into school marm's cushioned seat, or knocking pa and ma out doors, setting fire to the house, and running away by the light it makes; or may mean spurning all good advice from relations or friends, being as stupid as the jack who kicks his stable to pieces. Toot, Toot, Tut — A command of pa or ma to children to be nice, good, and quiet when they are around, this generally makes them cuddle, "You bet." A Dude. — Means a thing like a man, dressed all to pieces (as jim dandy a&yi) a clownish fop who thinks dress gives intellectual inspirations and brain matter, which he could not use if he had it, and his Maker did not waste it by throwing it away on a gentleman of his cloth . His only grammar is indicated by his saying Batz ! P tz I Ratz ! A Jim Dandy. — May mean a pal used by hotel-keepers some- times, or a confidence man or a black leg, as a stool pigeon, one who does the monkeying around for them ; he laughs in their place when they are away from home. ** Hallo There" — May mean stop friend, or stop thief ; or may mean good- day to a young fair one given with a peek-a-boo squint, by a shkUg-slinger. Did You go to the Cirgurious — May mean for a slahg-slinge*^ to be too funny to be wise, when he and his companions in slang are hurling ulang wisdom tj^l they show their long ears fairly. All in my Eye, Betty Martin. — May mean your deception can't catch me worth a cent, and I warn you that I see through the device. May mean there is so little good or substantiality in all that is said that one could not feel it as much as a speck in an eye of a humming bird. I Dont Take That in Worth A Cent. — May mean I have lis- tened to you, but don't entertain what you say. May mean a horse spitting the curb bit out every time you put it into his mouth, wishes to say, I don't take that in worth a cent ; a banker with a ga^^ in his mouth while his safe is being robbbd could give simihtr testimony if he could articulate plainly. THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. 17 Don't You Foroft it. — May mean a solemn warning that one don't easily forget ' or may mean you can be sure of what is told you by me. Sometimes a threat is offered in that way. Clenching a threat or any promise home to the mind is a *' don't you forget it " or ** forget me not." Dash it, or Them — May mean to break things to pieces because they are not our own, and we are mad at them on that account. May mean for a young beau to dash out a fair one's hope or life just because she can't love him instead of a better man, or may mean to cut a jim dandy dash on a ten cent cigar that another fel- low has bought for him, then dash it down, half smoked, as a com- pliment to the buyer. My Honey Suckle. — May mean a sweetheart who kisses as sweet as the humming-bird doth the daisy, she is thought ever so sweet and as beautiful as the amaranth, till, like the humming bird, she shifts to anc»*'her flower for sweeter honey, when she sours on him and he then calls her a mossback, and " don't you forget it " she ain't his honey-suckle any more — too bad. Ducky Dear. — Means a fond little name for a tair one in her teens —not fully fledged. , Your Left Bower, t— May mean your partner in a game of chance, or a pal who plays into a burglars or thief's hand ; one who does your laughing and crying generally ; sometimes when you're stealing he keeps watch for you. Make A Pio Squeal. — Means so sour or so hot that piggy does squeal when he tastes the sour or burns his proboscis in the red hot swill, or when another man or woman gets cheated, or deceived, or worsted, till said man may blubber and actually make a noise that can shame the piga squealing hot, or sour operation ; though ,;ioisy without being pleasingly musical, may mean that one so un- genteel as to use it is not a touch above the squealing swine. Bulldozed. — May mean to be blinded with specious argument, while another smarter man is fleecing you out of your property or place ; to be so blinded that one lets another think axd act for them : many agents and politicians, merchants, farmers and lovers freely soak the specious, article in till the brain becomes intoxicated. Whiskey is a most powerful ingredient in the make-up of the article when mixed with blarney, etc. Your too Fresh. — May mean your offer is too good, and it won't keep good long, if of love it will cause you to faint away and fall into it soon, I fear. Your too Green. — May mean one is too new at the business to get ahead fast in love-making ; means moving on too fast, not mind- ing one's eye ; too fast to ensure success ; getting there too soon by odds. • 18 THE AMERICAN SLANOIST. ! 1 ■— .■liriTai That Takeh tuf. Oakbs.— May mean a luoky throw at dice, or play, at euchre, or foot-running, or trotting that sweeps the traok, wins the money, and takes the oakes avvay from one follow's family and gives them to another fellow's folks (or the money to buy cakes with). To Catawall Like a Thomas Cat. — May mean for young men to spend all their time to learn to imitate a large, nobody's Thomas cat, to the annoyance of quiet townspeople ; that accomplished, then to learn to steal and mix with sneak thieves or rat-squealers till the judge shuts them up from civilized society to cry rats and squall at the echoes of the inner prison walls. TuK It, Tuk It Right along. — May mean take a dose of medi- cine, or a beating with fisticuffs, or the school misses' rod ; or may mean took a sheep from another man's flock. Tucket's Corn.— May mean a field of corn which grew so very smi\U that the raiser of it tuck it (took it) all home on his back at one load, and it was so small that he could not find it when he wanted to feed it out to his stock. A Fast Young Man. — May mean one who outlives $10,000 in one a year ; one you can't head off with love, fun or money. A Fast Young Woman — May mean one too fresh, too green, so she gets marry on the brain, till you cannot bring along the beaus fast enough. She is too fast generally to stop long enough to get married, and is still looking for beaus ; she is looking for the one allotted for her and don't find him. If she never marries, the slang- slinger says 'tain't her fault — only she is too fast, too much on it. She is a daisy, says a jim-dand/ — and she is just a daisy. Yes, Sir'be. — May mean yes sir, emphasized, and you don't want to forget it. I'm the one that honors you — 'tis no slouch that addresses you ; as the sloven would have a gentleman under- ' stand it is his equal if not superior who means yours respectfully by saying Yes, sii^ee. A Poke, a Slow Poke. — This phrase no doubt means slow to fight the fight for bread and butter ; slow to poke out of bed in the morning ; not fast to get with his hoe into the cornfield, but not slow to eat plum pudding that others supply ; may mean a hit with fisticuffs, or a slur poked at another. To Take Backwater. — May mean a flume receiving the water thrown back by the wheel while the saw is getting ready for an- other dash, or ma^ mean for one to eat what they said before, or take back their own words, yielding to superior forces. The room it affords for backing up should always be equal to the quantity taken back, so the dam won't break away. Cronies. — Generally mean men and women who have two kinds of love, one for steaUng, and a love for one another's company THK AMERICAN SLANOIFT. 19 when not engaged at sneak-thieving ; sometimes means warm- . hearted neighbors who like all things in common, so if one likes the color of butternut bark for flannel dresses, the other thinks it all huncuca bunk. A Clout under the Luo. — Means a blow of the fist given in a temper that cronies don't indulge in ; or what an evangelist was going to give the fast boys in the congregation who would not take his sermon in . I once heard one say so about one fellow after a good sermon — a fellow who hopped out like a frog on all fours. — Said evangelist said he felt like giving the fellow a clout under the lug. A Olout on the Hb*d. — Means an open-handed touch that wiH enable one to know whether a gift from a friend or foe, whether a slap or a cloth bandage on a wounded spot. ' Hocus-Pocds. — May mean money passing from one place or pocket to another place or pocket invisibly and silently in the show room o*^ a so-called wizard ; a bull-dozing expression used by the show -men of the wizard race. Spoil dis Qravy. — Means having failed to be able to pay up the butcher's bill post due. A M0S8-BACK — May mean as the rook that is covered with a fine, soft, green moss outside, still is hard at the heart as a flint, so are hard-hearted friends who may be enveloped with a nice cov- ering of dresses, and still be like the rock, — have a flinty heart. Such people slangers call a moss-back, especially if they are stingy of their money or docile in manners. A Ruff Scallion. — Is a man so mean as to break all the china ware on the table and take along the silver spoons and taa set if the man is not around, after feasting on what the good lady gave him to eat, especially if he be a tramp professionally and the lady be alone. A Bad Ego. — May mean a person as rotten-hearted and offensive or useless as the rott&n or addled egg, when a lady wishes to use that egg for cooking purposes and has to throw it out with ** a lack a daisy " sigh. A Dead Beat. — Means one who can beat himself every time 'Slid every way in meanness, in defrauding and cheating his friends or the public ; may meai< a thief who will cheat and steal from or kill another thief in ord^r to rob him too. I'll Spoil His Face. — May mean that one will try to spoil an- other man's face becausi they or he don't like to see a nice, face on another man nicer than his A Pig-headed Pointsa. — Means that the offer seems like a chance for winter's meat, still it is only a pig's head in disguise, nothing to brag of ; if in business deception has this meaning. 20 THE AMERICAN HLANGIST. I ! it Cook HuOoohe. — I don't like that man, so I'll be mean enough to steal, and oook and eat the goose he had saved for his Christmas dinner ; I'll cheat him out of his goose or his chance for any uood thing. You bet, I will beat or get even with him, for I don't like hinfbeoause I don't know him. You DID NEVER — No YOU N KVBR. — May mean a flat denial of the thing accused of, or may mean what a fast young bad boy told his mother in prison, when she said, I told you that you would get in- to tin-top, if you did not be a good boy, " You did never — no you never!" He was a slang-slinger, you bet, though at first didn't mean to be a jail bird, — but he did get there. A Fad, a Fraud — a Decoy Duck. — May mean a great appearing man that turns out a failure ; or sometimes a man, or game, put forward as a decoy duck, to inveigle some one else ; or for a father or mother to have a great show of presents when they are getting rid of their daughters, so other people make them presents too. 'Ti8 ALL Moonshine. — Means a false light of a thing is given, which in courtship is so thin, or feeble, that the deception is easily discovered by the listener, who calls it all moonshine, the flattery is too thin, to blind one, or any one, or even a dunce. Cbocodile Teaks. — May mean tears shed by a stepson or daughter, over a deceased stepfather or mother, whom they have not BO much love for, as they have for the money left to them. A Numskull. — Means an empty skull without brain enough to guide it, like a vessel without sail or rudder, always splurging around and not getting ahead, remaining useless to its proprietor, like an empty skull. A Jack-Daw. — May mean a man so idle and indolent that he resembles the Jack-daw, depending on other birds for its eatables : always depending on other folks for wearing apparel and old rem* nants, that other livelier men earned and bought ; some are waiting for their father's clothes which they hope to fall heir to at their de- cease. He's a Bouoy. — Means a beau that mashes every girl that he comes in company with, courts them all and marries none ; or he is so fast and brave that he never fears if he has not a dime and is far from home, or a ringleader of rough slang-slingers, and a general proboscis masher, and a girl masher too, sometimes. Too Nice to be Wise. — Means so over-loaded with nice ways, that it gives one away among people of common sense : it may be a good thing for many such, if they are «ot sensible of the fact, *' Where ignorance is bliss 'tis folly to be wise. " " You Look so Fab Apart, I Can't Tell You a Like. — Said a jim-dandy, when he first saw the Siamese twins. "1 n- 11 *^ ..-^b THE AMERICAN 8LANOI8T. 21 f girl that he }ne : or he is [KB. — Said a BooHY, OK Three Sheets in the Wind.— May moan a ship with- out sails or rudder, staggering; like a drunken man, or may mean too much canvas for the gale that's blowing, which may make a wreck like the man with too much whiskey staggering at^ainst a lamp-post to try to wreck it, when he loses his footing and bumps his nose. Tipsy, Blind Drunk.— Means tipped over with too much rum» or on the broad of one's back pawing and feeling; upwards for the grass sky- ward, trying with all one's might to find the earth once more ; blind drunk, says the bummer oronie : so tipsy as to tip over topsy-turvy. H(78SEL Around. — Means active, too lively to control very well, like a turkey without its head, which has just been struck on. Stir You E SxuMPiL.rn-Means for wooden-legged passengers to reacITt&e station in a lively way, while they behold the train get- ting ready to move off without them, when they just do stir their stumps ; lively, you bet. QoiNO IN TO Kill. — May mean for fast young men or women to run to places of amusement, spending their large dowers on frivoli- ty till they kill outright their fathers and mothers, and in the end they themselves die in the poor-house, or hang on the gallows. You're a Shouting Now, Jest Shouting . — May mean your words and actions are right 'tis plain to behold ; or for a chum to propose many means or ways to accomplish something that is com- mon to both ; this expression is used after the best proposition is made possible, and if another good plan come in single handed the cronie will say. You're just shouting, pleasing me better and better. No More Taffy. — May mean foolsom flattery, that melts and disappears as quickly as taffy will ; too sweet to hang together in love-making in summer time. I'd Laugh. — May mean I'd only be too glad if what you say is true, but 'tis too good to be true, so I shan't have the pleasure of pleasing you by laughing, or I would, for you can always count on me every time you want laughing done for you if you furnish the material. I'd Laugh if You Ain't Just a Shouting. — I now beginto be- lieve that anticipation will shortly change into participation ; i^y laughing faculties are getting there. I'm beginning, behold me. By Gorrau, Says Pat.— May mean you fairly surprise me with such mighty fine praties, Pat's exclamation of surprise at big mur- phies ; or any good surprise. Errah Musha to You, my Honey Dear. — Meaning no doubt that he'd like to have the fair one addressed for his mush maker — meaning potato jammer. r I :■■; 22 THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. ii ' L' n 1 Hi lil My Bright Particular Ptar. — Means your fair one who gives you the light you have in a cloudy night, when hanging out with her she eclipses all other stars such nights — but such stars are changed oftener than evening stars. ■ Ain't You a Daisy ? — Says a mother to her darling daughter who had changed her fellows a hundred times, and had just got another new beau, meaning she acted too fast, without discretion, in swap- ping off the old ones for the new ones ; a term of reproach for a fast young frail one, by slang dandies. She is Jusi a Dai.sy. — Means a beautiful maiden who does re- semble the veritable flower called the daisy or chrisanthem, and as sweet and lovely in all her tints and ways as the hyacinth — meaning she is the belle of the town. The slang man means that a gal is too fresh or green — quite another meaning. Bet Your Sweet Life. — Means that is so true that you can bet or hang all your sweetest hopes on what is told — generally used as a solemn oath or pledge between lovers of the jim dandy kind. I'll Put His Nosk Out of Joint. — Means for a fellow who envies another fellow. That he will stick his nose so far into that other one's affairs as too root him out so forcibly as to unjoint his own proboscis ; or may mean to hunker slide, live him out, or knock him out of the circle of that society, and sometimes that is useful to one ; and enables them to get into better company. Tha'^ Saws My Leg Off. — Means a man may hurriedly lose one of his props by a saw, or may mean that to let a man down with a closed mortgage, or the loss of all his goods, and he left without any support, — that they are as much without the power of locomotion as if they had a leg sawed in two. That Takes the Wind out of my Sails. — Means to completely unrig a contending beau for a lady's hand, so he can sail no more hito the affections of said young lady, and leaveu said beau with an all-gone feeling. Si'oiLs His Little Game. — Means for one of the meanest in the world to steal acorns from a blind hog's nose just as they are pre- ciously near his mouth, after said hog had hunted around to find them an hour. \ou Can Book it Down. — Mean) that a thing is so true that you should make a ledger entry of it in your heart's records. Don't You Forget It. —Means you will assuredly believe it be- cause it is great big me that tells you so— if you never saw me be- fore, I'm here now. A Roarer. — May mean a large fighting bully, who roars like a lion over his prey, while engaged in his pugilistic carnival ; or may mean any man that every one boasts and roars around the country about. THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. 23 one who /oiives ng out with her krs are changed r daughter who ist got another Btion, in swap- reproach for a I who does re- ithem, and as nth — meaning at a gal is too at you can bet ally used as a y kind. t fellow who > far into that ijoint his own 3r knock him seful to one ; >dly lose one down with a without any : locomotion ) completely Bail no more >eau with an anest in the ley are pre- )und to find lie that you >lieve it be- saw me be- oars like a ; or may ^e country A Buster. — May mean horses that pull themselves through their ^earinc; ; or may. mean a pugilist who bursts his gloves while busting lis contestant's face, or proboscis ; or busts his fortune left by his >arents, by being too fast in the start. Make It or Her Hump. — Means striking so he. vily as to double me up ; or driving a roadster so lively as to double it all into a heap rhen it strikes a telegraph pole — so said man and horso can hardly iver be appreciated again. Catch a Tartar. — Means to overhaul a Russian horse guerilla soldier long enough to lose one's head and money — all tarturs in /anada or United States want to be left running, tilj jugged, for they are dangerous animals. Money on the Brain. — Means for a man to be so niggardly with lis money, that he will sleep out in a snowdrift rather than spend a [quarter out of $10,000 for a bed ; pity he would not freeze some cold [night. On The Marry. — Means to always be ; 'linking and talking about [matrimony, till a fellow geiis too willing or anxious to succeed, for [the gals all find it out. That Knocks My Eye Out. — Means for a. pretty fair maid to so completely suit a fellow that she fills his right eye, and when another fellow c arms her away, out goes his eye which must follow wherever she goes, — time or bullet will have to cure him. Knocked Into a Cocked Hat. — Means into a three-cornered pat- tern like the Supreme Judge's hat, having less sensitiveness, how-, ever. I Swan a Swon. — Means sudden surprise, enough that way to cause some to swoon away and tumble into it, that are not ac- quainted with such shocks. A Sooner Horse. — Means a horse so gentle that it would sooner not go, if you please, sooner eat corn than draw his load, sooner lie down than to trouble his limbs to hold himself up. An animal so quiet that gentleness completely stops him. A Sooner Gal. — Is one so extremely mild and gentle that her modesty would cause her to sit at perfect ease, sooner than disturb her ladyship in rising in the morning ; or may mean would rather go with jim dandies to parties, sooner than with a neighbor boy, or with her brother. I'll Get Even With You. — May mean to pay another person off with money, or with spite ; or for a husband or wife to pay each other off" for all their spites, by getting a bill of divorcement ; or to aCt even by giving imprisonment for theft. Tumble to the Racket. — May mean for a bird to be shot while listening to the barking of the treeing dog ; or for fast young men mfM It '! ; i-! 1 24 THE AMERICAN SLANOIST. or girls to fall away from good society while listening to the noise of the fiddle, or a wild slang-slinger in debauched songs. What Do You Take Mb For ? — Means, My dear, remove further doubts as to my sincerity. I mean business (matrimony), says the slang-slinging dnde to a hesitating sweet-heart,fand she just tumbles to the racket. Bet your bottom dollar, — and she takes him for her fellow. That Spins nv Yailh. — Means that endn my influence. I hav- ing drawn out every thread of my spinning resources, and all fails to make a poin^. This gives one an all-gone sheepish feeling. That Sows Me Up. — Means to stultify all further efforts on his part to ask the neighbors to come out and (sing his requiem). Not a Shot in the Looker. — Means a sailor's purse locked full of emptiness, just as said sailor sails into port and wants a dram. I'm Struck After Sally Malloy. — Means that Cupid has hi* my heart of hearts with Sally's bow and arrow. How Does That (Ketch) Catch You. — Means what part of you — does it affect your foot, your back, your head, heart, or gizzard. He's a Ripper. — Means he succeeds in ripping and rending one'B clothing or skin while fighting you, like a mad wild oat. Tha^ makes a man as mad as a hornet — dead sure. Git a Wiggling There. — Means, when said by the indiscreet fa- ther to his boy getting^ ready to go to school to learn his grammar lesson, for him to move lively, make it hump, — Hoop'er up, you bet- ter git a wiggling boys ; go in faster in the wild dance, or faster in the horse race, or hussel up to learn English grammar. Father, never use slang to your boys or girls. I've Been There. — Means for the fast young mau to spend $100,000, ail his poor loving mother worked hard to leave to him, his home, and all his life comforts to give up ; but he seems to draw a kind of consolation from saying, I've been there, to his bumming chum. Hunker-slide. — May mean for a ball-player to slide past the hunks or byes, or to dodge and monkey around in business or politics in a vascillating manner, a1 ways having a leg on both sides of the fence, just to rest till a good chance comes along, and inen slides off. Punch Him Uf. — May mean to make one feel the force of your blows or to dun up for money you want that he has got, or stir up a living viper in a box with a pole till it bites itself because it can't bite you . Sometimes a man viper might bite back by being punch- ed up a little too sharp. GiTTiNG Bounced. — May mean discharged from business, or dis- missed by an old lover ; in ball-playing, bounced out of the ring. THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. 26 Pell Mell. — May mean hurriedly, without order. One aon&e- imes loses his or her breath by having a pell mell trap sprung on them. B/ i-L Players Fighting for Blood. — May mean for a fellow's club to surely punch his pal's nose or proboscis. A soldier fighting for blood sometimes results in taking one or more bullets, then lying down to sleep on the bloody field. Knock the Spots dfp. — May mean for the washer woman to work Ithe yellow spots off the coat that was made so in a rotten egg car- Inival. Skediddle OR Skedaddle. — May mean that a young man makes Stall walking towards home when he r-^es the girl's father coming [home, or in the room where they are i )urting ; or may mean for [soldiers to make a disorderly retreat from battle field. To Fizzle Out.— May mean for business or fun to boom at first land dry up little by little till it becomes as dry as a powder horn [that is filled with emptiness. A Bad Pill. — May mean a man or woman so mean that they poi- |son, like the Upas tree, all that come near their shadow. They [should be hermetically sealed up from society ; they are so despic- jable that they'll steal the coppers off a dead man's eyes if kept in [open air. As Sure as Eggs. — Means to be so surely delighted that you'd '{rejoice like a boy who fin.ds a whole nest full of eggs, Easter morn- ^ ing, an anticipation that wishes for participation to give it a re- slish. A Suck Egg. — Means, if a dog, one so mean as to suck the nest egg ; if a man, so mean that he'll nteal the setting-hen's eggs and suck them, for fear the old hen may be of service to her owner in hatching Ker Chunk or Kbr Chug. — May mean coming in disorderly chunks in a great hurry, like tbo bully's fist under a fellow's ear ; or kerchug, may mean sounding like a stone falling in the lake, or pond, or river. A Chum. — Means a partner in vice of a night- revelling nature ; or the partner of a daisy girl, or of a " jail bird," or a partner to wild dances at whiskey dens. You Can Bet Your Bottom Dollar. — May mean you can risk all you have on the bet, all the cash in hand, or in bonds — the stake is sure — or your life on anything meant by the speaker ; and when used by a slang-slinging dead-beat to a confiding woman, she at once tumbles to the racket of poverty, distress, shame, and in the end may-be winds up her yarn of woe in a poor or disordorly house. i liM 1 -^1 ! ' 26 THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. ^iTB Smart. — As Uncle Erastua says, may mean, in business, making heaps of tin and shekels, or may apply to a witty, clever person, or may mean a plaster of Spanish flies applied to a fresh cut for a medicine, or tobacco juice spattered into a lady's eyes by her lover. A Muo WuMP. — May mean a mule so lazy that he won't help draw home the hay or de straw dat he gits to eat hisself ; or it may mean a thing called a human animal that hns got the poke kind of lazying worse than said mule *' critter" ever had it. All the Same. — May mean never mind, I am careless about the matter, or contented without it ; or may mean a boast of success in the end ; or may mean that all in the same family are alike ; or all the bed springs, or lightning rods, or whatever goods offered by a peddlar, are. the same as the sample one shown. By tub HoLi' Pokek. — May mean for an ignorant slaiig-slinger to swear by his neighbor's holy church steeple. A Hoodlum or Hoodlums. — May mean Chinese parasites of hu- man beings, who suck the blood of the national labor of the United States and British Columbia. A'MoNKEYiNG Around. — May mean to prance, dance and jump around like the ape or monkey taking up a collection for an organ- grinder, instead of acting thn part of a fair, square man in business or a trade, or in a play or in a dance, or in courting carnivals ; a monkey dance any where : don't drive one nail in a sure place. A Log-rolling. — May mean for one fellow to spit on the hands of another fellow holding the hand spike, by which he helps to roll the logs down the bank ; or it might mean in politics for one poli- tician to help an elector's son into a good appointment by getting a majority of confreres to all join in helping to oil the government machinery, till the premier can roll the appointment around ; a show oi assistance, if not always real, — if enough help is given he gHs there sure. A Chaffing. — Means for a pretended friend or beau to act the part of fanning-mill screen, i. e., to be throwing all the chafif in your or one's face while the grain is thrown in his own measure — no more chaffing for pity's sake. Rag a Muffin. — May mean a ragged tramp or ruffin who has stole hot muffins (or cakes) and carrying them away rolled up in his rags \u order to put them in his bread-basket when he sits down beside an old log, where boys and cats can't disturb him while tak- ing his stolen meal. Urchins or Kids. — May mean small boys or girls that are too young to work or walk, so ma and pa have to carry them on their backs to and from the candy store. May mean a squalid lot of boys and girls huddled in the corner of a drunken loafer's cabin, who THE AMERICAN SLANGI8T. 27 )aD, in business, ant slang- si ingei* can't get clothes enough to show themselvus on the street let alone the school or the church, where other good children go and play among the kids. Gone up Spout. — May mean to spend your money, your farm or your home, or all your valuable time, in drinking, carousing, danc- ing, billiards, and card-playing, fighting, hanging out, going tu shows, ball plays and cigar smoking, till your family are obliged to leave you alone to die — said individual may be said to have gone up spout, and if ever I look to find him, 'twill be iti a water spout, a dug out, or a hollow tree. A Rhinocbrhoss. — May mean, if a dumb animal, the veritable rhinoceros ; if a human animal, may mean the laziest animal of the kind that ever put on a pair of horn., 'ust to give him the appear- ance of power — to make other men keep and feed him ; a lazy man is worse than a rhinoceros. '^ A BuLLEPHAiT. — May mean the largest of quadrupeds, if so, he would rather some more polite name were given him ; if a human animal he must be called the giant or great central figure of the show ; in that case Goliath must have been the bullephant of the Philistian show, when David was not around. A Spanking Horse. — May mean a fast trotting or running horse that spanks the roads considerably when he goes his 2-13^ gait, and the dashboard of the buggy sometimes gets spanked with said horse's heels veryunuchly. He's on the Marry. — May mean that fellow that's out wife- hunting, just aching for a companion, and might be led to marry a male companion dressed in wimin's fixins, before the fit subsides ; or may mean just now has at last made up his mind that way, and awaits a chance to jump the broomstick. Hoodwinked. — May mean a farcical allusion thrown over one's bumps of gumption, that, like a hood or cloud envelops them for the time to shut out the mind's eye, till the farce is played on a young man or lady and often children of a larger growth. Keep that covering off in warm or cold weather ; you don't need it in any season. Bamboozled. — May mean that one has been so flagrantly scented with the balm of flattery, and just wakes up to find all their peek-a- boo organs have been s^^^rangled, off, till the deceptive trick has been played that costs them self-respect often, or the price of their farm, home or living. All lovers of ruinous games, or gin and rum drinkers that can't quit the habit, get bamboozled, and '* don't you forget it " He, ob That, Takes the Shine. — May mean those boots who are owned by one able and willing to shell out ten cents to the boot-black when solicited to do so ; or when a horse beats in the race I. 28 THE AMERICAN SLANOIST. I I. * . I i 1 \A it takes the shine, or when a boy sticks to his work on his father's farm and helps, so it's profitable, both he and the farm take a shine ; and if a slang-slinging bean at show or dance beats her true and good or faithful feller, by just monkeying around, he is said by his mates to take the shine, and they call that respectable young man that's been badly left by a dead beat, " a mossback." He Got There to Stay. — May mean, Josiah courted and married Ruble Ann, and is staying with her ; he had to jump the broom- stick to git there, and we don't blame him ; or may mean some young man or Aroman or bigger children, read novels too much, and learned a little too much slang, and never stopped till drinking and debauchery set in with him, and all his money and means were spent in gitting there, so he steals, he robs, he finally murders and he gets into jail, when they get the drop on him, and so he has to stay against hii^ will. For pity's sake don't always get there to stay. By the Long Horn Spoon. — May mean the long horned or han- dled spoon that used to be brought into requisition in feeding the proboscis with snuff before the scoop-shovel was invented ; there was nothing so nice for the purpose. A Most Cognostic. — May mean a thing is ever so nice if it does look nasty to some people. An oyster just turned out of his shell is said to be a most cognostic by a slang-slinging cranky jim dandy. Law Suz. — May mean a grannies exclanuttion of joyous surprise at her first seeing every one of her fifty grand-children. For Pittib's Sake (pity's) —May mean, your story or informa- tion is so horribly exciting that the listener wonders what will come next ; 'tis passing strp^nge, and sometimes causes one to fall into a swoon, if it is all told in one single yarn, — " do just stop, for pittie's sake " — to the listener. Do Tell. — May mean that one's tittle tit-a tat yarn is so nice and funny, the listener will say, do tell it more and more and faster, and don't let the hopper run dry and shut ofiT the steam till one gets a satisfactory grist. Just Give him the Caniptians. — May mean that keHle hitched to the dog's tail jingles so that he takes the canine fits that visit such dogs, till he has the all-gone feeling except that part that is furthest from the bark ; or may mean a man's wife may run a few thousand miles along the railway line with a meaner looking fellow than the one left behind in the cold to look after the children, till the journey is completed, and if the trains fail to connect so as not to bring her back in two or three or more years, her husband does take a slight fit of caniptians, and poor little children cry and take on about poor pa, and sometimes ma does too, maybe, if we could be near enough to hear her sob and blubber far away, when she was left by her paramour. THE AMERICAN SLANOIST. 29 Quite Tony ob Tonie. — May mean one's clothes and manner are kised so high above one's controllable sphere that they are taken for >me other individual, so when we try to fall back into our own and proper places we find we are crowded out with other citizens who rere not so tony, so we are then left out in the cold — badly left in lany cases — 'taint always best to be too tony in the start, and don't ^ou forget it. Got the Drop on Him. — May mean the hangman has the halter ground the culprit's neck, *' dead sure." That's all Rot. — May mean what is oflhared o another person is offensive as the perfumes of a rotten cabbage or dung pit, or a lest of rats that fell into a skunk's home and got covered with l^otten perfumery. Means offensive or useless. You're Nowhere. — May mean your horse can't trot or run as rell as another, or you can't run, ride, dance, play billiards, cards, Irink gin, or whiskey, hang around th*" ^als, spend your money, ttquaader your time, make the money by trickery, go to church in luch fine, showy dresses, wear such nice bangs, or run such fast /oung men, or such a lot of fast, fair and daisy girls as a jim-dandy ilang- slinging man or girl can ; so, you're nowhere, you're laid >ut— or as that gal that is called a daisy is said to be nowhere by Blangists. Sometimes 'tis better to be nowhere — don't forgit it. Sowing Their Wild Oats, or Eating Their White Bread. — [ay mean that the young men and maids of the day are racing their )a's teams to death to take slang-slinging, jim-dandy, fast, reek- dancers around to parties and squandering their time in frivol- |ous amusements till the old people can't farm well, and their finances have to give out, and they all tumble to the racket, and the \ whole family have to eat black, coarse bread, while their poor, brok- en down horses are fed on wild grass and wild, marsh oats. Gener- ally applied, means to lead careless, wild and reckless lives. Too many are reaping such a harvest. Bully fob Her. — May mean done better in deeds of charity to the poor, or that one is so bully that she eclipses all other women in the dance, or show, or party ; generally means she has done such acts as entitle her to chief praise, in order to gain the society of bullying companions. That's too Thin. — May mean that cloth is too thin to keep out the cold ; that batter is too thin to make good pancakes ; or mor- tar too thin to stick on the wall ; or that flattery is not hid by the thin dose one administers. Generally means lack of faith of a chum to a cronie. First Buncomb.— Means good whiskey, good music, or good cloth, or food, or good slang, or good kind of monkeying around ; generally means a girl is buncomb when she will tumble to the ;i -?' i II ill ! i T. !1 ill n ill 1 1 ! 1 ; i /l;ll fli ' SO THE AMERICAN SLANQIST. racket of fast fellowi, and throw away her sweet life's reputation on fun-going people, or perform bunoomb on the stage till one wrecks her Ufe. Songs are so called that contain poisonous princi- ples ; applied to politics, may mean plausible, specious speeches that are tainted with the Jingo policy, laudable and plausible and pretentious obtside, but not practicable, or possessing stable ^ood ; showy, but not lasting. Rip Rokious. — Means to make a boisterous noise like a lion de- vouring its prey, but no. safer, nor more beneficial, than a steam boiler without a safety valve ; generally people who belong to that class tear more to pieces than they build up. A train of cars is rip roriouB that meets another train on a bridge, or any place along the line, and collides with that other train ; a bull dog, or a bully fight- infv slang-man is rip rorious, and don't you forgit it. Don't Bust Your Biler. — Means eat and drink in moderation ; do your talking in a human manner ; be gentle, discreet and digni- lied, and always shut off surplus steam, and prevent a catastrophe by being sparing of words and horns of grog. Hold Your Horses. — Means to be discreet in choosing a place or your company ; don't form acquaintances with fast, untried strangers, and always keep a tight rein on all your business and so- cial faculties. Tin Top Jail, a Jail Bird, or the Cooler. — Means the favorite home of crooks, cranks, jim-dandies, rat-squealing bummers, many slang-slingers, too, besides drunks, sneak-thieves, robbers and those who commit indecent assaults or rapine, or, murder ; or all such as deprive better men and women of respectability, or good houses, or life, or civilized society of its greatest boon, — virtue, peace, and plenty. Go IN Your Level Best. — Means to put . your best foot forward in a race for the cakes, home comforts, and for religion, or to beat all your neighboring friends in hoarding up treasure on earth, or in heaven ; or to do your level best if you have to crawl on hands and knees ; to spend more money ; or run with more beaus, or daisy gals ; or bet.' 11 sowing wild oats in wild dances : may mean to never rein :.n your passionate horses till wreck and ruin come. A bummer goes in his level best when he drinks a quart of whiskey on a bet at one swallow. A Murfhey. — Means a moighty foine paratie, by gorrah it does, errah mush a' to it. Go It Sal and I'll Hold Your Bonnet. — May mean for a gang of rowdies to stand and reproach some strange, weary, way-worn fellow or girl who have been let down badly, having been strapped of money and turned out of home, and travelling in search of a better position ; may mean a slur hurled at a passing lady, whose m THE AMERICAN 8LANGIST. SI Lart of whiskey gorrah it does, clothes and bonnet are not in fashion, but good, honest and respect- able for all ; or that some unexpected boy or girl, or old plug horse are beating all their former reputation or record in dancing, r running, or flirtation, and a jim-dandy will hrst say, " rats ! rats ! " while a slang-slinger will bawl out, ''Go it, Sal, I'll hold your bonnet. " Git the Dead Wood on Them. — May mean entrapped by a dead- fall made of wood if a mink, or martin, or any furred animal ; if a human animal, may mean he or she has been surrounded by human traps that have all been sprung and caught one so fast that they can't stir life or limb in business or move in society, and sometimes they become as dead to society as the tree that's cut down and must die. You'ttK Whoopino now, Jist Shoutin(j. — Means you've been wrong all the time ; hanging back from joining any society, and choosing the company of ruinous companions, and now you have eome to the front in a fondness for wild companions and reckless ruination fun ; now, young fair one, every fast young man will call you a daisy, for you have consented to attend wild dances (left church to do it) : you're jist whooping now. The very next whoop- ing she does may be a whiskey whoop in a disorderly house, or it may be in striking a bargain, as all your first offers had been re- jected, but at last your offer is accepted, because you've tumbled to the racket of a bulldozing, burglarizing slang-slinger. Slinos it on Steep. — Means for a young lady to sling on a sky- scraper of a bonnet, and a jim-dandy to sling on a dade's stove-pipe hat ; or may mean for a lad to begin with novel-reading, slang words, cigar- smoking, whiskey-bumming, to keep the company of rowdies, burglars, sneak-thieves, next that of robbers, and end up by com- mitting murder, and ascending the gallows : he slings the rope on his neck on the high, steep gallows, in order that he can show olf to the best advantage, like all who try to do so by slinging it on steep. ^ Mind That. — Says an honest father or mother to the boys and girls, meaning, book it down for fear that the cane or broomstick may play a racket with your backs ; but when used by the slang- man it is intended to threaten your life or safety, or you should shut your ears to all other advice or authority. Don't forgit it ! there is no other voice nor sound in the world that the slanger thinks equal to his foul-mouthed twaddle. By THE Holy Poker. — Means that a slang-slinging nudle or noodle utters this foul blasphemy in giving his great big swear, and to spite his pious neighbors he swears by the holy Christian church steeple, for he has no church steeple or holiness of his own to give his oath the solemnity he wishes, fioys and girls, don't say by the holy poker, but just when you feel swear coming on you - think of a church steeple, and think how high it reaches up heav 'inwards. i I 1] '! I iMl n 32 THE AMERICAN SLANOIST. You Can Count on me Every Time, I take that all in. — may mean I like the thing or game proposed, racing, dancing, novel- reading, going to skating rinks, billiard and card-playing, having a hooping good drunk or visiting disorderly houses, going to the cir- cus or side shows ; or may mean a promise of fidelity of one chum to another chum or pal, or one boxer to another, or birds of any flock, for birds of a feather will flock together ; or may mean, I'll lend you the money or help you on the farm or at the logging bee, or a young jim dandy convinces the fair one of his fidelity by using it often in that way. This expression, '* count me in every time, I'll take that in," or the one given above, are the two decoy duck expressions in the slang-slinger and whiskey-bummer's dic- tionary. I'll Run You opp the Track. -^May mean for a train to collide with a man on the track in the dark, and the cow-catcher throw him off the track ; or may mean that a man undermines his fellow man by chasing the husband away from his wife and taking her from her liege lord, or get ahead of another fellow in buying a good horse or farm, or may mean for one gold digger to pick the man over the head who has a richer gold mine than the other one ; or may mean for a feller to cheat another man out of his girl's affec- tions and swim himself supremely there. Generally means to go in for all one is worth every time. Shut opp Your Wind. — May mean to make two pieces of breath- ing pipe, or put a stopper at the upper end of it somehow, or for one trotting horse to tire and use up the wind-breathing organs by extra speed too long continued for the other horse that has an over match ; may mean for one woman to choke another woman off while the other woman is combing her hair with her fingers in a huffy carnival. Let Daylight Through You. — May mean to telescope the body of one with a bullet. Give Them A Rackit. — To smash the town store windows or whiskey dive window panes, or try their team a race, or give them a boxing or dancing carnival ; or may mean to use young fair ones for fun an(^ fancy till they get to be homely and old, as an old maid is spurned by such men — all racked in life, beauty or broken up ir a noisy night-reveling manner. Generally means too much shaking up to allow all parts to remain intact. I'll Knock Him Out. — Means to give him irresistible boxing, irresistible rowing, says the slugger or oarsman ; or, a small majority of votes cast against the parliament-going man knocks him out. You bet it leaves him out, lays him out, saws up his par- liamentary yams, fairly makes him hunt for a dug-out for a short decade after the election is over. In A Pig's Eye ; or Over the Lept. — May mean so doubtful as to happen as soon aa twenty bushels of corn could be stored away in THE AMERICAN SLANCJIST. 33 pij^'a eye. May mean there is no mor-. chance for the thing pro- )Bed than there is for a pijj; to require so much corn to be stored ray where there is no room. Sometimes the expression is synono- ^ous with the phrase, ** over the left," or, you are only fooling any- way, it looks just like it anyway. Let Her Slide. — May mean hold not on to girls or fast young ^en who are trying to put in their time on skating rinks of ice or >ller or wild dances. Anchor not a vessel or ship on a dangerous loal before a storm, but let her slide to a safe harbor. Young miden when dude slang beaus ask you to go to wild parties with jera, and you're not sure of keeping good company, then "let lem slide, sure." Let Her Drive. — May mean that if the young couple are in a [urry to get to the preacher to get married, and fairly ached to get lere, the young fellow should let the young fair one drive the lorses, as ladies always can drive faster on any or in all occasions lan a man — some don't know that horses have any feeling, espec- illy on the wedding trip, or when honeymoon comes around, the ime of all times, the day for which all other days were made. Slam it to Him. — May mean for the Scott Act violator to hol- )w for his wife to Jtit the officer of the law with the axe blade in the |ace, when her husband is being arrested. Slam it too him, says le. Slam it to him, says a man's wife to a hired man she let into |he house one night, when her confiding husband lay asleep on the )ed, as the slang-slinging jim dandy (paramour) was knocking him l>n the head with an axe and butcher knife she had provided for ihe occasion ; he did as he was told, but she hanged for it. Gen- erally, it is making the blows tell every time when one slams it to Unother person. Fiddle-de-dee. — May mean a loitering, nonsensical way of talk- ing all day about nothing ; or, for a husband to introduce it in his lome, means beginning of ruination to man or wife, for children ire apt to catch the complaint. Generally 'twould be better to in- troduce the small-pox, a disease the doctors sometimes can cure, [than fiddle-de-dee nonsense at home. Falderal. — May mean light, trifling conversation, — no hope can [be staid on it ; or may mean nonsense so light and trifling that it [don't pay to play falderal more than about five minutes or so. Shilly Shally. — May mean without any appreciative substance. [A flurrie of snow is shilly shally. May mean a life of vanity ; an [appearance without any personality. All scare- crows are shilly fshally rag men, and are more common in the land than is healthy lfor crows or human kind. ToPSY-TuRVY.— Means upside down, end for end, like a drunk- [ ard lying on his back pawing the air ; all the time that fellow is [feeling for the ground. B 94 THE AMEUIOAN 8LAN0IST. 11: iij'i 1 1 ■i:ii. Cyulombi). — May mean for one to be taken up bv the wind and rain-oloud »o high as to be blown several hundred feet and lodged in a tree-top right over a deep, wide river, with an island in the middle of the stream ; so said man oould not get off without a boat, (renerally, that a blustering, slang-slinging bully blows on another fellow, or blows him away from his place, be it his house or his business ; or that the neighborn all blow against a man in town, or in a good position, till he is cycloned out, because everybody says BO, and it must be done. PEiKiiNO Away yet. — May mean that a person or a public news- paper is always pegging or harping away on the same old one iduti system till the thing becomes stale to everybody. I heard of the owner of a plucky butting sheep, who hitched a beetle or maul by the handle to an apple limb, letting the head part hang down so the sheep could hit it ; every time he swung it at himihe butted, and the owner was surprised to get up iu the morning and find he had butted himself all away but a piece of his tail, and that waa pegging awty yet. Played Out. — May mean that a fast trotter runs down with old age or by breaking a leg ; or a good business man goes down by change of circumstances ; or a pretty, fair one wjio has been the star of the stage in upper tendom, or belle of the fashionable society cir- cles ; or a rich, fair, young damsel runs away with a dead beat, or slang- slinging Pat, and is left thousands of miles away from home, money and friends, and gets so played as to have to beg. A farm or a mill is played when no longer useful or profitable. A man or woman is played when they separate from their sacred marriage vow, and stagger into a cold, game-making world to beg for them- selves and children. Great Soott. — May mean polite swearing or blasphemy, only to be used by doctors and lawyers, clergymen and millionaires : 'tis too high and sacred to be allowed among " small fry." Now, You're Talking.— May mean one used chenanagan to fur- ther a cause that was futile at the start, but not getting there, they resorted to a more feasible-looking scheme. Some people will use white lieii, black and blue lies, red, green and yellow fibs, to throw others away from the truth, but the listener, if prudent, will say, you're only codding, or 'tis all in my eye, in the pig's eye, or bun- comb, or shilly-shally, or all in my eye, Betty Martin, or all over the left, or falderol, till the whole vocabulary of slang is exhausted, and all is not satisfaction till the plain English truth comes forth. One can truly say then, " now, you're talking — just, shouting, boss. " Blubbering Around. — May mean for a boy who has to stay at home on show day ; or when the young lady sees her fellow leading another better-looking girl home from the party^ or dance, or show, THK AMERICAN 8LANUIST. 35 . blubbers around as bad at the left boy ; or the young Esqui- MIX that don't ({et his blubber for breakfast, because his people I't uatch a whale. Generally means that when good success » not attend our efforts we am apt to make a crying, blubbering >i8e like the boy at the fish pond who catches a minnow every ), and another Doy by his side brings out a whale of a fish every »rk. Boys and girls, stop blubbering so much, and put on fresh iit in fishing or in business, and have patience, and try, try again, id atop blubbering for piti/a sake. Hk Ouinm Like a Chkbsecat. — Means that all one's powers or ;ultie8 are centered in controlling their laughing powers ; and like leir grandfathers, the Jacks who can lay back their ears, their ^es dilate, and mouths wide open throw till many stare and won- to see how much the critter seems to know. Generally street |awkies indulge in such freaks. OvKK THE Left. — May mean what you say or propose is probably or good, but if even so it is as sure to turn out foul or bad, us le ball thrown with the left hand, hitting right only once out of a lundred times. Meaning (may be) that the bear may fly, but is a 3/1/ unlikely bird ; meaning not likely enough to depend on. SuiiK Pop. — l.Iay mean the man that shoots a burglar ; or a wink >r twinkle of a pretty, fair one's eyes, bewitching and capturing )very beau that Cupid trees for her ; may mean a forty-rod whis* Ley that captures and kills every time, if one coaxes it often and jiong enough to let it know you want the favor just to accommodate )ne. You'ke a Hard Nut. — May mean the nut tha<;^tightens the mana- sles on the jail-bifd's wrists. You're a hard nut, says the constable bo culprit too ; they make a pretty pair, any jail-bird to this may iwear. That Just Fills the Bill. — Says the hawk or owl when feast- ing on a poor little quail ; or may mean a $10,000 shawl, a $10,000 lorse, $1,100,000 pearl, says the wife of a man worth $1,000,000 ; or [a calico dress, a pair of atoga shoes, with a straw bonnet, says the wife lof a man worth a few $100 ; or, this just fills the bill, says the man [that begs a chew of tobacco from the constable that leads him up [to the gallows. That's the Ticket for Soup. — May mean the best of sermons [when uttered in a church, because it pays ofi^ the debt on a church by the aid of an oyster supper ; or may mean the silk dress, or bon- net, or pair of prunella shoes. Generally means what the doctor [ordered, with some women. All Right Maria. — You can be at liberty to get that dress, that organ, that poeana, buy that horse, that farm, borrow that money, or children go to the giddy dauoe, to the theatre } or may mean that :\ 36 THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. ! ! I 1 i.r ' 1 1 11 1 i ' il M ;|,i 1 I H I Mariar a nice person is the stuff, is a daisy, is very popular. But Mariar don't see any of these things promised once out of a hun- dred times, especially if the one promising is a slang-slinger or a jim dandy, for if they have a jim dandy purse, it's full of emptiuess. That Knocks mb Gallib West. — May mean after I court my gal, a jim dandy reckless young man entices her away, and knocks me out of her affection, and takes her to the far west, and leaves her to earn her way alone in the world— that knocks my gallie west ; you bet, even to paralysis. Beat one Blind. — May mean that a trickster cheats me in every game of cards, horse trade, or plays chenanagan tricks to worst me out of my property or my sweetheart's affection, so slick that the brilliancy of the trick bamboozles and blinds me fairly ; or a wife may say,— when a drunken husband beats her so both eyes shut up, — she may say, that beats me blind ! and it uoes, sure pop, every time. Honest Injun. — May mean for a trickster to first hoodwink and bamboozle one out of all that's worth anything, and then, because one has nothing more to get, they may behave as honest as the poor Indian, who is proverbial for being destitute of chicanery ; or may mean that one is just called honest Injun because he lies quiet and defenceless till a sharper fleeces him, before he gains the nice, hon- est name he pays well for. A Blackleg. — Means a man apparently lost to all good, spiritual sensations, a knave, a fellow who schemes his way through by tricky card games and billiards, horse races and debauchery generally of all kinds ; may mean that while he appears to have only a slender chance of walking on his dhe white leg he keeps his black leg covered with a black bag full of hidden tricks of chicaney, chenanagan, euchre, poker, etc. You can't always see much of that fellow's personality, being partly masked, so be careful to read hie sign at a glance, or he will fleece you, br bamboozle you out of your game. A Skin Flint. — a miser so penurious that he don't buy a money gurse, won't buy matches to light his fire, but makes his fires by umping his head against a log of wood, or striking a steel chunk to a flint. After said individual's demise you sometiir os may And thou- sands of cash done up in shot bags and old stockings, stowed away in a hollow tree cr an old straw tick or piece of carpet all worn to rags, that his grand mother made before he was born. Slick as a Mouse. — Slily and noislessly does the thief enter your bedroom ; quietly lies the trap that grasps the wolf, bear, fox or beaver, w) tie the one cleans you out of your spare cash, and the other springs and holds its victim fast as slick as the little mouse glides into its little home. The spider spins its little web trap noislessly as the steel trap lies in wait for its victims, so does the slang-slinging dandy, whiskey-bumming, race-running, dance-going i m THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. 37 y popular. But • out of a hun- slinger or a jim of emptiness. I court my gal, and knocks me and leaves her ny gallie west ; ats me in every sks to worst me slick that the irly ; or a wife both eyes shut oes, sure pop, hoodwink and then, because est as the poor kuery ; or may lies quiet and the nice, hon- good, spiritual ough by tricky generally of all slender chance ? covered with agan, euchre, 's personality, kt a glance, or I. buy a money 98 his fires by steel chunk to oay find thou- owed away in worn to rags, ef enter your bear, fox or sash, and the ) little mouse Je web trap , so does the dance- going billiard and card- playing habits steal on our young fair and loved ^nes, and generally to stay as slick as a mouse, by listening to slang- linging yarns. Now How IS That for High (or Hie). — Is an exultant boast of braggadocio, who has the organ of self esteem — like the Jack- -being lis chief equipment of wisdom ; generally applied to what the ^linger of it calls brag and stuff, or "non -such, "whether applied to self >r a cronie or any person or thing ; a girl 7 or 8 feet tall is quite ligh, or a sky-scraper is high ; a fast horse hies muchly ; running tway with another's wife is hie over much — 40 miles an hour. Now How IS THAT FOR Low. — Means an act, or thing, or person, )elow the common order ; robbing the blind beggar of his last some- }ody's morsel, is very low indeed ; a man or woman of the thumb lor commodore nut size is middling low ; beging ten cents to put a rname on the quilt, when got from an over-persuaded orphan, is all Irot, and savours much of the rat-squealing-skuuk-cabbage-man who [is lower than his superior the dumb brute. Muchly. — Means that just getting near enough a man to see him [taking a 3 feet long by 3 inches in diameter of Bologna [sausage is leaning towards muchly ; slinging on slang, dude style, [more than a considerable is next neighbor to Mr. Muchly, and don^t [you forget it never a time ; and you can bet your money on it, and [when you say so you'll be just shouting when you sing it out, all hunca dora, or I'm bamboozled if it aint. A Cad. — A fast young fancy boxing man to go to shows with a farm- er's gals to sere away all sensible young men from acting' the beau with said gals, or any of the dandy style who goes to fight off or scare away what he calls moss-backs. Skipped Out. — Ran away from law officials for stealing boodle, or skiddidled, or skeddadled with unceremonious travelling, from enemies, country, faithful wife and loving children, or from tin-top, or the gallows : taking one, leaving one. For a young lady's beau to skip her for a more jim-dandy daisy girl at the party, or leaving the one behind that t^etit to the show with him, and taking another one at first sight to her home, and only wait till she throws her best WKTdrobe out the back window, and then have a lively escapade with her to a fresh place in other parts, both leaving without bid- ding' their dear Pa and Ma good-bye, for fear of disturbing them in thei:* nocturnal slumbers. N'/'NK SuoH. — May mean a tramp, a horse, a fish, a kind of grain, the most popular comedian, or politician, or a farmer, or a daisy, jim-dandy, slang-slinging, slurring girl or boy, or a musical organ, or musical player, or singer, or a school teacher, or a beau in high society, or a queen, or a noble, or a soldier, or a general, or a book, a watch, a game at cards, dice, billiards, or dance, or a low !■ 1 1^ ;;l ■ *'" 38 THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. 1 111 '\\\i , I !"' If bummer's or drunken man's place, called a hut (a none such house) ; or it may mean none but the best need apply for a berth, or place, etc., as none else would fill the bill fairly. On some occasions, if education, politics, music and religion are not included, things are called none such by dudes. I'm too Badly Rattled to Givb You Much op My Guff. — May mean too suddenly raised to a chairman's position so as to shut oS an orator's eloquence ; or two steam engines by colliding may be so badly rattled as to shut off the safety valve ; or may mean youn<; men and girls so badly rattled by wild dances, shows, billiards, card playing, c^ drunken j .iborees, or disgraceful company-keeping, as to shut their sweet mouths with shame. Generally, such don't give much of their guff when winding up their business. I'd Chirrup id Twitter ; " *' I'd Houch to Spit ; " " I'd (I Blush to Murmur." — These three expressions are synonymous. Illustration : — A beau chum (with three fair ones) who got three sheets in the wind with toddy and made a fatal mistake by pulling out his supply of candy for the trio of sweet ones, which had been mixed with pain killer in his pocket, when the bottle broke which he was carrying home to his mother, and getting badly mixed with pain killer juice. When tasting of said sweeties, so nicely mixed with the pain killer juice, you should have seen their sweet lips open to respond to his act of courtesy. No. 1 says, " I'd chirrup to twitter ; " No. 2 says, " I'd cough to spit ; " No. 3 says, '* I'd blush to murmur." So are the ways of the world. I left after laying down a moment to draw a free breath. I'll Rope Him in Too, or Rope Them in. — Mavmean a fat steer brought to a butcher's stall with a rope ; or an accomplice, or chum, in a killing carnival to be wanted and found after the main culprit has been secured, for a victim to the gallows' rope, and said chum, cronie, or pal, to be roped in, too, as tassel No. 2 to the rope. Generally, misery loves company, and ropes all in that it can get when a debt has to be paid, or misery, or shame, or hardship, have to be endured : or some times a pond fishing ne^ ropes in the fishes muchly. The clothes line rope makes a good haul occiionally, not discriminating between collar, shirt, pillow slip and moleskin pants, when hauled in by a sneaking thief. Not a Patching to It, Him, Them, or Her. — Used as a means of comparison always : — New pants compared with old, patched ones; or, a three-minute gait is not a patching to 2:40, 2;35. 2:14, 2:13, or 2:08^, etc.; or going to mill on horseback is not a patching to going with sleigh, cutter, or democrat ; or, the old log cabin where somebody's granny roasted turkeys on a spit before a log heap, or baked long cake in a tin pan, is not a patching to Windsor Oastle, where all the modem inventions of heating, cooking, or house- keeping are brought iato requisition. Never a time, oy the long- bom spoon you can bet your sweet life on it ; by golly, you can. !(■ I il t^W^ ^m THE AMERICAN SLANGTST. 39 such house) ; rth, or place, occasions, if Bd, things are Guff.— May as to shut off ng may be so mean youns; ulliards, card y-keeping, as ch don't give Spit;" <» I'd synonymous, rho got three ;e by pulling ich had been broke which IT mixed with licely mixed reet lips open d chirrup to , ** I'd blush after laying m a fat steer complice, or ier the main >pe, and said to the rope, t it can get 'dship, have in the fishes ionally, not skin pants, as a means Id, patched 2:36. 2:14, a patching I log cabin a log heap, Isor Oastle, or house- f the long- yott can. ■■&. I, He, or Thby Can't Ske There.— The eye can't see the depth ^f the valleys on the moon ; the low, doomed culprit in the dis- lal cell can't see the rope dangling on the gallows in the jail-yard, raiting and looking for him ; nor can he see the home surrounded )y all the comforts of life, which he stepped down and out of when le entered the paths of crime. The fellow that gets over much larry on the brain can never see the bride he dreams about, and |ust feels he can't breathe any longer without her, for he has marry too mucV^ on the brain. The young lady who loses a fair reputation in lovable society can't see there ; the politician w no gets strapped for votes can't see his place in the legislative hall ; nobody's cats [can't dine with the kings cats — by crackee, they can't see there. By Hook or ey Crook. — May mean for a man to get his Christ- [mas turkey, goose, chicken or plums for cake, or money to buy [his Christmas presents with, if he has to hook or steal them ; or may [mean to act the confidence man in the stealing game in a crooked [by-way after night, or in out-houses, crooking one's back just low ; enough to go well in and out of a hen-coop with a crooked squeeze. What do you Take me for 1 — May mean a scold or taunt, to lull all suspicion. When a slang-slin^er utters it he means we should be- lieve him, and get the whole neighborhood to endorse it ; for he wishes us to understand the highest authority is ofiered to us on the subject, just because he happens to say so himiself. How Does That Get You ? Just Boss— Meaning all othei things, all other ways have been tried, but nothini; ever was or can be offered to equal ; meaning, I presume this is the grand dad of ofiers, "Just boss !" sometimes, though, it may belong to the jingo class, pretentious, but worthless. Don't Git Up Your Dander. — Means keep your feelings out of one's head for fear they will knock the dander (or dandruff), off your own head. While another fellow gets his ear or nose bit off and is mained for life, hold your horses boys. Shell Out the Dimes, the Stamps, the Sheckrls, the Tin, &c- — .May mean for a young man too fresh or green to spend the last nickel in a tine jim-dandy girl's company, and get the bounce and be left out in the cold world to die of grief, or hang for murder ; or, for a too kind husband to spend his loose cash, and mortgage, and finally lose home and living to raise the dimes for a too fast wife to sling it on with awhile, in dressing for dance and show-going. You'r a Hard Seed or Pill.— May mean for a poor Rocky Mountain chipmunk to be so pinched by hunger as to gnaw so hard at a stone trying to get at the seed till tears roll off his face ; or for a poor woman to be possessed of a slang-slinging man, debauched by drunkenness, till she cries for even hog's food— the corn seed — and can't get enough to stay her hunger. That woman's man may well be called a hard seed or pill. 40 THR AMERICAN SLANGfST. ■?vs^: ! 1 I ! !. I'M '-■■•':'•■ 1 I I i i |i'»> ! I liiii i I m I i ; ii'l '1', .., Fripperies. — Jewels in a pig's nose; fandangles on dresses, especially head dresses, filling a place without a use or a meaning. A Gronie. — means one who actually does the crying, laughing and all for another except the eating ; but admires while one does eat, especially your boss things nice to eat ; one near enough to be n twin, and yet not akin. Taking a Swing. — To take one by the wing for a promenade, to swing partners in the dance, to dangle at the end of a ropQ from the scaffold ; for two men to get blind drunk and try to brincr or swing each other home, and both fall'into the ditch (drunkard's ditch), and freeze, is to take a swing — "and don't you forget it" — into cold eternity often. To Get Even With One Another, Tit-for-Tat, — Means for one fellow to kill another fellow for marrying what he calls his gal, then dying on the ssaffold himself ; or — tit-for-tat — cheat a third man out of his gal, because, a second man mashed your gal away ; and the third man shoots No 1 & 2 and then himself, leaving two widows to pull each other's hair till they are snatched bald. I've Lost Every Dime, — Means I'm a pauper tramp — have been a millionaire ; I've been there, but now am played, bamboozled, hoodwinked, badly left out in the cold, strapped, sowed up — my leg is sawed off — not a shot in the locker — knocked into a cocked hat — turned topsy turvy — cyoloned, and gone up spout. Slurs and Slangs. — mean dangerous playthings in the mouths of slang-slingers, dudes, jim dandies, drunken debauched bummers, thieves, robbers, showmen, billiard and card-players, writers oJP some public journals, some school scholars, some evangelistic plat- form speakers, some parliamentarians, and some caterwalling dudes squealing roughly, and forsooth, some slang novel readers. A Fast Young Man or Girl. — May mean fast to take another's money when the safe is blown open, hurrrying away with the booty, because too bashful to be seen ; may mean either young man or young girl to be too imprudently hurried to intrude themselves into bad society ; or may mean to rush rapidly by schools and good so- ciety, to get into the company of novel-readers, slang-dancers, and tumble headlong to the racket of ruination. That Answers to a T. — Meaning the ticket for soup — just the quill, ixcumgorious, cognostic, superilligant. Bonnie immense, fills the bill, all right Maria, all serene Nancy Jare. A culprit for the jail just answers the turnkey of the jail, and the dark and dismal cell answers the prisoner to a T. A Sky Scraper. — may mean ai comet, a meteor, a kite, a birds wing, a balloon, a new fashioned lady's bonnet, or an old fashioned leghorn bonnet of fifty years a go ; or a three feet high stovepipe hat is a sky scraper. ». .■ THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. 41 By Jbkiouo. — May mean for a slatig blasphemer to run short of rearing material, and hurl an oath at one of the ancient holy cities, order to please his satanic majesty — his royal master. A Bfaggadocio. — Means a thing made up of wind and timidity, jmetimes called a braggart, who shuts off steam and winds up his irhistle a little quicker than no time if a solid fist is punched after ^m by a man, and he just does skedaddle or skididdle then, like a ia\e in front of a tornado. A Codding.— May mean just putting out bait for cod-fish, or may lean a young ambitious lady, trying to bait a rich young man, rhich all know well, and the young lady, too, she ia just baiting her look for the young man's money, and 'tis a pity he often swallows the bait before he knows it. To Ransack. — May mean a thief or robber turning things over iround the house or safe he is robbing, without gentility or method, [^anxious to hurry away from the old lady's gun (the broomstick^. Fandangles. — May mean too much bangs to look comely, jewels I in a pig's proboscis tassels on old plug horse's bridles, fine clothes or newels without good manners — a premier's chair without legislative [ability may mean tha'j equipment. Go TO Blazes. — May mean people who go to e^iery fire in town to try and scare their poor neighbors who get a blaze ; generally it means that which is beyond the power of the English language to describe, so I give below a faint illustration of what it means before ending this work. It certainly surpasses all other blasphemy in the vocabulary, in its sulphureous smell. Hitching Tkacbs to Trot in Double Harness, Tied up, Jump- ing THE Broomstick, Getting Buckled up, Matf iIony. — Gener- ally means getting married ; this ceremony generally ensues when Maria or Nancy Jane's bow and arrow are directed by Cupid, and generally it makes dudes and jim dandies bleat around and bang old tinpans till they remind one of the calves they so much re- semble on such occasions. A Brat. — May mean a thing bom without parentage, a nobody's cat sometimes is called a brat, and I suppose those who believe that all things come by chance, call the wind a brat, because they can't tell whence it comes or whither it goeth. (I mean believers in evolu- tion.) All to Smithereens. — Means so badly broken up that the com- ponent particles refuse to know each other any more ; I presume young people are gone to smithereens when they let loose from good society ; sometimes if not always a bomb bursting into a building smithereens some. Getting on the Blind Side. — By reflection we know somethings as well as people have a blind side, a boy steals sugar from his 42 THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. 1 !i :i i8' ! liiiirii \i4'^ .■I : I •i r ';-:j;;Ui' mother that has one lame eye, BometimeB all sides are termed blind, when bamboozling or hoodwinking is brought into requisition ; (when no watching is done every side is blind). A Scalawag. — A useless individual who sometimes tries to joke and poke fun, or slings slang and slurs at other respectable people's lives or characters just to spite society for his utter destitution of place or character himself ; such come as near as a second cousin to a scalawag. To Make it Lively for One. — May mean for the enemy to open out their guns without first firing a salute, this makes a skedad- dle ; parents chastising their boys and girls that ran away from school or home ; a boxer knocking his contestant out of the ring ; getting into a bees' or hornets' nest makes it lively for dogs, boys or men ; a culprit running before a constable makes travelling lively, they try to get there Eli. That Don't get Her Worth a Cent. — May mean for a girl not to heed a mother's scolding for being too late getting home from the party, or may apply to a green young beau or suitor to talk about his mother's knitting work, and his good mother's chickens to his lady-love in his courtship, instead of lauding the young fair one's admiring peak-a-boos. Young men, just leave your knitting work at home and don't coax any chickens into her company for it don't git her worth a cent ; nor does any flimadiddle nonsense succeed worth a cent for any purpose that is laudable. Show Your Hand. — Says the betting horse racer — says the master to the scholar when playing truant — says the country girl to her beau — and always beaux should keep them clean — to keep off shame which makes timidity increase on courting occasions. A clean hand often accompanies a clean heart ; an honest bargain shows a clean hand. He's a Sucker. — May mean that one sucks what whiskey or rum, his own money will pay for, besides sucking all down that others will waste on him for drinks, tUl all may cry out he belongs to the swallow tribe ; he's a sucker. Can't Touch Bottom, or Hold a Candle. — May mean a short- legged man trying to bathe in a stream six feet deep, when pad- dling is a requisite, might get into deep water and shut his wind off, soua pop up if he can't touch bottom ; a miner's shaft one hundred feet deep can't touch the bottom of a gold mine one thousand feet deep, you bet ; a lazy boy at school who plays truant and fights, and says "rats" at the industrious p^ils at the same school, can't touch bottom or hold a caudle to the persevering, studious, manly scholars on examination day. The thief who only steals chickens, and can- dies, chesnuts, pins, tobacco, jewelry, whiskey or gum, can't touch bottom to the bold highway mftn who robs Qtage^coftches, mail bags^ THE AMERICAN SLANOIST. 43 termed blind, requisition ; Jtries to joke Nble people's Beatifcution of lecond cousin emy to open es a skedad- away from of the ring ; ^ogs, boys or Jlling lively, o»* a girl not "«e from the o talk about ickens to his ^g fair one's ting work at f it don't git cceed worth 8 the master Sirl to her P off ahame . A clean iti shows a ey or rum, ihat others •'igs to the Q a short- ^en pad- wind off, hundred sand feet i^ta, and Q'fc touch scholars ind can. I't touch ail bags, lows up safes, and 100,000 of dollars express trains — no they car 't »t there, Eli ; never a time. Not a Circumstance, — The colored man said the ring around the loon was a dogon big circumstance ; the lady's ring is not a cir- lumstance to dogoned big ; the bite of a gnat is not a circumstance \o the tickle of a wasp or a hornet ; or a mouse ain't a circumstance ^o abullephant ; a sooner horse ain't a circumstance to a 2. 40 horse ; sooner girl ain't a circumstance to a beautiful early rising gal ; log-shanty with dad's old hats and pants stuck in the place of dndow glass, ain't a circumstance to a neat farmer's comfortable )rick house, with plenty, of light and heat, and chuck full of good Ifurniture, and stowed full from garret to cellar with good things [that will make one drool just like one will when thinking of the [oyster saloon, especially when floating on an ice berg near the north pole, having had no blubber for breakfast, the weather 60° below zero. A Skeeztck — is a thing in the shape of a man, so lazy and shift- less that they don't see ahead of their nose or mouth ; so utterly worthless that if their wife or sweetheart should send ten cents or more by them to get a paper of pins, or 50 cents to buy 1 lb of tea, or buy sugar or anything else with, they might buy whiskey or candy, or a ten cent whistle, and go home strapped, or only with a whistle, and might take a boy down and rob him of his candy, especially if it were an orphan boy, that begged the candy, and did not have any help near him. That Won't Buy the Child a Feock. — A skeezick never earns enough to pay for his child's dress, so every lazy, idle trick don't pay; even those who never got the skeezick tit, or even idleness, wont buy the dress for the child, nor the one that is not bought. What is a Bustle, or Bussel. — A fussy hurry, rather of canip- tian kind ; some ladies use it to have something to fall back on, I presume, in the case of emergency. A HoEDowN. — A rough, irregular dance ; or laying out weeds with the hoe so the scorching sun may wilt them out of existence, like the parties sometimes who like and follow hoedown carnivals till they wilt worse than hoed-down weeds, or sick cabbage leaves. A Shakedown— is a hastily made bed ; sometimes a big rough rascal makes such a bed for another fellow, right on the bar-room floor ; riding over a corduroy bridge is much like a shakedown, the only difference being a little shake up in the mixture. A Hop— is a dance among the upper ten in New York or Chicago, or among the nobility of London (Eng.), etc. ; so I expect all other people will have to be content with jamboirees, hoedowns, and fast dances simply, never seeing or beholding a hop dance — being only ■mall fry. 44 THE AMEKICAN SLANGIST. i i 1 i ir > W ' ■ r Vil -Jill \ \ ^''. '¥'■' 1 i' ' 1 M, ^i-r ; , ■!?: fe- ; f ■ < \ M . ;■ , |if A Jamboirek. — A drimkeD loafer's jim dandy dancing spree ; ends with $100 window glass to pay for, and if no money, go to the cooler for thirty days, A Spree. — A dance that whiskey makes lively for a fellow's nose ; a bar-tender's bottles, and the hotel windows, are all invited when a spree comes near them ; whiskey is chief fiddler. A WiNLiMBBD AND PizzLBD HoRSB. — Knec-^'Quckled and that gets careless about his breath, so much so as to shut it off when he don't want to go fast for fear of getting ahead of time ; he generally breathes steady by jerks. HuNKBRSLiDiNo. — Mcaus to twist around the truth and tie a not sliding past the hunks or boys in a game of ball ; or play chenana- gan in any crooked game. To slide down the toboganning track without paying for the privilege, on another boy's or girl's sled, especially if it is done by hanging on to the other fellow's coat tails, is what may be called hunkersliding ; to get into another boy's seat at school, and crowd him out, savors muchly of the art. Small Potatoes. — May mean for a man of the Tom Thumb stripe to marry a lady five feet ten inches high, which savours much of small potatoes ; for a teacher of a school who don't know B from a bull's foot, to engage as a grammar and arithmethical teacher, would be no where ; and I think quite small potatoes ; a man of sixty to marry a girl of fifteen is muchly like such murphies. I'd Laugh, or I'd Smole my Sweetest Smile.— May mean that one can make a pretty noise if they would only deign to favor us with flopping their rosy lips apart, just to confer especial favors, and always would lettve others to understand *' that they are some punkins", and generally wish to have it distinctly understood that what common folks giggle and laugh at is not worth exciting their risible faculties about. When a lady or gent, wishes to exhibit their newly set teeth, taken from the bone yard, they have been known to smole their sweetest smile ; may mean that what is proposed or told them by a chi .n is as likely to happen as that a bear would fly, which is an unlikely bird, you know. They are Some Punkins. — Meaning no doubt those raised on punkin (pumpkin) sauce, or pumpkin pie. The aristocracy of some parts of America are some punkins, generally a slur for codfish aris- tocracy, generally used by tkose only in their a.b.c.'s, in the slang sling-slurring society of whiskey dives ; and sometimes only borrowed by other fellows to put on style, or sling it on with. Punkins (pump- kins), are very seedy, so are the class called some punkins, when they sling it on at a show or wild dance with another fellow's half worn-out clothes on, which they borrowed to go out with the daisies for a hop or swing on some such occasion — to be some punkins with. THE AMERICAN ST,ANGIST. 45 pg spree; ^ndn TO to the cooler I fellow's nose • 'nvited when hd and that ^ off when he '^e generally [and tie a not ^»y chenana- anning track ^ gu-i's sled, 8 coat tails. ^' boy's seat I. humb stripe aw much of \B from a «her, would o' sixty to ^ay mean ?? to favor Jial favors, are some stood that *[ng their "bit their en Jcnown 'posed or ar would »wed on ^of some fish aris- *« slang arrowed (pump- '» when 's half daisies ankiiw [akb it a Hbai' Bkttbr. — May mean a big better, as much j^ger better as a heap of earth a half a mile high, is a bigger heap in a heap of earth only ten feet high, so should the better be btter in that proportion. How is that better for high ? [I JisT Got thr Length O The Toon Wi Moi Lassie, says a Scotch >Y. — Meaning no doubt that he only measured the distance of that length the long way on, not the breadth, of it, for he don't seem to ive had enough time, so he left the job unfinished. Oidesmole my reetest smile if he jest didn't forget to finish up the measurements. Ah Lac a Daisy. — May mean for a woman to just hear of an old randma neighbor losing her specs, so she can't behold in mortal ^es anymore her last borne grandchild after being brought from /hicago to New York to visit her. Generally means an outburst of feelings, which have been dammed up for the first occasion that a sorrowful incident happened to burst forth and water it with tears. To BE Wanted and Found. — May mean a robber just at eight [o'clock a.m., the morning after committing the robbery, and found [at three o'clock p.m., that is to be found with darbies on in Tin- top. Didn't he get there a little quicker than no time ? He might stay perhaps by permanent coaxing twenty-one years or so. Can't Hold a Candle to It. — This vocabulary is so full of light and knowledge that it puts all other lights to the blush, even a candle light vanishes in this voluminous luminary; can't hold a candle to it without burning it to grease. DoGON Thing. — May mean a person or thing that resembles the old sow whose ears are tattered and torn till she gives u^ hearing ; or may mean a thing as mean as a sheep-killing dog, who goes right to work and worries one flock after another, till the dog tax can't pay all the bills, so I'd suggest that a dog tax be levied on every dogon thing in each municipality. I am led to believe that all dogon boys, dogon dogs, dogon hogs, dogon sewing-machine, and hay-fork and lightning-rod agents, that keep on dogging on, should come under that tax levy, in order to compensate the com- munity for their losses and time. A Wassup. — May mean a little fieiy- tailed bee that gets as mad as hornet, and stings fence rails \trhen out of employment, and re- sembles the cranky boy or man who takes people's gates and signs down at night to spite society for enforcing the laws of sobriety and morality of the peaceable kind ; so when they get locked up in the cooler, they bump their heads against the jail yard stone fence to spite the jailor when nobody else is around — a wassup is a cranky bee anyway. Go IT Gallagher. — May mean, several men are waiting around for a chance to contest for a prize at a show, a race, or a school ex- ftmination, or a skating rink camival| or a dog show, or a baby ex- 46 THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. I' hibition. But after all are entered in the contest, a contestant by the cognomen of Gallagher, the most unlikely-looking man, or girl, or boy, or woman, or dog— goes in for keeps and just takes the prize away, as slick as a whistle. Race horses sometimes come to the h6me stretch in the same way, and may be said by the slangist to go it Gallagher ! and get there Eli 1 Go IN FOR Keeps. — May mean a man just mortgages his property for a year to get the wherewith to help ftim make a better start off in life ; gets behind with the first instalment, pays nothing on the second instalment,* and before number threti payment comes around he finds that mortgage goes in for keeps. When a lady and gentle- man hitch traces to trot in double harness for life, they get marriage licenses and all etceteras, just that said compact may keep, and nothing but an application for a divorce can show really how good a keeper it is. When a highwayman or burglar clutches up the money from the-safe in the bank or store, he runs away with it for keeps — sometimes it don't keep worth a cent, for detectives spot and nail him with the booty, and aft«r that the only things that keep good around the individual are but the cooler and the bad re- putation that he earned so industriously while he was going in for keeps. To Knock ah Silly as Possible. — May mean to try to kill out slang-slinging, novel-reading and slur-throwing — by serving up for public inspection over muchly of it in our grist. Having chosen my- self recording- secretary of the Anti-Slang Society of Chicago, I have ordered myself to furnish the general public of America with this vocabulary on slang in order that they may secure a copy, and study it up in time to get a cure accomplished for the evils of it, as far as they are concerned, by abolishing its use before the said society limbers up its guns to shoot the slangist out of society, as no dodg- ing would avail any member of society, who is guilty of slang and slur-slinging, when arraigned and placed under the guns ot said Anti-Slang Society — so just recommend your neighbors all to pur- chase a vocabulary that they may be ready in a moment of time. Small Fry. — May mean one of the best variety of fishes swim- ming through all waters in the oceans, seas, lakes and rivers, and creeks or rivulets. I presume small fry among the fishes must mean the dwarfest of the dwarf kind that are appreciable in a frying pan, not even making any pretence to a place among the codfish aristo- cracy of our fair country ; applied to society amongst us, may mean many of the bone and sinew of society, who are industrious, prudent, moral, religious and trustworthy. Tet perhaps not possessed oi very much of this world's goods, not any to spare ; so the robber, the money-thief, the wild dance and show blackleg billiard-playing, rum-selling and chicken-stealing, slang-slinging, slurring, jim-dandy- dudes that hold themselves up as all good authority on ethics in Amerioan society, pretend to blaok-b^l the bone and sinew of THE AMERICAN 8LANQ1ST. 47 rize [the It to arty off the Hid Itle- tage and ;ood the for ipot ihat re- for society with the cognomen of "aniall fry," which said dudish tribe would have the world believe they own the whole tishery concern. *' O get out with such would-be codfish aristooPHc.v," and have more of our small fry and less slang, slurs and whiskey, nnd peace and plenty will crown us as long as grass grows and water runs. I MouT, And Den Aoin I Moutknt. — Of African derivation ; may mean when a young colored gal coaxes her colored boy beau to go home with her from the show, said beau will say, I mout go at first, but when she says there is a colored man watching them with another large boy beside the road, he says, I moutent, a may be, like a bird just let out of the cage, it mout come bac;k and den agin it moutent, an unlikely bird, any how you fix it. When a certain preacher told his congregation he was going to take up a collection for the Lord's use, and if there ware (were) and (any) of the do fokes (folkes) da, who stole broder Jinkins' chickens and eat em', they must not throw in any shekels in de platter ; when I guess some mout throwed in and den agin some moutent ; and really I can't but think, as the collection was unusually large, that they mout all played at the game to make the preacher think they never saw Jinkins' hen coop, and jist cak a lated to cook his goose by too over muchly uUiug dat platter. I'll Not Give Much of My Guff. — May mean a president's address on taking oflice, or a lippy slangist boy or girl, shooting off their lips at those of a more decent or modest kind, generally con- sidered a slanging harangue, of the snorting, roaring type, sometimes mixed with slang and rotten whiskey — a guff harangue kills at 40 rods. I'm Sufficiently up to Snuff not to Let the Flies Liuht on Me in Sakgum Time. — May mean a person whose nose takes 8o much snuff every day, that every insect (flies not excepted) won't make friends with a fellow, so if he is well up in the snuff business, though so lazy that the grass grows under his feet, neither flies nor people will give him a call ; or may mean for a business man or woman to be so well up in business that they move so lively as to scare the varmint insects, so they go chasing other boys, girls, men or women ; or for a horse to race so fast as to chase the flies off, even in sargum time ! That race comes ofl' without the help of snuff. Shooting Off Youe Lip. — May mean to be so proficient with all one's neighbor's business as to sling slang at every girl, boy, woman or man in the family ; may mean that such a fellow can crowd him- self into another nicer person's company ; crying rats ! rats ! at re- spectability, savors much of shooting off a jim dandy's lips. A fast young gal slinging her guff at her ma, at her cronies, or talking slang or slurs at her pa for chasing a slang beau away, who would not move off till he was punched maybe ; don't she shoot off her lip? 48 THK AMERICAN SLANCJIST. m ^ ;•.. I Gkt Out With Yku dr You. — May mean for a slaugist to dissent from every good thing proposed, and say git out with you to a res- pectable perHon, as a declaration of his superior knowledge, and he says get out with yer, like a grandfather to his son's dog, this is only a dog slang anyway, so I put it near the foot of the class. A Jaw Brbakuk. — May mean a ijst of a slugger, or a bullet in the time of a battle, or as used by the slangist means an expression so flowery and ladened with so much learning that it will tire, and even be in danger of cracking the lower jaw to hold it up— till it could be delivered of " Hyphen-Newton touch. " Generally given as a slur at a young lady or gentleman daring to oflfer good plain Eng- lish in company, instead of using slangs, as roughs would prefer, so he or she who hurls the slang or slur just calls good grammar Jaw- breakers, or of the Hyphen-Newton touch. The Hyphen-Newton Touch. — Mav mean, as Newton's mind sailed among the stars and suns, and all the heavenly bodies, that as the weight of the philosopher's thoughts were high, weighty and lofty, that any common person would have to crack their jaws to speak anything like his thoughts, — would require to convey an idea. So the rough, used to using light slang that has no good weighty use or substance in it, is afraid to have other people use good English for fear that it would crack their jaws, as it he thinks would crack his (and might possibly), so he utters a warning to all ' e world. Don't venture on the jaw-breakers of the Hyphen-New..- ouch or class, namely, such as good English grammar teaches. You're a Whole Team. — May mean, when one joins the slang society wild dances, slings slangs such as *' git there Eli," "go it galagher," ** beat them blind," ** let her rip," " all serene." "Nancy Jane." "you bet," " bet your sweet life," I'm in on this," " I catch on that," and more than 300 other slangs and slurs, the dude or slangist exclaims right out that you can do the double talk of two by saying you're a whole team, especially if what one does or says pleases or helps the said slangist in any of his plans : meaning that one throws the good English away and learns the slang diction- ary by heart ; and then one is talking, just shouting, for Mr. Slanger is willing to give them a (Diploma,) (Slangy,) for good larnin' (learning.) Away up in G. — May mean that after a young lady spends $1000 in learning to sing and peal delightful music or any other fine attainment, and is accomplished in any fine art, Mr. Slanger must have his little say at her, and always he utters it in derision, by say- ing she's away up in G, a right up and down slur, always used de- risively by the dude ; as used by us common folk it means proficient in any science or art, "getting away up there," to the top story of art school. TIIK AMKlllCAN SLAmjf.Sl'. 49 In Thk Uim'br Tkn.- Means in New York belonginj,' to the ■o-oalled codfish aristocracy or the rulers of the upper circles; used by the New York slanger it is nivariablyliniended to trv to get youngsters to laugh and dr:-'.de any good society or persons, that are respectable and who in deportment or speech use good English with proper ac- cent, and with discretion. Thb Lower Five.— Is a boast of the slang-slurring clan, that it is better to be found with slang company with the five so-called heroes comprising the heads of the slang society,— 1st, The good so- ciety despoiler ; 2nd, the shame destroyer ; 3rd, the producer of slangs, slurs, to vitiate good circles with ; 4th, the abductor of the young fair ones and everybody else besides, possible to slang and drunken despoiling circles ; 5th, slang novelist, or wild dancing- master, or show-performer, to furnish sport for the slang army, horse, foot and artillery. I Bought the Whole Ball of Wax for a Song. — Means to buy out any whole establishment for a small price. A slangist says, I bought a livery stable, horses, igs, and all, worth ^3,000, for ahorse worth $200; I got the whole ball of wax for a song— or means that a chenanagan trickster gets or bulldozes his neighbor out of his farm, or business, or $3000, or more, and knows just when his customer is to realize $10,000 for the same. Generally when we hear any fellow say that, we consider he is a jockey, chenanagan trickster, and we spot him at once for a dead beat, and don't forget it. So when we trade we must mind our eye, and see that no monkeying around can be done in the deal. The Whole Box AND Dice. — Is intended to mean,all a fellow's traps are gone, sold by bailiff, or " cleaned out," *' strapped," *' all broke up," ** played out," " skunked," "gone up spout," " flum- oxed," ** racketed," '* laid out the whole box and dice," says the slangist. The little plain English could meekly say, that fellow lost all his goods and effects, and is sold out, and ruined ; which I con- sider knocks the slangist version of the matter into a cocked hat. What Time do You Pull in ? — Says a young man who is going out to spend the evening, to his host ; meaning, what time do you retire for the night ? I presume some young fellows may mean what time do you pull bolts into proper adjustment for door- fasteners, or what time does one pull their clothes-line in for the night, or pull buggies into safe places till morning, or horses into stalls, etc., to bolt them in till morning, in order to save " sneak-thief crooks" the trouble of taking care of them. I Know Every Cow Path in the Country. — Says a fellow to a questioner who was inquiring about the trade and business prospects of a certain town or county, township or state, ** [ know every cow path in the country," and the information ceases about 4he end of that period, although the questioner's boys and girls all |!i: a i^mmimimirn mxmm v SH 50 TE'd: AMERICAN SLANGIST. SI*: I gaze \vith wonder at the gusto of the informer, aa if he had imparted a whole heap of information, as the slang-slinger might say. Gusto. — Means a brave utterance of an ignoramus, in letting out his most flowery oratorical ovation, in common conversation when a few plain English words would be more creditable ; for gusto is make up of a slangist's whole dictionary and slung on in con- versation with a wonderful display, by a slang dude : or any speaker may iurrouud his pereoration with a great display of features and gestures, or flowery oratory. It best becomes slang orators, and I hope they'll keep it all to themselves. A Flipper. — may mean a trickster in tossing coppers, or the slangist means by it to be an adept at any slippery game ; sometimes our boys apply it to everybody that is fast at getting around at any- thing, or a horse that gets there Eli, at a 2:30 gait. T beg to give its true meanfng, for instance : a lazy bar-room loafer who flips coppers with all visitors of such places if they give him a chance, whom he beats every time and geio the drinks « n hifi opponent in the game, so his whiskey don't cost him anything ; or a jim-dandy beau flips a father out of his daughter's society by running away with her, and maybe borrows a livery rig to do the flipping-skip with, and forgets to bring the rig back again. In fact it means to be a flipper, that the individual has a clew to all the diflerent kinds of slippery tricks. I remember of hearing about mor'en ten in a bag, besides what I have not yet known. Spoon FashIoj . — Means, dn the early settlement when our American fathern built small log houses, and bad to And room for all the boys and girls composing their families, they had to economise by making each member of the family occupy as narrow a space as possible, so practised his hand at stowing them away — their Ma. helping their Pa. till all were placed and stowed away, as snug as spoons are put away after tea service, and after a short time's prac- tice boys, girls and all knew their respective places, and then they all knew what spoon fashion was ; and I guess some if not all our present generation know what spoon fashion means, or are descended from the spoon-fashioned times that settled America : and at least if all ooher countries don't come in for a share I'm out in my guess. Counted Out. — Means a young man or woman had a good chance at learning and idled it all away, or spent what was left him or her, and are not recognized by respectable citizens, but counted out every time there are civilities and honors to bestow by the pub- lic ; for they spent their time frivolously. Counted In. — Means a young man or woman that learned well at school, or at home all that was useful, and now are rit^ing 'stars in the galaxy of fame ; and every time honors and civilities are ex- tended by the public they are counted in sure, for they never wast- ed time with cards, billiards or slang novels, or slurs, or cigar-smok^ mg, whiskey-drinking, or frivolous amusements, lilliW.l!W| mfmnw^^i^W THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. 51 O , Sugar ! O, Suoau Sticks ! O, Fiddlesticks !— These ex- pressions axe used indiscriminately. In most cases the mean- ing is considered much the same, only giving (as cunning ones think) greater variety of expression by those who have finished their collegiate course among the slang nobility, and all three expressions seem to have quite a different definition from what one would sup- pose : — •* ! sugar," or " sugar sticks," may mean a disappointed surprise, as, indtead of a good lot of goody good sweetness, one may only get hold of the stick with whidi the boiling sugar was stirred up, while the molasses was sugared off, for pot and sugar are both gone, and the little boys and girls have licked off the stirring stick, which must now be only an aggravation to the ones expecting a treat to warm sugar. A real disappointment then causes the ex- pression, "O, sugar sticks \" No wonder, after the mouths had been fixed for something, as sweet as sugar to only be able to hold in hand the stirring sticks. Sometimes the syrup is stolen, or the sugar burns up by too hot a fire, and the pot boils over and the sugar runs into the fire, and turns out a disappointment to some, like a good 'many other pote and kettles that are set on to boil, which run over also and waste, and in our disappointment we might be heard to say, like the slangist, '' O, sugar sticks ! " " 0, fiddle- sticks ' " This variation seems to be given to the disappointing event in order that it might have a more musical and consoling tone by invoking the (or teeming to) fiddle bow, and is intended to af- ford a relief to the diLappointed one. But we all know very well that just a fiddle bow or »tick, or a sugar stick without the veritable violin or fiddle, or pot of warm sugar, could only be an irritated ag- gravation, and when used by a slangist is always intended to be the biggest swearing he or she can invoke to palliate their aggrava- tion. Now You're Talking ; Just Talking ; J ust Shouting ; A-whoop- INO. — That now since all monkeying around and childish blubbering has been tried ctnd then laid aside by the slangist, as applied to another person, it means a grand proposition is propounded, or a most pleasing cord has been struck in the conversation, which should about entitle the speaker or entertainer to a first-class certificate, inasmuch as the slang professor applies the most eloquent phrase empliaaized, to the speaker or entertainer, which he can find in his dictionary. Sometimes it may mean go on, talk like that right along all the time, don't stop for pity's sake, grow louder, go in for all you're worth, •' git there, Eli," '* whoop her up," for he means he is or she is all attentive, and if a certain dude were living now, alas ! that is mute in his pew in the necropolis, and could be per- sonally present, no .loubt (while listening to others just talking or just shouting aloud, as above set forth) he would cap the climax by 8a3ring, That talks turkey now every time. I catch on that. III >!: .1 i I' 1.^ ■ ■ I • > ill II r>2 THK AMKUHUN Sl.ANOtST. Shk's (iir«oiiiK in formed, and whon bnnuning han fairly aet in and been followutl till said individualii are Mtrapped fur money and home and clothoH, friendi or Hooiety. A TIayhkki* oh (/ownthy Olown.— MoanH a country boy or man or girl pacing through a town, hainlot or city with hin or her every»day-clotho8 on —only called no V)y dudoN and jim-dandieH. Buch as they call by that name are always hoi'est, ind'.istriotis, and respectable, and do generally become the bone and sinew of nociety. If dudes would all puns into hay-seeds, Hociety would breathe easier. Go ANi>. Blow yotriisKiiK, or Soak Your IIraf) ani» Paint TIIK Town Hkd. — Means that a slang bununer says to another man who has been once down in the drunkard's ditch and a bummer by repntation, especially if he sees the bummer try to quit his bad haoits, and endeavor to appear to be sober, and of a right mind, and consequently made an attempt to climb again into healthy society. Go blow yourself ; get soaked in whiskey till you knock down and drag out all over town other bummers, till the tr>wn is painted red with bloody noses. FiKB Watrk. — Means forty-rod whiskey or grog, old rye or tangle leg, so colored with tobacco juice (or tobacco gravy) as to give it a fiery red color or appearance as it smiles through the decanter. First called so by the poor Indian " whose uptutored mind sees (}od in clouds and hears him in the wind, whose soul was never taught to stray so far as the solar walk or milky-way." 'Tis rightly defined by said red man (or honest Injun), for it will burn out a drunkard's house, his pockets and his dear wife's life,<,and the fire it kindles in the soul (if not quenched^in time) will bum forever. A Bio Cry and Little Wool. — Means that if a slangist should come along as Uncle Erastus was shearing his pigs, to get material to make goat skin robes of, said slanger would be sure to say, ratz I ratz ! at the noisy swine, while Uncle Erastus might just correct him bv saying, "No, sah, dis am only a big cry for de little bit o' wool. Said slangist then would alwavs say 1^ every one who blubbers much for an accident that kills no dead thing, *' that's a big cry for little wool," in order to make his learning appear prominent before civil- ized society. Take a Smile. — Means to take a glass with a bruiser to make you feel so rich that you'd feel like smiling your sweetest smile, and then just keep on smiling till tin-top is reached, where you could fairly grin like a chesse cat when skilly instead of whiskev was passed around morning, noon and evening, in prison's dismal cell, by the governor or his servant. One could then afford to smile, not w- 5^ THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. for whiskey, but because he had servants so high in office as chiefs for waiters to give him his skilly. OiTHBR, OB Anoithbr Chum, OR Batz ! Ratz ! — Is a low kind of salutation, given sideways with elbow akim, shouted across the street by one dude, or chum, or cronie to another, meaning I'm your better, or at least your equal, or I'm in- sympathy with ant! equal to you in dudeism ; or it means I'm your mate. This expression could be spured, with several others, from the dictionary without causing loss to social society, such as " Ratz ! ratz !" '*by the holy poker," " by jingo," " by gosh," " by golly," ** be Mow- ed," " shut your bloody mouth," " by the jumping John Rogers," and the like. You're Happy Right. — May mean for a fine young man or witty young girl, or any other person, to be able to guess all the conun- drums or riddles put out at a party in a witty way every time,, in which case the slangist might be understood by applying this ex- pression to them, to be profoundly bowing to them and puffing them up to the top story of his temple of fame, by bestowing on them (as he thinks; the most flowery words in his dictionary. Generally, when used by us common folks, it means a happy guess or reply to any important question propounded. The dude wishes us to un- derstand by it that he himself is the professor, and the favored per- son he applies it to has spelled up head. This phrase perhaps is used as often as any slang in the vocabulary, and would appear to be the form of oath prescribed by slang law. By Jingo, or Jingers. — When used as an oath, may be swear- ing by St. Jingoulph, ntho lived so long ago that very little is known about that saint. Yet the slangist of to-day uses it to affirm by, and as their oaths are light and trifling, yet they nearly outshine their usual lustre when making the asseveration as follows : '* B^ Jin- go that's what's the matter," ** By Jingus I will ;" attempting to make quite a glittering surprise or impression ; so appeared the Jingo policy of the Berlin Treaty, which was pretentious, but proved quite empty in settling the Bulgarian question of the East. It has become a mere slauger's oath and nothing more — who don't know hia patron saint Jingoulph. A Confab, or a Conflab.— Means a light and trifling conversa- tion, such as children use in talking over their little games ; or confabs are often used by passengjers on cars ; nothing substantial or useful or lasting results from confabs, in fact they are only used often as time-killers by over-grown children ; though some gentle- men and ladies unsuspectingly are roped in to difficulty by the stratagem of slangists by slang confabs — sometimes neighbor women have quite a confab before pulling hair begins. That is a Chestnut, or Only a Chestnut Taiok. — May mean only old, dry and stale ; or, a ohestnut triok may be iUoatnted m ifgii THE AMEKICAN iSLANGlST. 56 '1 . follows : One day two boys gathering chestnuts for Christmas came where there were lots of old burs and great appearance of good chest- nuts. They go in and have a boxing afiray on the spot about the ownership of the chestnuts they hoped to get there, but when the row ended they beheld that what chestnuts were there which had not been robbeci. of their meats, were old, dry, and musty, and use- less ; again, while fighting, the squirrels might have carried all the good nuts away. Quite a stale, useless thing is called chestnut, or applied to a political party may mean out of date, behind the times, unpopular as the musty chestnut ; a slangist applies the term to a faded beauty or an old worn-out play or game, or a played-out chum, whether male or female. A Noodle. — May mean a person whose head is a bother to him, too heavy to balance ; so he is always late to school, to dinner, to the gold field, or always asleep when preferments or decorations are bestowed ; a little too lazy to be on time. I heard a preacher say a noodle was too stupid to obtain the true grace of God ; said preacher excluded him from saving grace altogether for being a noodle ; he blamed the poor noodle for not getting a better head on him, when he was being created by the said preacher's Maker. At a Whack, oh Whack Up. — May mean a million made by one find in a mine ; or that a poor fellow gets thousands by the breath leaving a relative, all at a whack, or all at once ; may mean coming so thick and fast as to overpower the senses ; one whack of the fist may drive all the bohoys out of a rink or dance ; whack up says the slangist to his pals or chums in robbery — meaning give up the boodle bag, and divide up shares — whack up ! boys, whack up ! Go Snucks. — May mean going into a game of euchre, or billiards, or treating in a whiskey dive, or taking the girls out to the wild dance or show, with one or two more as pals or cronies ; to divide the profits, or share the losses, or fun, when applied to slangist society. A partnership of any kind is called by the 'dignified name of going snooks, by slang dudes ; yes, they do divide and share and share alike in stolen goods, as well as go snooks in suffering prison rewards for crime often. Mind After-Claps. — Means mind a falling limb of another tree (after the tree you're cutting down is on the ground), so it will not hit you on the head too hard to enjoy good healthy breathing ; may mean after a fellow spends his bottom dollar revelling at the tavern for too long a time, in making one trip he may get clapped on both sides of his noddle, and be pitched out into the darkness and the gutter, and the chief of p— — < get a hold of him and clap him into the«al^ler, there to mourn over all his after claps, such as loss of his money, time, and the disgrace (his only gain), to self and family, and the after clapping of his sober neigbors' hands at him, at his re- lease, Young fair ones should take a good long tour from home III m: ''lit, '^11 ■I, 50 THE AMEHICAN SLANOIST. after entering into holy banns in order to evade the clapping of bells at them in charivorie ; and especially any woman or young girl that runs away with a paramour (often a worse-looking man than those they left behind to mourn), they in that case shoiUd just stay away for fear of after claps of bells and neighbors' hands at them, Often too such paramours hit them many slaps on their head, nose, and ears, to compel them to bring in all the wood and water. When giving a mortgage on your property, mind that the holder of the property don't just dap you out, and some other fellow into posses- sion. Form good habits in early days, that you may not mourn over the many sad after-claps of a misspent life, or come to ruina- tion. A Regular Humbug. — May mean that when the cheery lamp at night sends out its bright rays in the surrounding darkness in the summer evening, that the quiet noiseless little millers are attracted around the light, and the only annoyance experienced by us sitting around is compassion for their poor little scorched wings ; but sud- denly a large beetle with horns on (the pinch bug) follows tho quiet little millers in with a noisy hum drum ! bum ! bum ! thud ! thud ! when we are certainly reminded that a big humbug has entered our company. Now the slangistrlcalls all people who bustle and hurry around (little and big alike) at any industrious avocation, and don't find time to play ball, billiards or cards, or find time to spend, as well as money, for fast games not here named, or for whiskey, great or regular huuibugs. The more industrious and saving, the bigger humbug to jim-dandy. Some people call all loud-sounding preten- tions of any man, or set of men, that end in a deceptive fraud, or that turns out unexpectedly bad, after hopes have been raised up aloft, a regular humbug. Barnum was called at one time >\ prince of humbugs, as being the cleverest showman over the world ; but we lose sight of that great man when viewing some of our slang dandy humbuf^ of to-day. A ScAKECROw is a rag-man in the com field, as every one knows that resides in or visits the rural districts. A drunk from a low whiskey dive is the personality of scare-crow-ism ; a poor old horse whom poverty compels to stand quiet and hold still to have his ribs counted, is quite a scarecrow. I'd think a colored dude would be a scarecrow to every white lady — but this is not always the case ; the prison's cell should be a scarecrow to all jail birds, and is to many, but others it don't scare worth a cent, but sometimes it is attractive to older birds of that kind (viz., drunks and tramps professionally). Deserted cronies of slang jim-dandies always present a striking resemblance to the rag-man. A Big Pointer. — May mean, a large circle (or as the dude says, a big circumstance), around the moon is a big pointer to a coming storm ; a mortgage or a note duelis a pointer to harder times ; a THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. 67 fine lady allowing some fellow to carry her parasol for her on the street is a pointer to a courtship ; to see the girl'a pa open the out- side door and say 'tis late, is a pointer to her beau to skediddle homeward Sunday evenings ; rags and whiskey-staggering are a big pointer to a poor and much neglected family often, etc. A Billy Goat. — Is often a pet that has full command over the door yard and sometimes comes right into the house, to the annoy- ance of families and visitors often. Just like some idle neighbor boy who comes and hangs around others' houses, especially when they have grown up boys and girls, or if any visitors happen in, and only often sits and gawks around to the annoyance of ail present ; often while they hold the opinion that their presence is necessary to make all happy in that domicile, acting as stupidly impudent as the veritable billy goat. Thank fortune, as they are not favorites in ladies' society, so the breed may soon run out, if jim-dandy dudes don't all turn into billy goats and try to perpetuate the generation of those meant here. A NicK-NAMB. — Means that slangists haggle some names to pieces and hurl the bits they wish to cast slurs with at nicer people than themselves. They sometimes call a n^dest girl Hannar Jane, after some vitiated person, to slur that fine young lady, when her name is quite difierent. I take no stock in nick-names, except given by a fond mother to her pet children ; or sometimes it might be used for convenience or for short ; and as the nick- name follows through life 'twould be apt to stay with one, so better not be applied at all. Generally means only part of one's name. I heard of a mother call- ing her boy of 20 years old, babe Wiggle ; another babe Scott, ect. ; and another; Birdee Wilson, and every one just called them by their nick-name, and the boys and girls felt awkward when grown up to be still called by their nick -names. By Judas Priest— Juda Creast. — Means that the slangist, as usual, has gone into Scripture to borrow some more words to blas- pheme with, and uses them, as polished up by him, into what he thinks is polished Masphemy, when ministers, deacons, and other Christians are around ; — 'tis so transmogrified as to be useful as hunkersliding swearing only. Great Guns and Little Fishes. — Means shooting all day at big fishy game with great big guns and getting nothing but small fry ; trying anything on a large scale and ending at the small end of the horn ; large anticipations cheated out of participation ; woe- ful failures make a jim-dandy slangist so mad that he cries right out, great guns and little fishes. Great C-ffiSAR.— Julius Ocesar was deservedly a great hero, and the slangest tries or attempts to have others bdieve that he inherits the great hero's greatness by calling on his great name, and afiects to be his heir. When ejaculating Great Ceesar ! you might think he might cause kingdoms to rise and fall at his call. >: i| 1; 1 - |l| ii: wm^iL »t>l6«JV..i;:)-M' ^^f^M 58 THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. A LoAFRK. — Either sits around the taverns to drink whiskey, or to wear out the tavern chairs or seats without paying for them. A Gbeenhorn. — May mean a new school boy who refuses to show his specimen of writing in writing down his name when he enters the school, and his teacher orders him to do so, and he re- fuses, saying, I have a name without writing one ; or may mean a raw hand at any work, such as one beginning to lay a railway track who never saw a railroad ; or if a fellow blew in the big end of a canopian to make music, he would surely be called a greenhorn. Slan^ists generally call all modest, nice boys and girls greenhorns who blush at shameful vices or tricks, such as drinking, playing billiards in low dives, and joining wild dances there. Slangists ridicule respectability by crying greenhorns at every one. that is respectable that are not protected by secure defence. A Regular Haw- buck. — May mean a man or woman who never saw or used horses on their farms, or joined fast society ; or an ox driver might be as awkward in swinging his partner at the dance as at his ox-drav ing occupation, and instead of saying, as the dude has it, hussel around, chummy, he may cry out, who ! haw- buck ! so the dude nick-nan]|pB him right there. A regular haw-buck means out of fashion, awkward. By Jupiter or Gubiter. — As Jupiter was one of the princi- pal gods worshipped away back in antiquity, the slanger thinks he makes a wonderful display of sacred knowledge, and would lead us to think he still worships at the shrine of that star god by ejaculat- ing forty times a day. By Oubiter 1 Big man he ! hear him thunder- ing his would-be worshipful voice to Jupiter, and then catch on to his god star if you'd be safe. O, Jerusalem ! — As Jerusalem was the most ancient holy city which turned the attention of the world to enter into its holy precincts and try to obtain richest blessings by offering up ob> lations there, so slang dudes, as usual for them, seize upon its sacred name as a decoy duck to attract Christians to listen to their twaddle. Having exhausted all their ^'ocabulary in trying to get a hearing, and fail to do so, they use, O, Jerusalem ! in order to pol- ish up their blasphemy to please the Christian part of the com- munity ; or when a deacon is around they think it polite swearing, anyhow. A SoAL-A-wAG. — A wag is a silly, good-natured crank, having very little knowledge of propriety, always putting on his manners and ways wrong end to, in order to get other wise ones to laugh and have fun at his expense, and he thinks if they laugh at his freaks they are pleased at his profound wit. Geo, Buchannan, the king's fool, wtis the king of witty ways, so when the king told him to leave the kingdom and never place foot again on EngUsh soil, he merely went to Ireland and put Irish dirt in his (brogues) or shoes, THE AMERICAN SLANOIST. 59 then put them on and stood again in the king's presence on Irish instead of English soil. The king for the witty trick forgave him, and all the courtiers, says the slangist, smole their sweetest smile. But a soal'a-wag is a bastard wag, combining villainy with waggish ways and tricks ; a scalawag will try and inveigle richer and letter people, by waggish tricks, till off their guard, when Mr. Scalawag makes away with their goods and chattels. Regular jim-dandy dudes have some of the scalawag breed in them. A Bequlak Piceaninnie. — Means one of the smallest, stingi- est made animals on earth (excep t it might be the lillipiitians), and has so little bone and muscle lh:.t its hide or covering never half fits the animal (critter) creature. But the slangist nick-names all decent people, little and big, pickaninnies, who won't sling slang, spend time and money, to gratify him and his craven tastes. He means ugly for him to look at and stingy. A Kid — The Kids.— The little goat has to be made the scape- goat to please the slangist ; a jim-dandy dude gives the little fel- low's name away to the nice little boys and girls in the towns around ; and if any of the boys kick up a racket or cry rats ! at respectable people, our dude just says the kids dotoe it, just to help them and himself out of the scrape. Poor little goats have to become the scape- goats, and poor little humans have to be disgraced by being nick- named after a dumb animal to please dudeism. I, He or She Knows a Thinq or Two. — Meaning the slangist has given a diploma to such as are meant. Illustration, — When a fine boy or girl rhooses slangs and slurs and slang companions, and becomes adept at slinging slang at their parties, they go up head of the class. Generally applied, means so nice and wise that '' Solo- mon in all his glory is not arrayed like one of these." A Dirty Cut. — Means a slang-slinger's jim-dandy trick heads better folks off and lets them badly down. Illustrations, — Steal- ing acorns from a blind hog's nose is a very dirty c\it ; cutting an- other more bashful fellow out of his fair one is a sad, dirty cut, though fun for one, seems like death to the other fellow ; bobbing your neighbor's horse's tails off short is a short, dirty cut ; cutting utheir's trees and signs down after night-fall is so, muchly ; cutting the hymeneal knot and parting man and wife is a sneaking kind of dirty cut. Generally applied, means a quick, short, sudden hunker- slide across the path of one just about to participate in a much- coveted object, so as to cause one to miss the treasure. For wife No. 1 to suddenly appear on the scene when a rich husband makes his will and is about to leave all his riches to wife No. 2 and her children, and claim the rights of herself and children, is a dirty cut on wife No. 2 and her children. ^ A Bouncer. — Means a great, big lie ; or, a great, big baby is call- ed a bouncer ; over-grown men and women are called bouncers ; ii; I. : I: 1', •■• Ii; IJii t til' f *i r] J 60 THE AMERICAN SLANOIST. large above the common among cattle, swine, beasts, birds, fishes, etc. , are called bouncers bv Mr. S^angist, and the greatest of them all he calls the grand-dad or bullephant of the world's bouncing- big show, and you don't want to forget it he means, for he is the world's inspector. Illustration, — I once heard a man sing this : " I built me a little box about three acres square, I filled that little box with gold and silver and guineas, all so fair. • When I went to Turkey, I travelled like an ox. And in my pant's pocket I carried that little box. 1. bought mc a <«heep whose wool reached up to the sky. The eagles built their nests therein. I heara the young ones cry." Now , that was a bouncing box or sheep, or this a bouncer of a lie. Holy Smut or Holy Moses. — Means polished blasphemy. The slangist uses '* holy smut" among those partly tainted with slang, but when he is attending meeting, where Christians are congregated, jim-dandy meekly articulates, but so loud that all must hear him in reach of his saintly, soothing voice, Holy Moses ! This of course is taken from the holy part of the slang dictionary. Gen- erally, as applied by slangists, means the greatest thing or most bouncing-big show in the whole world has opened, and all are in- vited to attend. Illustbations and Anecdotes. Now gentle, kind, rough or slangist, or dude reader, although I may never have the pleasure of seeing you, allow me to say in be- queathing you my best wishes in this vocabulary, that I have tried faithfully to furnish you with all the slang, and slurs of any note in use at the present time and, a few by-words used by our grand- fathers as far back as the early settlement of our fine country, North America ; some of the latter however have beome obsolete, in higher circles of society, yet remain in use in rural dlslricts. And now allow me to further illustrate by anecdotes a few of the follies and evils of their uses, that we may get a glimmer of the pall of gloom cast over our otherwise good society in our beloved country, by their adulterated uses. When I have done this I'll gladly drop the curtain. Illustrations as Follows. 1. Yon Better Bet, You Bet Emphasized. — Meaning in dead earnest ; or one can count on or swallow all the speaker says, while uttering it. A young man says to his chum, you bet I'm going in there, i.e., I'm going to try to run that fair, virtuous young lady if I have to go in lemon and come out squeezed, — ^you better bet I am chum ; or he means he'll trample on all the gentle rules of society to get thAe, and conquer all religious conscientious scruples, and if possible nip purity in the bud. Also for society that such is often THE AMERICAN 8LANGIST. 61 tried she of course, dangling for a while midst duty and religious training, only partly listens to his advancing slangs, but as she grows more familiar with reading slang novels, and with slang-slinging, she may and often does tumble to his racket, and he boasts to cronie that he does get there}; and if he does succeed in winning her he only courts her to cruelly deceive her and then carelessly desert' her in the end, and never gets there to stay with her. And 8h^) in her deserted state often loses hold on good society, and is forced into slang-slurring dens, or often is obliged to go to the poor house and he perhaps in his debauched condition, chooses Tintop for his residence. So much for reading slang novels, and listening to sling- slang flattery, which are twin sisters, or mother and daughter. 2. Say8 Polly Hopkins (an Adept at Slano), To Carrie DuNLOP. — Sally Malony has got a tonier silk dress than any gal in town, but I'm going to have a nicer one than her's, you bet, I'll get there you can bet your sweet life ; I will, I'll beat her blind on dresses, bet your bottom dollar. You better bet, says a slang-sling- ing historian, old Nap. tried hard to git there at the Waterloo racket, but Blucher knocked him out before he made the British squares take backwater, so Nap. did'nt get there all the same, any way not to stay, for old Nap. just skedaddled, or skediddled, and got the bounce ; did'nt he take back water though, mor'an a bucketful you better bet. 3. Says a slang-slinger's wife to her slang cronie, a neighbor- woman, I'd be content at home with the kids and would'nt squeal if my Jim (husband) did'nt hang out so much nights with Sally Wiggins. I'm just going to promanade the streets nights too mightily to get even with Jim, you may bet your sweet life I am — I'm going to get even with Jim sure pop. And I'm sure she got there — for I saw her two years after that taking a swing down a dark lane with a drunken slang-slinging bummer, and I presume she staid, for I heard they were both found frozen to death lying in a gutter, had to be buried by charity, and her poor little children were sent to the poor house, and Jim, her slanging bumming hus- band went to the drunkard's reformatory, and died with delirium tremens (triangles). Alas for society? what havoc slang novel-reading, drinking, buming and slanging will create. 4. Go IN Lemon and Come out Squeezed. — May mean for a pretty virtuous young lady to go into a show or giddv dance with a strange young slang-slinging jim dandy, because she likes, she says, ever so much to hear slang, 'tis so funny says she. Yes,they sometimes do go in with such companions in that way, but like the lemon they come out a little squeezed ; and alas ! sometimes they, being cut loose from good and safe society, go down and are lost forever. A fact, — a nice young man goes it lemon into the billiard hall, card table, or wild fashionable dance, the more he goes in the k j|> II )• i i M m 111 62 THE AMERICAN SLANOIST. oftener he wants to do no, till he fairly haunts them, — in connection with the whiskey dive which generally is connected with such dens, at last he loses his bottom dollar, gets arrested and lands in prison, he too goes in lemon but comes out awfully so^ueezed. A lament- able fact, — a farmer, a merchant, or a mechanic gets a large mort- gage on his property, to sling it on for a while too steep, finally mortgage closes and he loses all, save life. Surely he, or they, go in lemon and come out too much squeezed. A young man or a young lady presses their great big ugly feet into a nice fashionable tight-fitting pair of shoes, and continue to wear such till their poor little toes grow great big corns, their feet go in lemon but poor little toes come out too much squeezed. The young innocent at a fair or show, bets his money with the monte bank or wheel of for- tune man, and continues till he loses every dime. "Vou bet (he may go in lemon ever so much), he comes out fearfully squeezed. 5. I AM, OB HE, IS Getting Thehb. — Means that a fast young man has spent all his time in slang novel-reading, and learning slaogs and slurs in order that he might please a crowd of roughs by hurhng them at respectable inhabitants as they pass the streets. Bad company further assists to lead him away, finally he also learns to love drinks that intoxicate the brain more effectually — he soon connects fighting, thieving therewith. He in the end becomes a robber, he shootfi a man or woman, gets in prison's dark and dismal cell, awaiting trial, and ends by dangling at the end of a rope, so those who go to see him executed can truly say he got there and to stay. Indeed, alas for society 1 many get there by beginning with slangs and slang novel-reading, and keeping slang-slingers company. 6. A Soft Snap. — A good time — an easy bargain to fulfil — not hard to bear — a gun that shoots easily — a place or position that a lazy man likes ever so much to fill —as handy to fill that place as *' to fall off a log " if one lets loose. If any mossback goes to see his girl, if he has no contending beau, he, too, has what may be called '*a soft snap," but generally if there be a contending beau he calls that other fellow a mossback, and has a soft snap by marrying her and eating his father-in-law's bread, while he does sling it on. 7. Slino it on Steep. — They sling it on almost too steep when they put on style, or manners, or dress, that don't become them. As a wench slings it on mighty steep when she wears a light silk dress, when a dark calico dress much more becomes her complexion. They sling it on too steep when they get bossy and fight with a cracked boxer, get worsted, a pair of black eyes, or get a member of their body maimed for life. I slung it on too steep, says a fast young lady of 17, when I loved and ran away from our bright and sacred home with a young fast jim-dandy and slang-slinging com- panion, and he left me 3000 miles from home, among strangers, without a dime, and now am left to grieve over my sa^l fate ; and THE AMERICAN SLANG18T. fi3 I 20 years after she is heard to say, still in her deserted old maid- ship : Oh ! 1 wish I had not slung it on so steep then. A man may tarnish his name and brighten it again, but one false step forever blasts a woman's fame. 'Tis my lament, says Sally Bane, That now I ne'er can change my name. 8. That's What's ihe Mattrr With Banner. — A slang-sling- ing boy says that's a jim-dandy girl. That's the matter with Han- ner, for she had been poisoned with slang novel-reading, and run- ning to parties with dndes, dandies, and slang-going companions till she grew too fond, too fresh, and had lost all hold of good so- ciety, and is now badly left, for she has been sent to tin- top fur frequenting houses of ill-fame — lost to self-respect, to the advice of mother, and without the respect of her brothers and sisters, now she lies in prison's ugly coop, eating skilly instead of plum cakes and soup, ''That's the matter with Hanner," But Banner has been a daisy, you bet, now she is badly left. She is played and fairly lost to good society. She has been there, and 1 guess she'll stay this time, don't you forget it. I like slangs, novels, cigars, whiskey, dances, cards and billiards too, says a fasc young man, but I guess I'll shut them off before I get there, for it's paying too dear for the whistle. No, never a time, for that's what's the matter with Ban- ner ; you can bet your sweet life I saw that young man a few vears after that, when he was being conveyed to prison cell, for rob- bing his father, and shooting his. mother while the robbery was going on. Be, too, did at last tumble to the racket, and he also got there and to stay, for he was executed shortly after for murder. That's what's the matter with Banner. 9. All Serene, Nancy Jane. — I'll take you to the circurious (circus), says a green fast young man — ^you're every wish shall be gaatified. I'll get candies and lemons and fans by the bushel for you, you can bet your bottom dollar I will '* Mariar." Be took her to the show, bought fans, candies, peanuts and fripperies, which made him shell out his stamps and continued to do so till he had not a dime left. Now Nannid was a most fascinating young beauty of 17 years, flitting in her fantastic fancies like a humming-bird or a butterfly from flower to flower to gratify her tastes for superb sweets, and when the show unveiled its many attractions to Nan's fancies, she beheld the fantastic showman's dress, bespangled with tin — gold as she supposed— and when his artistic feats were played with such ease on tne trapoeze, her fancies were riveted there and on him like the gladdened humming bird when he sits at rest sipping sweet honey from the amaranth or veritable daisy. Ber sweet lips part and she speaks — listen to what she says — Isn't he a dandy,* I'm going to make a mash on him, I'm just going in there, bet your sweet life. I'm going in, for he's the stuff, and she flew from the side of Sam, her slang-slinging beau, and says, Go away, you ugly gillout, you !< \h \i f i t tell 64 THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. mosaback, you don't know enough to pound sand. While Sam was trying to keep his charming little sweetheart, she did rush into the outside room and just cling to the trapoeze man like a bee on > flower, and he took her away to Baltimore, thence to New York, while Sam left the scenes of the show completely left out in the cold, and he had the following soliloquy,— you bet he had. I took my younsf daisy. (Nannie), the circus to see, — The man on trapoeze played free as could be ; ]VW true love gazed on his loving fine plays. While her heart kindled into ecstatic blaze. She smiled as she turned and to me said, That lovely young man I mean for to wed. He swung o'er our heftds with the greatest of ease, Did the young man on the flying trapoeze. He flew through the air with theg^^eatest of ease, And purloined my love's affections away. She left me to mourn my own grief away, And eloped with that shoMrman on the next day. Sam was next found hanging from an apple limb with his wind shut off, and Nancy never more returned to her home and friends. That's what's che matter with Hanner. 10. Hang it, ob Darn it. — Means for a defeated slang man who has been thwarted by everything, to cry out in the sting of disap- pointment, hang, kill, and sew up every other thing ic the world, so it may resemble his own situation like an old mitten all darned to pieces, and hung up out of the way as useless, he is hung up, laid out, has his leg sawed off, his eye knocked out and his goose cooked. Hang him and dam him if Jie ain't. Said slang man had thought of courting Mrs. McCarty, a respectable widow worth $50,000, but falling into company with a jim-dandy neighbor girl, who went to all the wild dances and slanging parties after being chuck full of novel slangs, and he could not keep her at home. All his affairs went to rack, his children left home, following the example of their parents, and he has been found ever since in whiskey dives, and he cries out, in the sting of disappointment, I've gone up spout, as he may be seen crawling into a dug-out to starve with disappointment and die^ while a respectable young man who attends church, Sabbath schools, and all respectable places, courts, and leads to the hymenial altar, beautiful, rich Mrs. Mc. , becomes a president of the Agricultural Association of the Province, and is elected to represent the electors of his town in the Parliament or Legislature. Alas for society ! that novel- reading, slang-slinging, slurs, dancing, card-playing, ball- playing, billiards and cigar-smoking, and rum-sucking cannot be cycloned by being hurled through a water-spout beyond the limits of tRe civilized world. 11. Simmer Down. — Dry up, as the jail governor says to the ill- treated culrrit, in his dark, damp, and dismal cell. Simmer down, says the parent to his refractory boy, who is crying because he THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. ,65 can't go to the show, or horse race, or ball play^ or billiard room, or wild dance. Simmer down, as the loving mother says to her dar- ling in the lul-a-by bed. Dry up and stop your blubbering, as the hired girl says to the young one she is pounding when the mother is away. Now just simmer down, dry up, and stop your racket you ugly brat, or I will shut off your wind — how horrible to relate ! she gives the child an unlucky blow, and is arrested and jailed, and gets the drop on her. Simmer down, says Minnie Montrovers to her lover, on whose knee she is sitting in the parlor. Dry up, or ma and pft will hear all we have to say — most certainly, not being used to such slangs and free from the use of such slangs, his feelings revolt and he leaves her with a bound and never returns, so she remains in old.maidship, and he courts and marries the assistant Grammer school Miss in his town who always called all things by their proper names in a proper grammatical way, and Minnie M. was left to em- balm herself as best she could in her novels and slang. At last, jilted by too many jim dandies, she became simmered down, played, and died in old maidship, which in her case might be well , as she could never have had any claim on good enlivening and young society, all from tumbling to the racket of slaiigs and slang novel- reading. Reader ! this was the last of all the many beaux she had lost by slang-slinging. 12. A Square Meal. — Sometimes means enough to give one the night mare for a week, a d< se large enough for a horse rather than a gentleman, or lady ; or it may mean what a glutton gulches down while his neck expands like rubber hose. 13. Mind Youe Sye. — May mean don't get cheated in a pur- chase in choosing a horse or a wife ; in shooting always take good aim in order to hit the mark, or shoot your game ; in business look well to your expenditures to see that the profits out balance them, and that will make it profitable. Young man, when courting a pretty, fair damsel, mind your both eyes, and be sure especially that she den't maenetise you with her bewi^v ling peek-a-boos, and shed such a halo of glory around you that you tumble to the racket of a novel-reading, slang-slinging companion that will blast your future happiness. 14. Sold Again and Got the Monet for, says the huckster when selling off a set of trashy, whishy washy, shilly shally lot of trumpery on the market square, sold again and got the money for, as the tin goes jingling into his pockets, as a lot of jim-dandy, ■lang-slingers surround his stand, tis so funny, say they, to hear him. Sold again and got the money for, says the bartender, grinning like a chesse cat, as the drunks go reeling from the bar, and the dimes p ingle into the box, while they stagger into the streets on a dark night, bamp their he^ds on a lamp post, and lay in the gutter ft cold freezing night. Sold again and got the money for ,as said C !|t| Ev..- li I i- I ill 11 ml \] r- 1 66 THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. drunks stagger away to the hovels which charity gives them and their poor loving wife and innocent little squalid children— a poor shelter from the storm, all surrounded by wretchedness and want ; and they steal their confiding wife's last jewels, and stagger away to the whiskey dive or bummers' roost and pawn them off for whiskey that kills at forty rods. Sold again and got the money for, as truly as they tumble into a snowdrift and freeze to death and are buried by charity ; their poor wife and children are left to starve and beg, or go the poor house. 15. Rats 1 Rats ! Says a young man once respected, but who fell into bad company at the dance or billiard hall, and cigar and whiskey saloon, who learned slang, slurs and novel-reading with other jim-dandies. Rats ! rats ! says he to respectability, as it passes him on his winy from bummers' roost, and he is looked up in a ward in prison. The next heard of said bummer is that he is fined $5 or sent up for thirty d^ys in durance vile, but when freedom once more fans his fevered brow he joins himself to a robber-gang, is caught in robbery, and takes a pen in penitentiary for the length of his sweet life. Surely he is a crook, worse than a sneak thief, and his parents and friends have to mourn his fall not his loss ; surely there is truth in the old saying, " As the old cock crows the young one learns, for in nine cases out of ten the fathers and mothers and all the^family indulge in slangs and slurs that are brought into the once pure and happy home by hirelings with rotten whiskey that were introduced in said home by the parents, who did not only not discourage their uses in the home circle but slung them freely themselves, till hired man, boys, girls and mother, all joined in their blasting and adulterated use ; even the dog gets vitiated by them so that he kills his neighbors' sheep, and we might excuse his dogship's crime by saying he was only getting so fresh he could not do with- out fresh meat. Shame ! shame ! shame ! on all such slang-slingera and those who encourage whiskey-drinking among young men. 16. Makb a Mash. — Making a jam of potatoes and turnips is often called a mash ; scalded bran a nice soft mash. To crui|h the bones of arms or legs is justly called too hard a mash indeed. To etyour arm around a pretty innocent young girl in her teens till as the slang man says) her heart feels queer all around the edges, is, as the loafer coarsely jests, making a sweet, soft mash. To make a mash on the young laidies is often done in this way ; for a set of dudes, dandies and their pals to meet with a fine young lady at a party, and all begin to sling cunning slangs and slurs of which she at first has no particular liking, or knowledge of, but by and by she becomes more familiar with them from their oft repeated use {for continual dropping weareth a stone)^ and if she listens to them iwith disgust from former good training she does not think them so funny or sweet, and escapes being either won or maahed by them ; but on the other hand, if she does learn to listen to sling sUuig flattery, and f. THE AMERICAN SLAN( 1ST. 67 by-words, and thinks them ever so nice, they succeed in swaying and swimming in her aileciloiis, and she in that cane tumbles to the racket of a rnatV of ruination. Alas for our otherwise fair country ! that such slangs, slurs and by-words should be muttered in our homes,'or in the pulpits, or in the press, for all such words are utterly needless to express our thoughts on any subject, even if you do rob them of their mischievous and baneful properties, when associated with whiskey-drinking, cigar-smoking and vitiated parties. 17. I'llbbBlowed, Says a Rascally Scalawag. — Meaning, I presume, to be dumfounded or confounded ; blown or shot out of a cannon ; telescoped with a bullet ; turned topsy turvy with a burst- ing boilei, or oycloned and hurled through a waterspout. Young and gentle reader, never indulge in such outlandish expressions, that honor and success may attend you through your mortal career. 18. For They ari! on It. — Means I'm fond of oysters, dancing, taking ice cream, melons, fine dresses, fond of fast young men, fast young girls, rotten whisky-drinking, smoking cigars, and indeed, -in the end, if not watched well, will be too fond of gratifying habits so forcible that one may learn to filch and defraud till they find their names are on the jail register. Truly it may be said of all fast youngsters that they are truly on it — if it be the road to des- truction, do he aware, tell me whether you read slang novels, love and learn slangs and slurs, and keep the company which delight in them, and " I'll tell you who you are^" for if you do you are on the broad road to utter ruination. Truly, you are on it then, I say ; the reasons why are very plain, for we cannot enter the wild dance or enticing show room without being able to talk, and conversation alway (be it good or bad), is the means of making companions. Now make up your minds to assist in hurling those monsters from our fair and otherwise innocent society circles, and coming generations will not be tainted and blasted by them, as too many, alas ! have in times gone by. 19. I Won't Squeal— Means generally that the swine will not squeal if they get good swill. That the drunk won't squeal if he get plenty of whiskey (though it may be colored with tobacco juice, as it often is, to drug tht senses), and it lays one out in a Sitter, looks one up in prison, and destroys one's otherwise nice itle ragged, prattling children. No, so long as I get my allowance of the bane of society, I won't squeal, though I have to cheat a hog out of his bed till I sober up. If a young lady gets all the fineries she wishes, she squeals never a time ; nor the business man either if he gets one per cent, a month interest on loaned money. No, not if he turns hundreds out of their homes with his notes and mortgages. I won't squeal if the hotel-keeper poisons my neighbors \M I I i 68 THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. \ all around, if he attends my church, says the preacher, and casts in good donations. Oh ! the picture is getting so truly horrible, I'll shut it off. 20. Goin' There, Youb Leval Best. — Means to distort your joints and all your limbs, whether mati or race horse, to come cut ahead, or cat-bird (says the rough.) Go in Joe and court that fine young lady, if you have to trample on all the finer rules of society, religious scruples, mother's early training, so you git there. Go in ^our level best. Mortgage your farm to do what ? to get into debt, into poverty, and sling it on your level best to beat your neighbors in dressing and fine shows, riding in nicer carriages than all beside. Says the wife to her husband, do your level best and we'll git there, that is, our children will get into poverty and we too, and want and mourning will often ensue in going in that way. But go in your level best to get ahead of the grammar class, the mastery of mathe- matics, and shove ahead in good society, and you'll secure affluence, position, place and power, live well here and have a promise of the life to come. I once beheld a green couple on the cars returning from their wedding trip, go in their level best. They began to look each other in their peek-a-boos (eyes), to smack their gums and pro- trude their tongues, and hang right on to one another in a lalla- gaging fashion till it would seem their almc st too gentle and simple souls had united and melted into one ; surely they went in their level best, and maybe turned into a squash vine, and may be raising squashes yet. 21. Hoop her up, or Whoop her up. — Means generally, be smart enough to say good-day before you say so, or say so before you speak. Jack says to Willie, while holding one end of a saw- log with a large hand spike, while Willie is spitting on his hands for a fresh holt. Jack sajs hoop-her-up Bill, but poor Jack sot a leg smashed, for Willie didn't whoop-her-up enough. The phrase means hurry up. Hoop-her-up, says the mother to the hired girl, when putting crinoline on her ten-year-old daughter. Whoop-her- up, say the boys and girls in the giddy dance. Whoop-her-up right smart, says the colored girl to Sam, who is stealing her out of her mother's bick window. (Whoop-her-up, Sammy, mother's coming.) They had a runaway escapade that night at a whoop-her-up gait. Whoop-her-up, says the Dutchman who falls into a large cask of nails on the barn floor, while he is setting his speckled hen on the mow or loft above. He calls most piteously to his wife to get the saw to saw the cask in two so that he can extricate himself. Whoop- her-up, Catrina, my vife, whoop-her-up, mighty smard as dem ere nails does scratch moine bao do much. Whoop-her-up, Catrina, mor'n a considerable whoop-her-up. Hoop-her-up, sa^s the mother of a ten-year-old jr'rl to her waiting-maid when dressing that girl to go to meeting or the party— Sally tl en flies afound. THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. m '■f HoLU Your Horses. — Means stop reader and think before they take you beyond your depth in the rivet or lake, or before they drive you among land sharks, and you get your substance devoured. Hold your horses means stop and consider the route you should drive safely in. Hold your horses, when among the bears and bulls in Wall-street, for fear you may tumble to the racket by the fluctua- tion of currencies, or any kind of bonds of railways, etc. [ say, do consider well, and a million can be made at a stroke or whack, or all may be lost if you wildly let them drive. When signs are favorable you can let them drive, and go in your level best ; you can bot your sweet life you can then. Hold on and think before mort- gaging your home to sling it on too steep, before joining the society of jim-dandy companions, before learning to read slang novels, slang-slinging, cant phrases among the giddy comrades at a dance or chow, or before entering the billiard hall or card-playing estab- lishment, or before you get habits of blaspheming and drunkenness, before entering a robber's gang, or before going into prison's iron gates, or before you swing off a gallows. For humanity's sake I would suggest, stop and think, and rein in your horses in good time. Hold your horses, ao a wife one dark night said to her drunken husband by her side in the waggon. Hold your horses, and these were the last words she ever uttered, for the waggon jolted her and him both out into a gutter near Chatham. Horrible to relate, she was taken up by the passers-by in. a speechless, dying state, while he lay by her side insensibly inebriated ; because he didn't hold his horse^, she lost her life. 23. HuNCA-DoRA OR HuNCA-cA-BuNK. — Means a rough husband praises hot pancakes which Dora, his wife, is baking for his lordship after returning from the tavern. He utters this in his drunken state, meaning the pancakes were good, and if they had been slices of hog's lard, raw and cold, he would have thought them ever so nice, or huncadora all the same, as his tiner senses were blunted by crooked whiskey. A good fitting dress or coat is called hunca-dora (but ungenteel). Generally meaning all that one's ignorant taste desires being perfectly gratified (used both ways often by slangers). 24. I Catch on That . — Means after a nice young man or lady hears slang and bye- words from adepts at slinging them, they grow fond of such, for ** evil communication doth corrupt good manners," and the nice, modest youth learns to say, " I catch on that," mean- ing that suits me, 'tis ever so nice, bet your sweet life, bet your bottom dollar, all huncaerfect bricks who play good games of ball, of dice, of cards, of bil- iards, because they have more head above and behind their ears than they have of the more refined sentiments developed in front of their foreheads; and generally, all perfect bricks that are the stu£f have large amativeness, alimentativeness, destructiveness, continuity or (hang-on-to-a-tiveness) and self esteem so high that you can make a hat- rack of it on the top of the rear of the brain. While such as conscientiousness, ideality, reverence, casuality, eventuality, spirit* uality, and all the frontal nicer organs that fi( men and women to become desirable, social companions generally, are wanting. Bricks that are the stufi", are not sensitive to the rights and vUihes of good- meaning citizenn, and are made up of the bull-dog qualities and slang, and sometimes are a bane and plague to good society. You can bet your bottom dollar on that, they would as soon catawal, and squeal rats I rats ! as not, to respectable people, even in churches, if the law did not come in to shield and protect the sacred shrine of God. 30. A Orank. — Means a crooked handle to turn the grindstone, the fanning mill, etc., or a person so crooked in their ways as to try to turn society upside down, and poke fun at respected rights; and sometimes a crank does not hesitate to blow up the city hall in order to appear odd, and rather hurl a bomb in the train of the ruler of the state, rather than law and order should be observed, especially if said crook or crank can gain notoriety by trampling down time-honored usages. The only words, generally, in the vo- cabulary of cranks, are such as rats ! rats ! etc. Sometimes they affect great bravery by throwing themselves down from high bridges into maddened, rapid streams in order to spite all mankind ; by this they try to get there, and generally do and stay, when they are carried down and suddenly dashed against the rocks, — this their last act in the drama of their story id the only benefit they ever conferred on society, by giving place and room to better citizens. Young men and maidens, beware of cranks and crooks, and rat- squalling men called bricks, for they are not the stuff, after all, you require in your make-up of society. Dudes and dandies sometimes belong to the crooked, cranky men and women in society (oftener men). Such men will never set a river on fire, though they hurl themselves into the stream never so fiercely. . '^ THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. 73 I': 31. Sub is a Daisy ! — A term of reproach for a lady, everybody's Boapegoat for slun and slangs, and nobody's darling in particular. She, the fair one, has fallen— tumbled to the racket of sfang-sling- ers, bu« if the said fair one never stops to listen to the company that fairly dines on and actually exists on slang novel-reading and slangs, she may, and actually does, become a veritable semblance of the Amaranthe, Hyacinth and Daffodil, and the loving flower we justly call the fairest among flowers, and generally settles down in the home of the rich and may become a sweet-scented geranium to »11 of her household,T— the veritable daisy. 32. Gumption— Gum SHUN. — Generally used to denote degree of ability, probably derived from gum-shun, and as gum-chewing affects vitallly the degree of intellectuality — by absorbing the entire at- tention in certain cases, girls should eschew, or put away, gum- chewing, who wish to raise their thoughts to higher grades of gump- tion ; and as tobacco-smoking or chewing also degenerates the amount of vital food required to build up a good brain the very foundation of all good grades of gumption- boys. Therefore shun gum-chewing and tobacco- chewing and spitting, fair young maids and boys — not yet able to sport a good birth in society — and I'm sure all will commend yon, and you never can be slurred with such outlandish names as gumps, gawkies and dummies. 33. OuENANAOAN, is a term for slippery tricks ; playing a ruae of any kind may be called chonanagan. All its tricks are to be left alone ; money passing by the showman or wizard's words, *' presto, come along," and finding its way into, or appearing in, another place silently without notice by the crowd, is purely chenanagan. 'Tis used by card-players ; and the so-called learned pig-playing a game at euchre, and skunking his opponents in the game every time (by his trainer's assistance), is purely a chenanagan trick. Shun such tricks and tricksters, boys, and shun the tricksters who use chen- anagan girls for life companions, or you may be badly left — entirely left out in the cold, friendless world. Fortune-tellers use chenana- gan in getting your money, in what way ? by making you believe there is a fortune for you somewhere else that never was intended for you, and it leaves you, and lets you down as badly as the boy chasing the rainbow to find the pot of gold. That boy was told it could be found just where the ends of the bow touched the earth, but that fellow never found that place yet, so missed the much- coveted treasure. He may be on the run for it yet, but will be badly left, as it is all chenanagan. So will the young girl or boy be badly left, who trust to a fortune-teller to find a fortune for them, if they depend on it. Or may mean that people, generally, are too apt to listen to the shilly-shally " clap-traps " of showmen, wheel of fortune men, poker players, slang-slingers, fortune-tellers or tricky itinerant hucksters of trumpery, or lazy, loafing dead-beats, follow- ing on the train of all big shows with gew-gaw-frippery, with their li III BBHTSTXiCa^ 74 THE AMERICAN SLANOIST. ohenaiia|(an woven webs ; and all who do stop to listen to them and their chicanery are aa surely caught aqd neeoed as effeotiiely aa the fly which deliberately attempts to sail through a net work of spider webs. Oh ! gentle reader, allow me once more to venture a waminff voice against all chenanagan trickery. Illustration, as fol- lows below : Will vou walk into my parlor, says the spider to the fly, 'Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy. The way into my parlor, sir, is up a winding stair, And I've many curious things to show you when you're there. I've gold and silver vessels, my hens lay eggs of gold, With a thoiisand other beauties, to vou that ne'er was told. Those brilliant foibles that seem so bright as we're goins past. Turn out to be the spider's web to all who're caught at last. Bulldozed (or bulldozing) is a second cousin to chenanagan, and it wishes it to be understood that its votaries belong to the upper crust of society. It first begins in higher circles, with the king on the throne, who practices it on his subjects till serfdom resulto to them. Thence descending through all the ranks of the titled aris- tocracy, being gilded with royalty, is none the less effectual aa a lialling yoke of slavery to the menial servants. Thence it descends into ihe legislative halls and state courts, spreads its suilded webs therein ; thence sending its branches in every comer of every king- dom and state in the world, it finally reaches the masses in every branch of business, from the king on the throne to the prince, to the duke, the gentry, the legislature, the politician, the speculate. et your sweet life, he bounced that moss-back, knocked him into a cocked hat, sawed his leg of, beat him blind, you can bet your bottom dollar, sowed him up, took the wind out of his sails, cooked his goose for him, aa sleek as a mice, don't you forget it, book it down, and he'll get there every time by golly, and she'll stay right there too, for she's a daisy ! and he's a masher every time. Jack, that other moss-back fellow, haint got the sand in him, and don't know enough to come in when it rains. That's what's the matter with Hanner; hitching a kettle to a dog's tail just makes him get there Eli, at a lively gait, and when that dog gets to the first resting-place and fairly pants and howls with the canyptians, while he takes an- other breath, all the people looking on just shout with laughter and delight, except the owner of said canine individual, who blubbers while he feels like gi'^ing the crowd a clout under the ears or lugs, and especially the boy who coupled the train together. For a farmer's or merchant's son to start out too lively when in possession of the store or farm, in playing poker, euchre, billiards, attending wild parties of any kind, till he has to mortgage to supply the stamps to sling it on with, and when (ruined), fleeced, skunked, strapped, he finds too late and too frequently that he gits there Eli, but over the left, — said boy forgot to hold his horses till too late. 70 THE AMEKICAN SLANQIST. A Bully Good Fbllow. — Means a •lang-ilinging ■lurring idle bully, who hangs around all vile places where slans, slurs, bv- words, and defaming phrases are rampant, and when he ffafcs hold of other young men not yet fuUv debauched, who are onTjrbegin* ning by reading slang novels ana journals replete with prize-fight- ing, horse-racing news, flagrant with slangs too often unfit to be placed into their hands to read. Said slang-slurring bummer finds among some of those men who have started to get there easy vic- tims, for they have only to accompany him to the whiskey dive first, then to the priza fight, the rowing race, to the horse race, to the wild-dance, to the card and billiard table and by this time they have a good vocabulary of slangs, so they can cry out, as their tutor is being carried to prison, that slang-slinging companion (who has now to become a sneak thief, and has been made so by the slang company he kept), That s a bully good fellow, and h '^osoon follows his pre cap' or to Tintop, for misery loves company. .range to say, fine young ladies may be found who used to have such bully good fellows for their beaux, but none at present as I know uf do. I'd Smile if I did. — Says the young sailor to his chummy-gal in at each port that he sails to, I'd smile if I did, meaning that he did not go to see any other gal than Efannar Jane ; I'd smile if I did go home with Samantha Ann from tjie dance, but he did, BO you see, gentle reader, that Minnie Montravers was bamboozled, and misled by the too assuring sound of the voice of a slang com- panion, but if Minnie does not yet put her whole trust in the sla^ig man, he discovers it and he continues in this strain, what do you take me jfor, Min., never a time, you bet I'll be bio wed if I did. I'll stay with Min. while grass grows and water runs, you can bet your sweet life. Poor Minnie was next seen by a friend of mine picking beans at one shilling a day, in the state of Mexico, whither she had sailed in search of Jack, and when she found him at Vera Cruz, he had just married one of the many girls he had been slinging his slang flattery too, and so Minnie was badly left, without money, friends, and in a strange country. Alas ! too many of the flower of our home circles, get badly left with such moss-backs. Minnie has'nt returned yet from Vera Cruz, as I know of. 36. Let Her Rip. — Is a most ungenteel-sounding expression, and I have not the recollection of having heard any female ever use it but once, and then she looked all askance at me. But it is used by men slang-slingers, all over the land too freely. The derivation of the phrase is as follows : — In a certain eastern town there lived an old lady doctress by the name of Mrs. Solace, and she was welcomed in every family circle in town, for her many deeds of charity and skill had won her universal respect. After she was laid in her tomb, the people decided to erect a monument to her memory, and ordered the sculptor to put the inscription, Let her rest in peace, on her , . THE AMGniCAN SLAN0I8T. 77 II tombitone or monument in great big letters. But the said sculptor did not find room for all the letters composing the inscription, so he ma^e, Let her, in very large letters, and m&rely made tne initial letters of Rest in peace, oA account of not having room, So the iiiscription>was left to read, Let her R. I. P. Ho every time we ut- er, " Let her rip,' we dishonor the peaceful in death. The End of my Illu»tkations on Slj^nos. Now You're Just Talking, ob Just Shoutino. — I once read of a girl who resided at Pinevitle, who gives the incidents of her court- ship by what follows : She begins by saying that every girl around there kept up an everlasting uilking about Joshua Clapsaddle, and she says as Id never seen him I concluded he must be mor'ne the sight of the elephant. One evening she went to a party at Sally Humpstead's, and she says I seed nim there for the first time ; he was a tall light>haired feller with Iwo eves that might fade by scrubbing, and he had the pirtiest turned-up nose that ever come out of the ark— (let her tell tne rest herself). Well I was introduced to him right there that night, and we played " button," '' going through the cedar swamp,' and he bussed me over the looking^ glass ; after the performance was through he asked me if he might see me home, and I just let him ; I made believe I did'nt want him to go, yet was as willing as could be, and was terribly feared he'd take me as I said not as I ment. Fortunichtly he was acquainted with girls and their folderols and he did not mind what I said, but just grabbed me by the arm and we marched off. Was'ent all the rest of the girls provoked ? Did not they turn up their noses at me ? Did'nt they call Joshua a sneaking sky-scraper 1 Did'nt they ? I rather guess they did. The next Sunday, about 4 o'clock p.m., mother looked out of the winder, and sez she, law Suz, if there haint Joshua Clapsaddle coming up the street. When I heard what she said I blushed like the sun- flower, and my brother Sam and Ichabod just whistled right out. I wonder, says marm, what's his business, he haint got no tin pail to borrow anything in, and we paid his dad for that old boss we bet, and I keried home his mother's spinning jinny. Guess mor'n likely as not, szz 'par, he's coming to see our Dorothy, for I seed him give her a pond lily this morning at church, and I declare she's got it in her hair now. Humph, sez marm, you did indeed 7 Well then I guess we'll scramble out of the room and leave the }<^oung folks to themselves, come Sam and Ichabod, and off they went. In about a minute I heered Joshua knock at the door; I tell tou my heart felt queer all around the edges ; when I ariz to open the door, Joshua was there, skeared nigh ful}out to death. How do ye do, sez he ; kow do you do, •ez I, won't you come in ? I dunno, sez he ; you'd better, sez I ; where's your par, sez he ; he's to home, sez I ; do you want to see him, 78 THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. No, I dunno as I do, sez he ; it's kinder warm to-day haint it, as he wiped the swet off his face with his calico han*ker-cher ; yes, sez I, 'tis warm. You'd better come in ; I don't ker if I do, sez he, and in he came, and took a cheer on the wash tub, and I set down on a stoole a little way's off. Kinder cool for the season, sez he, button- ing up his coat ; yes, says [, (though I perspired like a cook oyer the hot stove in a hot day). Then there was a dreadful long spell of nothing being said. I pleted up a newspaper and fanned myself with it ; Joshua pared his finger nails, and tied up his han-ker>cher in knots ; finally Joshua kinder sidled up to me, and arter he looked at me sideways, sez he. Dorothy sugar is most as sweet as anything else ain't it? yes, 'tis, sez I, unless sap molasses is sweeter ; don't you think honey is as sweet as any one on 'em ? Yes I do, sez I. Well, Dorothy, sez he, you beat all three of 'em ; then there was another spell of saying nothing; I felt so fluctuated that I could'nt think of nothing to say, and Joshua was run out of subjects, at last a new idea struck him ; sez he, Dorothy where do you spose I got this weskit ; I dunno, sez 1 ; guess, sez he, down to Killem's store; says I ; no, sez he ; to Burgess store then, no sirree not by a long shot, says he ; your marm wove it for you ; no, sez he ; it were made out of aunt Peggy's old gound. Then it would seem that we would never think of anything more to say, till by and by, sez he, Dorothy, how many chickens has your folks got ? Only twenty, sez I, but we had about fifty. Well I do declare what has become of 'em sez he ; the hawks ketched some of 'em, and some did die, shedding their feathers, sez I ; that's bad, sez he ; yes that is so says I ; there we jist sot still another spell, and marm come into the room, Joshua blushed and turned the colors of the rainbow. Mr. Glapsaddle, sez marm, did you come a courting to-day ? Why don't you say what yer got to say ? If yer want Dorothy, I'm willing, she's got the warp and fiUin' to weave a bed cover, and a bran new feather bed. Old lady, sez he, kinder starten up, you're a whole team ; then mam went on and Joshua dropped right down on his knee^, and sez he will yer be my pardner. Joshua sez I, I'm just as willing as I can be, and in a minute more I was grabbed up close to the red weskit, for then he was just talking, was'nt he jest shouting, you can jest bet yer sweet life he were ; but I believe but for marm he never would have poped the question that day. He made me a charming fine husband arter all. Go TO Blazes. — May mean running away from heaven and the grace of God, or running into a place where brimstone will set one on fire. Illustrative anecdote — A certain minister had told one of the men comprising his congregation that he would raise the devil for him the first time he came that way if the members would keep him over-night ; this being agreed to, the said minister called at the said man's house the very next time passing that way, and the lady of the house tried t.o excuse herself by telling him her husband wa THE AMEBICAN bl A.NGIST. 79 . from home, but as the aaid preacher was very weary and he had noticed another neighbor man sitting inside, he insisted on stopping that night. She dryly consented, and set a hastily-prepared meal before the preacher, and upon his expressing a wish to retire as he was very weary, she made a shake-down bed for him on the cham- ber floor above, and he was quickly snoring. At a late hour in the night he was awakened by the husband thumping at the door to get in, having just returned from the tavern a little worse of liquor ; the preacher also heard her say to the neighbor to run up the ladder leading to the stairs and cover himself up in a barrel of tow or flax while she let her husband in, this being done, her husband making an unusually loud noise, she said, whist ! whist ! that devil-raising preacher is sleeping up stairs and you'll wake him. Well then, I'll go up and make him raise the devil at once. No remonstrations of his dear wife could pacify him, so up he went and the preacher told him to bring some brimstone and matches, and they were quickly brought, when tiio preacher quietly arose and dressed, and placing the brimstone on a shingle set it in flames, and it did blaze for keeps, and as said preacher held it over the barrel of tow he said, you, author of all evil, I command you to come forth, throwing the flaming brimstone into ihis barrel of tow which quickly caught fire and burned the man hidden beneath so badly that he quickly jumped out covered with flames of burning tow and smelling of brimstone. The man of the house became a believer, while the neighbor ran down and out all covered with blazes. He did get there Eli, you bet. Draw in Youk, HoIins. — May mean that one after making a sud- den dash or big splurge at a boxing carnival, has found they are getting more than a match, quickly draw themselves into their shell so we can't see more than the ti^s of their horns : sometimes a noisy, blustering politician after election day, .loi. only draws in his horns, but tries to find a dug-out big enough to hold him for a short time as a hiding-place for a little repose. Illustrative anect- dote — The Montana braggart, who was now a 5th husband, married and brought home a dashing widow as his wife No. 6. After the honeymoon was over, and at the beginning of the realities of house- keeping, he set him down and pointed to a large blue beech gad hanging on the wall, and in the meantime telling No. 6, how loving, kind, and obedient Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, &c., had been, he uttered the boast that he only had to crook and hold up his little finger towards any one of them, when they would run and hug and kiss him and would clean even his boots off, and think it their highest favor. He then f)ointed at the gad on the wall and ordered No. 6 to come and take esson No. 1 at cleaning his boots ; she tightly clutched the gad and walloped him till He ran under the table, and she still continued walloping him till he escaped under the bed and began to draw in his horns. She then ordered him thenceforward to bring in all 7*1 80 THE AMERICAN SLANGIST. the wood and water or she would wallop him again, and he just did fill stove chuck full of wood and carried in water and they had tea, and I can imagine every time he makes a splurge to throw off the yoke she wallops him still, till I fairly believe 1 see him drawing in his horns. Yours respectfully, SHERMAN MALCOLM. id a, lie in V )