Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 5.djvu/129

 9* s. v. EBB. if, woo.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

121

LONDON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1900.

CONTENTS.-No. 112.

NOTES :-The Word " Up," 121-Horace Walpole and his Editors, 122 Intended Emendation by Browning "Out

of print" "Another to," 124 "Neither fish, flesh,

nor good red herring" Bigot: Bigote "Kaross" Years of Rome 751-3, 125.

QUERIES : "In Gordano " List of Northern Fighters at Culloden, 126 Griggs and Gregorians " Grimgibber " : " Grimgribber " Alderman Viner's House Plashed Hedges" Prince " Boothby Pictures composed of Hand- writing Eighteenth-Century ' English History ' The Plocks ' The Expostulation 'Busts made by Alcock, 127 "Childerpox" ' Adventures in the Moon ' Stedman Family Winstanley's Wonders Woore, in Salop, 128 Fanny Cornforth ' Heir of Linne 'Gladstone's Height, 129.

REPLIES : Story of Helen, Queen of England, 129 Oak- ham Castle and its Horseshoes- " A far cry to Loch Awe " Stop-press Editions, 130 Taltarum, a Surname Pre- servation of Silk Banners Altars at Glastonbury No. 17, Fleet Street, 131 Parry Family Cromwell and Music, 132 English Mile, 133 Aldgate and Whitechapel, 134 Early History of the Steam Engine, 135 " Farntosh " " Boer *' Sir M. Cromie, 136 Mayfair Marriages Cecil, Lord Burleigh-"An end" Corney House, 137 Passage in Wordsworth's 'Excursion '' An Apology for Cathedral Service '-Picture by Lawrence, 138.

NOTES ON BOOKS :-Dr. Furness's Variorum ' Much Ado about Nothing ' Mrs. Murray-Aynsley's ' Symbolism of the East and West' Prof. Arber's Spenser Anthology ' Smythe Palmer's 'Jacob at Bethel ' Leland's 'Useful Arts and Handicrafts ''Folk-Lore ' ' Intermediate.'

Notices to Correspondents.

ON THE WORD " UP." UNDER the title of the 'Queen's English' X. Y. Z. complained (9 th S. ii. 146), as I con- sider justly, of the use by the Times of "full up " and " that much," both most objection- able expressions, the former, I think, cockney, the latter a provincialism, thus showing that the writer complained of came from the pro- vinces and was domiciled in London. How- ever, this much can be said for " that much," that it was immediately defended (ibid., p. 269) by several correspondents, who, I think ; did not succeed in showing it was good English.

Now I propose to say something about the expression "full up." I do not continue X. Y. Z.'s title because I take one that is more definite. The earliest use of "full up" in print is, I presume, that quoted without reproof by Dr. Murray in the ' Oxford Eng- lish Dictionary ' under * Full.' It is from the Daily News of 18 October, 1892, to the effect that a new cemetery was started as the old ones were "full up." The newspapers now commonly use these words. The Standard of 16 November, 1899, p. 5, col. 5, said that at Dover " most of the hotels were full up "; and the Daily Telegraph of 17 November, 1899, p. 3, col. 1, said, " As the month draws towards

its close the money market is expected to tighten up."

It seems to me that this is in accordance with the genius of the English language, if I may apply such a word to a language so erratic and so full of inconsistencies.

I have been watching the use everywhere of " full up," and I find it is used not only in London, but the provinces. I assisted at a penny reading in the country in January, 1899, and in the interval ladies looked after the refreshments. I asked one young lady, who was quite new to this work, how she was getting on. She replied, " Very well, but the young men say such funny things. I asked one young man if he would take some refresh- ment, and he said, * No, thank you, miss, I 'm full up'!"

I presume "full up" was started by London omnibus and tram conductors, but fortunately the tram owners only put up the word " full " when the vehicle is choked up, as all are on a Bank holiday.

It will be observed that when you have to call out " full " a number of times it is far easier to say "full up." Call out, I say. Why " out"? If we do not want " up," surely we do not want "out." But more of this presently.

It seems our habit to duplicate some words, and as we do so the English grammar supports us. Thus " I myself " is justified for emphasis. I thought I recollected this in Lennie's * Grammar ' (edition of 1854), but it has no index, and after searching I have not been able to find it. I have been much interested, however, to observe the trouble that Lennie takes to disagree from and refute Lindley Murray's 'Grammar.' Lennie has several pages of "improper expressions"; needless to say that " full up " is not among them. There is little doubt that it is quite a new corruption.

If we are going to insist on simple " full," should we not be consistent and leave off using all the other " ups " which custom has added to words? Hopeless, I fear, would such a thing be. We nave added "up" for some time now. Thus, we have "go and have a brush up" in fact, we see it written up in lavatories in London, "Wash and brush up, 2d." though it is clear that what is wanted is a brush down. You are expected to "pay up" at once that is, cash up, or, as some say, cash down.

Observe the man is cleaning up the brass, which got filled up with dirt ; it now looks crack up. The official notice cautions you not to "stand up" under the bridge. The bus is " followed up " (these words used in a