Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/271

* SLANG. SLANG. slinkfi, to creep). Colloquial words and phrases originating for the most part in the lower classes of society or in professional jargon. Tlie term may also be applied to words and phrases which are formally in harmony with the standard language, as sanctioned by what is regarded as best usage, but which in their meanings diverge from this norm so far as to be generally considered in- elegant and vulgar. The importance of slang in the semasiological development of language (see Semasiology) can hardly be overestimated. Not only must a language be enriched with new words, if it is to survive, but it must be aug- mented by new meanings of the terms which it already contains; and one of the chief factors of this increase of significations and applications of words is slang. The condemnation of slang, therefore, finds no support from a linguistic point of view. On the contrary, the use of slang in it- self, in so far as it does not usurp the functions of the standard language to too great a degree, is to be encouraged. Slang is the radical counterpart of conservative purism, and the two must exercise a constant check on each other as a necessary con- dition to the existence of language. It need hard- ly be added that slang which is vulgar is to be condemned unsparingly, not because it is slang, but because it is low. Slang is furthermore the voeabularistic side of dialect, and is accordingly governed bv the laws w'hich control dialectic growth. (See Dialect.) If. therefore, a given slang expression, originated by an individual or by a group of individuals, is found for any rea- son to supply a need, as on account of its shade of meaning, or its superior convenience over the corresponding standard word, it may be adopted into the standard language. Even then it is re- garded at first with suspicion and admitted only on sufferance. The life of the average slang word is very short. A slang term may, however, ul- timately become a word recognized even by the most conservative adherents to a strictly stand- ard dialect, and thus lose its character as a slang word, as in the case of 'blizzard' and 'sky- scraper,' which, originally slang words, are now- standard in America. The principal basis of slang is metaphor (q.v. ). Thus in poker players cash their 'chips' at the close of the game. From this comes the use of the phrase 'to pass in his chips,' as a slang equivalent for death. Again a girl as being sweet, plump, of a peach-like complexion, and generally 'good enough to eat,' is called a 'peach;' or as being dignified, and commanding respect, or of excep- tional beauty, she is a 'queen:' while a clumsy, inept, stupid person is called a 'lobster.' Although such terms as these which have been drawn inten- tionally from slang unrecognized in literature, seem at first sight vulgar, equally violent trans- fers of meaning have been made in course of time in literary usage. For example, the evolution of the French teie. 'head.' from the Latin testa, 'jar' (found also in the later Latin poets in the sense of 'skull'), is in itself no better and no worse than the 'low' English 'mug' for 'face,' yet tcte is con- sidered standard and 'mug' is regarded as slang. On the other hand, certain words and phrases which were formerly regarded as strictly literary are now slang, at least in certain collocations. As familiar examples of this may be cited 'awful.' 'fierce.' 'devilish.' 'keen.' 'wise,' in such phrases as 'an awful swell.' 'a fierce hat,' 'devilish good,' 'to be keen on something,' or 'to put a man wise to a thing.' ot only does the inexact use of the word make it slang, but frequently, as in the case of 'mug,' it seems to be the brevity and commonness of the term which renders it objec- tionable. Akin to this latter class is the slang of clipped words, as 'enthuse' for 'make enthusias- tic,' 'beaut' for 'beauty,' 'gent' for 'gentleman,' and the like. The objection to this class of words seems justifiable on linguistic as well as on .■esthetic groimds. A prolific source of slang is euphemism, especially that which is based on propriety. Akin to euphemistic slang are clipped oaths, most of which are now little used, al- though they were common in earlier English. Examples of this class of slang are: 'Zounds,' 'od's life,' 'by cock and pie.' and in modern usage the rustic oaths "dod rot,' 'gol darn,' 'I swan,' and the low city oath 'hully Gee.' Yet another class of slang is borrowed from foreign languages. This enters as a rule among the higher circles of society, and is therefore wider in its vogue and more lasting in its vitality. There belong such words as fin de Steele, 'up to date,' bon-ton, 'high society,' as well as translated phrases, as the ex- pression current during the Chinese Bo.xer trou- bles in 1900. 'to save one's face.' that is, 'to re- tain an appearance of dignity despite a real con- cession to superior circumstances.' Every grade of society and almost every pro- fession has its peculiar slang. These varieties frequently vary so nnich as to be almost or even quite mutually unintelligible. The slang of the race course, the prize ring,' the barroom, and the variety show are distinct from one another, and stand in marked contrast to the siang of the cul- tured classes. Here there are separ.ate slangs for the artist, the actor, the stockbroker, the society man, the club man, and the university man. It is in the colloquialisms of the two latter classes, in- deed, that slang is found which is consistent with good taste. Intrinsically there is no reason why one slang should be preferred to another, and it is as entirely proper to speak in low slang of 'winning by a neck,' or 'putting to sleep,' or 'rushing the growler,' as to use the high slang of 'a slump in the market,' 'slating a book,' 'doing a turn,' 'skying a picture,' or 'boning up with a crib for an exam.' The only criterion is the exact and intelligible expression of the idea. Closely connected with professional slang is cant, and the two often overlap so as to be dis- tinguishable only by some arbitrary rule. Cant differs from slang in that it is originally de- signedly unintelligible to any but members of the profession, although it may of course spread and even become a part of the literary language. Cant, like slang, is of all grades. It ranges from thieves' cant, as 'douse the glim' for 'put out the light.' or 'pinch a cove's wad and ticker.' for 'steal a man's money and watch.' through stage- cant, such as 'see the ghost walk,' for 'get one's salary.' 'angel' for 'patron.' up to financial cant, as 'to take a flyer in futures,' and artists' jargon, as 'to chic' for "to sketch from memory,' or 'to sky' for 'to hang a picture so high as to escape notice in an exhibition.' Slang has many minor varieties. Among these may be mentioned back slang, centre slang, and rhyming slang. Back slang is founded by roughly spelling words backward, sometimes with consid- erable mutilation of the original sound, as 'gyp'