AN AMERICAN "LANGUAGE"
The Ohio State Library has offered three priM3 for essays on "Why Wo Should Have an American Language" This offer is rather astonishing in view of the fact that H. L. Mencken has proved rather conclusively in his essay on "The .American Language" that the United States already has a- dialect, and that' the possession is not altogether a happy one. The talk in Pang stories is not overdone, as any person uiay prove by sitting in the bleachers 0/ n.professional baseball field and listening to the talk that is going round. Somewhat unfairly, perhaps, British playgoers liavs gained an idea from attending American plays that aro reproduced '"i London Hint all citizens of the (J in led States express Uienmelvcs iu slang. This impression has been strengthened by tliu several London managers who have published glossaries of the peculiar American words, and their British equivalents. In view of the huge number of words that have crept into the general speech from tho argot of followers of cheap f-ports, of lawlessness and of intemperance, tho present would seem an appropriate time to offer prizes for essays on "Why Wj* Should Civilise 'ho American Language."—"Christian Scienco Monitor."
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 31, 31 October 1919, Page 7
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199AN AMERICAN "LANGUAGE" Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 31, 31 October 1919, Page 7
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