AMERICA’S NEW WORDS

Hokitika Guardian, 31 August 1928, Page 4

AMERICA’S NEW WORDS

(By Richard Curee). NEW YORK, July 14. Most of the slang words and expressions invented in America have a relatively brief life, but some get fixed and are already accepted to all intents and purposes as part of the language. But a more subtle change is taking place, and that is the giving to certain true English words of a new meaning or significance. Take, for example, the word “ordinary.” In England “ordinary” means “common” in the sense of being usual, but in America it also means “common” in the sense of being secondrate or vulgar. One of the most frequent remarks one hears in is that “So and So is very ordinary.” Then there is the word “lovely.” The American applies it not only to beautiful scenes or women but to conduct. “His behaviour to me was loveIv.”

“Home” also has been given a now kind of emphasis, which, however, is quite comprehensible in this liomeloving nation. An American does not say that bis town is full of beautiful ‘‘houses,” he says it is full of beautiful “homes.” Indeed, the fact that he talks about his “home town” shows with what sentimental regard the world is held.

I cannot imagine why so many Americans preface half their sentences by the word “Listen!” But they do. If one happens to he in a room full of conversationalists one hoars the word going off all round one like revolver shots. And everybody is listening all the time! It is a curious habit.

One of the commonest misuses of English in America is to say “good ’ when yoy- mean “well.” When an American remarks that he “feels good” it lms nothing to do with his moral state but solely with his physical well-being of bis spirits.

And while I am on the word “good” T may mention that nearly every American uses “good looking” not merely of people hut of tilings. “W hat a good looking piano” would sound funny to an Englishman, who does not connect pianos with preUiivess, but to an American—to every American practically—it sounds perfectly natural and proper. The word “almost” has been the victim of a clipping process. The average American does not say “almost everybody,” he says “most everybody,” and in his mind he puts no apostrophe before the “m.” Tlie word in fact, has been shortened for ever. But if “almost” has been shortened “dessert” has been given a larger meaning. It does not merely stand for fruit, ns in England, it stands also for sweets.- A rice pudding would count as dessert in America.

But perhaps this process of enlarging the meaning of words lias never been more strangely exemplified than in the case of “commute.” In America a man who commutes is a man who travels daily to his work with a season ticket. The derivation is easy enough to follow, 'for one of the dictionary definitions of “commute”, is to “blly off one obligation by another, and it is obvious that the commyt,r buys off the obligation to purchase a daily ticket by purchasing a season ticket. All the same, it is an odd application -of the word and must have bewildered many an Englishman,

But there are many odd uses of English in America. Take the simple words, “Yes. sir,” and “No, sir.” When an American uses them, not merely as an ordinary oxprerrinn ef assent or dissent, lint as a downright wind-up to an argument, they can lie addressed to a woman just as well as to a man.

The changing slang of America i.s a huge field which I can hardly enter upon' hut I may mention that the slang expression which is momentarily all the rage in New York is “And how!” It means “tremendoulsy.” If someone -asks you whether you enjoyed the theatre and you did enjoy it. you say “And how!” in a slow, drawling voice. I believe it o"igii:ated from some phrase in a musical comedy song, niul it will probably be dead in six months. Just now. however, it is the thing. When a man is found out in England he is said to he “bowled out;” when a man is snubbed in America he is said to he “balled out”—not quite the same tiling, 1 admit, but very misleading. In certain circumstances the terms are almost interchangeable.