IMPURE SPEECH

Hokitika Guardian, 8 November 1930, Page 6

IMPURE SPEECH

PRINCE OF WALES’S SUP. WORDS AND MEANING. “I want to tell you that lam a filthy speaker and a filthy golfer.”— Extract from a speech of the. Prince of Wales at the Stage Golfing Society’s dinner in London as reported by cable yesterday. “If the popular Prince of Wales wens accurately reported,” writes “Pedagogue,” “lie should be told in very plain words that lie, of all persons, should studiously refrain from so flagrant abuse of the English 'language. It is with regret that I have been forced to the conclusion that many of our words are losing their true meaning through a wanton disregard or a misapplication of tennis, and by the use (or misuse) of adjectives in a sense that was never contemplated. “The Prince’s description of himself as a ‘filthy speaker’ may ,'be misinterpreted by many. In the dictionary at my elbow ‘filthy’ is said to mean ‘dirty,’ ‘unclean.’ ‘tiffing foul thoughts or words,’ ‘state of being filthy,’ ‘foulness of thought, speech, or action.’ Now, no one who is aware of the fine sportsmanship and sterling) character of the Prince of Wales will take him literally at his own valuation. It will he generally understood that he meant to convey that lie was a ‘rotten’ speaker, and here one hajs tc misuse another adjective to explain the Prince’s error. If he had just said he was a ‘rotten’ golfer and speaker, few would have commented on the phrase, but it is new to New Zealanders to have the word ‘rotten’ (meaning, in this case, ‘not too good’) extended to tho very objectionable word ‘filthy.’

“Perhaps notice should be taken, too, of the circumstances under which the word wajs misused. Stage folk love to.be foremost in the use of the latest slang words. Tt may he that his Royal Highness had the impression that he was giving a lead. The trouble is that the actor is onb too ready to imitate when so prominent a person gives a lead, so we may with a certain confidence look forward to hearing the word ‘filthy’ ufled freely on the stage in future. “Tt cannot |he doubted that the Prince has done a disservice to the cause of pure English, no matter what interpretation ho intended to be put upon the meaning of the word he used.” ,