words are so numerous that, when explained at length, and accompanied by examples, they make a volume of themselves. Then there is the slang of politicians, of the stage, of sportsmen, of Western boatmen, of pugilists, of the police, of rowdies and "roughs," of thieves, of work-shops, of the circus, of shopkeepers, workmen, &c., which taken together form a rich mine whence new words are derived; some of which, after a struggle, become engrafted on our language, and finally obtain places in "Webster's Unabridged."

Objections have been made to the incorporation of slang terms in a work like the present, on the ground that it tends to preserve them and perpetuate their use. It is true that it does preserve them, but it does not perpetuate their use; for they often disappear as suddenly as they come into existence. Slang terms will remain in use only so long as they may be useful in colloquial language. They may then be supplanted by others more expressive, and sink into oblivion. But, even though they may become obsolete, it is no reason why they should not be included in a Dictionary or Glossary. Words having a political significance sometimes have an existence of ten or twenty years. They are employed by the newspaper press, are heard in the halls of legislation, and find a place in our political annals. The extinction of an old political party, the organization of another with new issues and a new platform, will be accompanied by new terms which will become the shibboleth or watchword of the party. The names of the older parties cease to be used, and are soon forgotten. Such is the history of the terms Federals, Bucktails, Barnburners, Old Hunkers, Loco-Focos, Silver Greys, and Know-Nothings. The clubs and flashy young men have their slang, often growing out of the fashion of the day, or out of the customs of society; while the number introduced from the humbler classes is much greater. Sometimes these strange words have a known origin; but, of the larger number, no one

knows whence they come. Slang is thus the source whence large additions are made to our language.

A writer in "Household Words" (No. 183) has gone so far as to remark that a person "shall not read one single parliamentary debate, as reported in a first-class newspaper, without meeting scores of slang words," and "that from Mr. Speaker in his chair to the Cabinet Ministers whispering behind it, from mover to seconder, from true-blue Protectionist to extremest Radical, the New House of Parliament echoes and re-echoes with slang."

"The universality of slang," says Mr. Hotten,1"is extraordinary. Let any person for a short time narrowly examine the conversation of their dearest and nearest friends; aye, censorlike, even slice and analyze their own supposed correct talk, and they shall be amazed at the numerous unauthorized, and what we can only call vulgar, words they continually employ. . . . I am aware that most new words are generally regarded as slang, although afterwards they may become useful and respectable additions to our standard dictionaries."

Within the last few years, several English writers have had the courage to acknowledge the importance of the slang element in our language, and to write in its defence. Among them is Mr. E. B. Tylor, the learned author of "Primitive Culture," and of "Researches into the Early History of Mankind," who thus writes:

"Slang, despised and ignored till lately by the lexicographers, is a genuine and influential branch of speech. It is one of the feeders of what may be called standard language, which with little scruple adopts and adapts the words it happens to want, whether from the technical terms of shopmen and artisans, or out of the quainter vocabularies of coster-mongers and prizefighters, school-boys and fops. This practical importance

1 Slang Dictionary, p. 40.

entitles it to be treated linguistically, like any other working dialect. Nor is its theoretical value inconsiderable to the student. Like other dialects, slang is developed according to the general laws of language, and very striking are some of its illustrations of those laws. Many a philological hint may be gleaned from the talk of factories and stables, music-halls and thieves' kitchens and pawnbrokers' shops, which would be more hardly sought from the super-refined English of the school-room." 1

Philologists and other scholars, when a term is wanted for some new invention, some new product in the arts, in machinery or manufactures, usually form one from the Greek or Latin. A word thus formed may be plain to scholars familiar with those languages; but, where one comprehends the meaning, a hundred fail to do so. This is particularly the case with the scientific names of plants and flowers. The botanist creates a name from the Latin, which is only familiar to scholars; while the common people invent a name which is descriptive of the plant, or of its habits, to which they cling with great tenacity, and by which the plant is ever after known. Such are the "Pitcherplant,” “Love-lies-bleeding," "Sweet William," "Jack-in-thepulpit," "None-so-pretty." So, too, of birds. The peasant christens them, like his flowers, after their habits.

The late civil war has given rise to many singular words. Some of these, in common use among our soldiers during the war, have since been dropped. Others have not only been preserved in our colloquial dialect, but have been transplanted to and adopted in foreign countries where the English language is spoken. Among the former are the words contraband, as applied to slaves, bummer, copperhead, confederates, carpet-baggers, jayhawker, greenback, monitor, ku-klux, skedaddle, skyugle, &c.

In the mining districts of California and Nevada, many strange words and phrases have sprung into existence, some of

1 The Philosophy of Slang, in Macmillan's Mag., Vol. XXIX. p. 502.

which have so taken root that they are heard in the

vii

colloquial

has Harte

language of the towns and cities, and have even crept into the ephemeral literature of the Pacific States. By no writers this peculiar idiom been so much employed as by Bret and Mark Twain. In speaking of the language of the mining regions, the latter says: "The slang of Nevada is the richest and most infinitely varied and copious that ever existed anywhere in the world, perhaps, except in the mines of California in the early days.' It was hard to preach a sermon without it, and be understood."1

6

The term "Americanisms," as used in this Dictionary, will be found to include the following classes of words:

1. Archaisms, i. e. old English words, obsolete, or nearly so, in England, but retained in use in this country.

2. English words used in a different sense from what they are in England. These include many names of natural objects differently applied.

3. Words which have retained their original meaning in the United States, although not in England.

4. English provincialisms adopted into general use in America.

5. Newly coined words, which owe their origin to the productions or to the circumstances of the country.

6. Words borrowed from European languages, especially the French, Spanish, Dutch, and German.

7. Indian words.

8. Negroisms.

9. Peculiarities of pronunciation.

This fourth edition contains about one-third more matter than

the preceding. In preparing it, I have to acknowledge my indebtedness to the following gentlemen, who have rendered me

1 To any one desirous to become familiar with the slang of the mining regions of Nevada and California, we would recommend a perusal of chap. 47 of Mark Twain's "Roughing It," in which he relates the interview between Scotty Briggs and the clergyman. A notorious character named Buck Fanshaw having "passed in his checks," Scotty desired for him a funeral which "should be no slouch."

aid to the Hon. J. HAMMOND TRUMBULL, of Hartford, for lists of words, together with examples of their use, and particularly for his etymologies of Indian words; to the Hon. JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL, Professor WILLIAM EVERETT, and Mr. WILLIAM BOYD of Cambridge, for copious lists of words; to the Rev. R. MANNING CHIPMAN, of New Lisbon, Conn., for annotations on the previous edition of this work and very copious lists of words; to Messrs. CHARLES E. STRATTON of Boston, EDWARD SPENCER of Randallstown, Maryland, JOHN D. SEARS of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, G. H. CURTIS of New Orleans, Dr. F. C. CLARKE of Providence, Professor WILLIAM F. ALLEN of the University of Wisconsin, Mr. ALBERT R. COOKE of Chicago, and to Miss CHRISTINE LADD of Union Springs, New York, for lists of words and phrases.

At the end of the volume will be found an Addenda, containing words and phrases which were prepared too late for insertion in their proper places. Also a collection of Proverbs and of Similes; and the names of the States and principal cities, accompanied by their vulgar or nicknames.

PROVIDENCE, R. I.,

November, 1877.

J. R. B.