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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 22, 1919)
PAGE 4 T H E CHEM AWA AM ERICAN SE L F-E X PL A N A T O R Y W ORDS M UST H A V E B E E N T R U E From an exchange we derive the following interest ing article which we hope may incite our student read ers to ponder the matter and search for other words— there are many other w’ords, too, some being coined all the time: It is related that on one occasion a man who dis liked President Lincoln’s secretary of war, Mr. S tan ton, w7ent to the president and told him that Stanton had called him a baboon. Much to the satisfaction of the mischief-maker, Lincoln appeared to be deeply interested and asked if he could prove that such a statem ent had been made by the secretary. The tale bearer replied that Stanton had spoken of Mr. Lincoln as a baboon in the hearing of one Judge H olt and that the latter was just then approaching the W hite House. When Judge Holt came in Lincoln asked him if Stanton had made the remark attributed to him. The judge tried to evade the question but Lincoln pinned him down and he finally admitted that the secretary had spoken of the president as a big baboon but de clared it to have been merely a cursory remark and advised the president to pay no attention to it. “ But I must pay attention to i t ,” said Mr. Lincoln. “ If you had said such a thing or if our friend here had done so I might let it drop and forget it, but if Stanton said it, it is something serious, for I tell you, gentlemen, Stanton is generally rig h t.” Probably most persons who have learned to be ob servant have noted that certain words of our language are peculiarly self-explanatory; that is, their sounds are expressive or suggestive of their meanings. It seems likely, indeed, that a goodly portion of words, new’ and old, pertaining to sounds were originally nothing more than vocal imitations, each of the sound to which it applies. It is interesting and instructive to inquire into the sounds and meanings of words in this respect but one should be constantly on his guard in order to avoid drawing conclusions in a manner analogous to that of the gentle old lady who, according to the ancient story, remarked after studying a hog and his habits a short time, that “ the beast certainly had been most appro priately nam ed.” The w’ord “ ro ar,” for example, seems to approxi mate the loud voluminous sound to w’hich it is applied about as closely as anything short of an actual loar could. Similarly, “ croak,” it seems, would suggest even to one quite ignorant of English a low, hoarse, coarse sound. “ Gobble” is almost a perfect imitation oi the cry of the turkey to which it is applied and “ cackle” is quite similar to the cry of a hen to which it is applied. “ T oot” fits the sound made by a steam or other w’histle as no other word could and “ boom” is elo quently descriptive of the sound of a gun. Could any w’ord better than “ pop” be found as the name of the short, smart, quick sound that accompanies the sudden opening of a bottle or the bursting of a grain of corn under the influence of heat? No dictionary is needed to explain that “ bang” is a loud, sudden noise or a sharp, heavy blow7 produc ing such a noise or that “ whack” is a sharp, resound ing blow*. Nothing could be more appropriate than “ clash” for the name of the loud, harsh noise result ing when two bodies strike violently together and nothing would fit so well as “ slam” the loud noise resulting when a door is violently closed. “ Sneak” at once conveys the idea of creeping or stealing away meanly or of a mean underhanded per son; according to some etymologists, it has been derived from “ sn ak e.” Here area few more of the numerous “ speaking” w’ords that might be mentioned: Splash, clip, buzz, gurgle, tinkle, drawl, brisk, whine, snip, rip, drip, snap. P E N U SE D IN SIG N IN G TH E DECLARATIO N Peculiar historical interest and value attach to pens used in signing im portant documents and many of them are carefully preserved and treasured. In recent times more than a single pen has been used for affix ing the presidential signature to each of several bills and documents regarded as of extraordinary im port ance and all are prized as historical mementos. But a single pen was used in signing the declaration of independence, however, we are told, and it W’as made from a goose quill—satisfactory steel pens were not produced until more than 40 years later. Each of the 56 men who affixed their signatures to this im mortal document in turn took up the pen and used it. H E W O U LD N ’T R IS K IT A man who w’as trying a rest cure in a small village developed “ flu” symtoms and went to the local d ru g gist to get a preventive. “ I ’ve the very thing for yo u ,” exclaimed the druggist trium phantly. “ Thom p son’s Topcuro; 60 cents a bottle.” “ No, no, no!” said the customer energetically. “ But it ’s the very thing for your case. All the doctors are recommending it. We can’t sell it fast enough.” “ I believe you but I ’d prefer som ething else.” “ Nonsense! W hat’s your objection?” “ Only that I ’m Thom pson.” And the customer beat a hasty retreat.
