Page 179 - YB1899

JI [am~nt O~~rSlang. The Only One of the "Gang" Who Doesn't Use It. WESTERN MARYLAND COLLEGE, May 20, 1899. To the Secretary of the Intercollegiate Association: DEAR SIR-"\tVell, I guess" we do use slang here. I'll be "switched" if I ain't the only one in our "gang" that clon t use it. I used to use it but the "ole man" used me up so every time I used it that it has gone out of use as far as I'm concerned. I'll be "switched" if I use it again. Other "buggers" usually use it though, so I'm kinder used to it. They use it "to beat the band" on "any old occasion." Every time the "bloaks" "warble" you "bet your hat" they are going to "fire" slang at you. It's "simply awful." There's that "soak" "Bill.' He never opens his "Bill" without "spouting" off slang. Bill's a "sooner," he is, he'd sooner sleep than eat. He and Stanley are chums. Stanley's a "daisy," he is. He and "Dill" "scrap" all the time. They got to "jawing" each other the other day. Bill "dinged" him one on the "nut." Stanley got "sore," and soared high-the higher he soared the "sorer" he got, and he "jabbed" Bill under the "wing." They had a "hot time" for a while, but they went out in the shade and "cooled off." They can put any pair in the "shade"-playilllg fool-comes natural "sorter." But "there're others." We have some "great" things in our class; now there's Caton's head. There's no "sense" in it's being so big. It's like some others-"swelled." We have some of these, too, now "Vernon," for example. If your hat's too small, put it on his head and tell him he's handsome. Wait a while and watch your hat stretch. It's bound to do it. Vernon uses slang. His favorite expression is, "well, I should smile," and he does his duty. And "Doc," our orator, he's a "warm baby," every other word is slang-the rest of them are cuss words used to dam(n) up the breaks. "Doc's" a "beaut," he'd be "way out of sight" if-if-we had our own way. He tries to sing songs-sang one down at church once-but only once; it came near breaking up the church. But, talking about voices-you 169