Ixxvi PROCEEDINGS. 



somewhat alike in sound but totally different in meaning. Sometimes 

 these are as ludicrous as any that have appeared under the name of Mrs. 

 Partington. Dr. Pilot has given a number of instances of this kind, as 

 bigamous for bigoted, meaning obstinate in his opinions, circus court for 

 circuit court, commodation for recommendation, as for example, a 

 servant's character. And we have heard a good janitor of a church 

 having his feelings hurt by being obliged to use antichrist (anthracite) 

 coal. Then there are words variously mangled in the pronunciation by 

 the ignorant, as dismolish for demolish, and nonsical for nonsensical. 

 Such a use of words is generally very limited, perhaps not extending 

 beyond a single individual. In any case they are simply the blunders 

 of the ignorant, and unless commonly adopted are of little interest to the 

 student. Sometimes a word does thus come into use, as may be seen in 

 the word extensible for expensive. 



Like all uneducated people they have idomatic phrases or a sort of 

 proverbial expressions, often based on the circumstances of their daily 

 life, which are frequently expressive. Thus they will describe a simple- 

 ton or greenhorn as not ivell baked or only half baked. They will also 

 describe a similar character as having a slate off, indicating the same 

 that is meant by a man having something wrong in his upper story. 

 This saying was doubtless brought with them from the old country ; but 

 as slates are not used among them for the covering of houses, they have 

 adapted the saying to the country by speaking of such a man as having 

 a shingle loose. An increase of cold may be described as the weather 

 being a jacket colder and when feeling its severity they speak of being 

 nipped with cold. Again, a man describing his poverty said he had 

 nothing to eat but a bare-legged herring, meaning a herring without 

 anything to eat with it. So stark naked tea is tea without milk or sweet- 

 ening, or sweetness, as the fishermen call it, molasses being known as 

 long sweetness and sugar as short sweetness. To put away a tiling' 

 too choice is to lay it aside so carefully as not to be able to find 

 it. To pay ones practice is to pay the accustomed dues to the 

 minister or doctor. Over right is for opposite or against. To put 

 your handsignment is to sign your name. When a fisherman has 

 a good catch of fish he has taken a smart feiv, but if he has met 

 with only partial success he has only caught a scattered few, and if 

 fish have been very scarce he will describe himself as getting 

 only a scattered one. Quite an expressive phrase is getting into 



