American English, 



351 



is of the most trivial character, as in the case of the word loMttle, 

 which is put in, forsooth, because both the verb and the practice are 

 tliought to be more common in America than in Enghmd! But the 

 most surprising instance among this class of words has yet to be 

 mentioned — the use of the adverb ''^ iin mediately in place of the 

 phrase '-'as soon as" — the deer fell dead immediately they shot 

 him." This wretched expression, Mr. Bartlett writes, is creeping into 

 use from England. What possible sense there can be in counting as 

 an Americanism a villanously ungrammatical construction which is 

 ** creeping into use in this country from England," it would puzzle 

 Fitzedward Uall himself to explain. 



Among words and phrases erroneously supposed by Mr. Bartlett to 

 be peculiar to this country, the following have been pointed out by 

 various reviewers of the dictionary : 



Baggage ; he)ider, a spree ; blackberry ; bloiL\ to brag; bluff, a high 

 bank ; to do a thing broiun ; bug, as a general term ; bureau, a chest of 

 drawers ; catamount ; choker, a cravat ; chore ; crevasse ; cunning, 

 in the sense of small and pretty ; educational; eelgrass ; to egg on', 

 engineer of a locomotive; every icMch icay \ expect, for suppose ; fast, 

 for dissipated ; fellotuship, as a verb ; female, for woman ; first-class-, 

 to go to the bad ; to go gunning ; in a horn, meaning over the left ; 

 kink, an accidental knot or twist; the whole kit them; muss, a 

 state of confusion , notions, small wares or trifles ; railroad, as the 

 equivalent of railway ; sappy, meaning silly ; slosh, soft mud ; smack, 

 a blow ; splurge ; spree ; swingletree , a good time ; and tiptop. 



To these may be added the following, which I believe no reviewer 

 has noticed: 



Ampemand — The short cnaracter for the word and. This is found 

 in Halliwell. 



Beef, an ox, and Blaze, a mark on a tree, are both in Halliwell. 



Clever, in the sense of good-natured. This is in Halliwell — said to 

 be provincial in the south of England. 



Cookey—k little cake. In Prof. J. F. W. Johnston's ''Xotes on 

 North America," chap. 23, vol. 2, \). 296, we read that this word is 

 familiar to a Scotchman's ears. 



Cradh Scythe is in Halliwell. 



Fircdogs — x^ndirons. This is found in Brockett's Glossary of 

 North- Country Words. 



Hulking (unwieldy), Jack-at-a-pinch, and Pitch-in, are all in 

 Halliwell. 



Right for very. Fancy setting this down as an Americanism ! Did 

 Mr. Bartlett ever hear of a Right Honorable minister of Great Bri- 

 tain, or ever read the 139th Psalm — Marvellous are thy works, and 

 that my soul knoweth right well"? 



To set to rights. This is said by Elwyn to be an Essex provincialism. 



Safe — A place of security. This also is in Elwyn, and said to be 

 from Suffolk. 



