More Adventures in a Dictionary We have already referred in this column. to discoveries of dramatic and romantic interest which the reader hold enough to tackle a dictionary may find in Professor Weekley's ''Etymological Dictionary of the English Language" (John Murray, 42/-). Few people, perhaps, have the hardihood to sit down deliberately to a course of the dictionary, generally presumed to be a region of academic dryness to which scholars are consigned for their sins. But there have 7 been cases. in which writers of eminence have revelled in dictionaries, encyclopedias, blue books and sundry works of reference and have emerged with a load of literary gold. Professor Weekly happens to be one of these fortunate individuals, and we make no apology for again calling attention to his work, with special reference to much interesting lore which he has gathered on the subject of surnames and proper names which have passed into the vocabulary.
A Myra axp MacIntosa. A long persistent myth, that the word "tram" derives from a Mr. Outram, the reputed inventor of tramways, is exploded by the discovery that "trams" were running in English collieries long before this worthy gentleman was born, the railed roads being called "'tramways." Tradition is right in the matter of '"hansom'" cab, this vehicle famous in literature, and go popular with some literary men as almost to have become their place of abode, being invented by Joseph Aloysius Hansom, in 1834. "Macintosh" we owe to an inventive Scot, Charles Macintosh, who patented a waterproof cloth in ¥g03. The wits of that day were almost successful in getting the novelty christened ''mucking toss? put the attempt failed—even with the influential assistance of Thomas Ingoldsby, author of the Legends, whose "vulgar little boy" was seen at Marate "with a carpet swab and mucking togs, and a hat turned up with green."
Tar Bressep Worp Boycott.
"Boycott," the significance of which the Chinese have so. wel Jearned to appreciate, is 2 gift to the, world from Captain Boycott, of Lough Mask House, County hose prosecution by the it into us that this word has assed 39 potter" 'a boycottage" are now European languages good French, The erman die tionary, hes its "poycottieren,""_ Dutch its "poyeotten,"" whilst Russia has appropriated '"'boycottirovat" (to boycott) and "boycottiropanic" (boycotting). The worldwide dissemination of so useful a word should once and for all dispose of the fiction that Treland produces nothing but trouble.
"Flot Air? being, as we understand, an American phrase dedicate ed to the conversational paradox of mass without weight, it is perhaps appropriate that "bunkum," a literary species of the same geinns, should enjoy the same par-enrage, it being in fact a child of the. city of Buncombe, North Carolina. The story goes that a pompous orator, (al] orators are pompous when the laugh is against them), having bored House of Representatives with a touch with its daily life we are robbed of much of its glamour, our appreciation is dulled even of its romance; and therefore one might hesitate in passing judgement on the characters of Harry Neville and his Chinese idol, Lui Shih, as a trifle unnatural and overdrawn. But apart from this consideration there is much to recommend the book. Strangers to China will gain a proper insight into the charm of the country and the life of the foreign dwellers here, whilst enjoying romance in an environment rarely selected by novelists who are capable of giving accurate pen-pictures of the land and its people. And as a rule when these latter writers do attempt the task they depict utterly impossible adventures and types that have engender-wearisome speech, was taken to task by a friend. "TI taken tol ed that false glamour which frequently colours the beliefs of speaking to the House," the speaker candidly replied. 'I was speaking to Buncombe''—his exacting constituency.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.