c. Words "connected with a new country," as lot, diggings, betterments, squatter.
3. Miscellaneous Americanisms.
a. Words and phrases become obsolete in England, as talented, offset (for set–off), back and forth (for backward and forward).
b. Old words and phrases "which are now merely provincial in England," as hub, whap (?), to wilt.
c. Nouns formed from verbs by adding the French suffix –ment, as publishment, releasement, requirement.
d. Forms of words "which fill the gap or vacancy between two words which are approved," as obligate (between oblige and obligation) and variate (between vary and variation).
e. "Certain compound terms for which the English have different compounds," as bank–bill, (bank–note), book–store (book–seller's shop), bottom–land (interval land), clapboard (pale), sea–board (sea–shore), side–hill (hill–side).
f. "Certain colloquial phrases, apparently idiomatic, and very expressive," as to cave in, to flare up, to flunk out, to fork over, to hold on, to let on, to stave off, to take on.
g. Intensives, "often a matter of mere temporary fashion," as dreadful, mighty, plaguy, powerful.
h. "Certain verbs expressing one's state of mind, but partially or timidly," as to allot upon (for to count upon), to calculate, to expect (to think or believe) , to guess, to reckon.
i. "Certain adjectives, expressing not only quality, but one's subjective feelings in regard to it," as clever, grand, green, likely, smart, ugly.
j. Abridgments, as stage (for stage–coach), turnpike (for turnpike–road), spry (for sprightly), to conduct (for to conduct one's self).
k. "Quaint or burlesque terms," as to tote, to yank; humbug, loafer, muss, plunder (for baggage), rock (for stone).
l. "Low expressions, mostly political," as slangwhanger, loco foco,
hunker; to get the hang of.
m. "Ungrammatical expressions, disapproved by all," as do don't, used to could, can't come it, Universal preacher (for Universalist), there's no two ways about it.
Elwyn, in 1859, attempted no classification.[1] He confined his glossary to archaic English words surviving in America, and sought only to prove that they had come down "from our remotest ancestry" and were thus undeserving of the reviling lav–
- ↑ Alfred L. Elwyn, M. D.: Glossary of Supposed Americanisms…; Phila., 1859.
