The Breitmann Ballads - Part 36
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Part 36

Seins,(Ger.) - The Being.

Selbstanschauungsvermogen,(Ger.) - Capacity for self-inspection.

Selfe,(Ger. Selbe) - Same.

Serenity - A transparency.

Shanty - A board cabin. Slang, for house.

Shapel - Chapel is an old word for a printing-office.

Sharman, Sherman - German.

Shings - Jingo; by jingo.

Shpicket - Spigot; a pin or peg to stop a small hole in a cask of liquor.

Shipsy - Gipsy.

Shlide - Slide. "Let it slide," vulgar for "let it go."

Shlide,(Amer.) - Depart.

Shlished, geschlitzt - Slit.

Shlop over - Go too far and upset or spill. Applied to men who venture too far in a success.

Shlopped - Slopped.

Shmysed,(Ger. Schmissen, from Schmeissen) - Threw him out of doors.

Shnow-wice,(Ger. Schnee-weis) - Snow-white.

Shoopider - Jupiter.

Shooting-stick - A shooting-stick is used for closing up the form of types.

Show-spiel, Schauspiel - Play, piece.

Shpoons - Spoons, plunder.

Shtuhl,(Ger. Stuhl) - Stool, chair.

Silbern,(Ger.) - Silver.

Sinn,(Ger.) - Meaning.

Six mals - Six times.

Skeeted - Went fast, skated(?) Skool - Skull.

Skyugle,(Amer.) - "Skyugle" is a word which had a short run during 1864. It meant many things, but chiefly to disappear or to make disappear. Thus, a deserter "skyugled," and sometimes he "skyugled" a coat or watch.

Slanganderin' - Foolishly slandering.

Slasher gaffs - Spurs for c.o.c.ks, with cutting edges.

Slibovitz - A Bohemian schnapps.

Slumgoozlin' - Slum or sham guzzling, humbug.

Slumgullion - A Mississippi term for a legislator.

So mit,(Ger.) - Thus with.

Solidaten,(Ger. Soldaten) - Soldiers.

Sonntag,(Ger.) - Sunday.

Soplin - A sapling, young tree.

Sottelet,(Ger. Gesattelt) - Saddled.

Sound upon the goose - Bartlett, in his Dictionary of Americanisms, states that this phrase originated in the Kansas troubles, and signified true to the cause of slavery. But this is erroneous, as the phrase was common during the native American campaign, and originated at Harrisburg, as described by Mr. Leland.

Souse und Brouse,(Ger. Saus und Braus) - Revelry and rioting.

Speck,(Ger.) - Bacon.

Spiel,(Ger.) - Play.

Spielman,(Ger.) - Musician.

Splodderin' - Splattering.

Spook,(Ger. Spuk) - A ghost.

Sp.o.r.n,(Ger.) - Spur.

Sports - Sporting men.

Squander,(Amer.) - Wander. Used in this sense in "The Big Bear of Arkansas."

Staub,(Ger.) - Dust.

Stein,(Ger.) - Stone.

Stille,(Ger.) - Stillness.

Stim,(Ger. Stimme) - Voice.

Stohr - Store.

Stone fence,(Amer.) - Rye whisky.

"I went in and got a horn Of old stone fence."

- Jim Crow, 1832.

Straaten,(Flem.) - Streets.

Stracks - Straight ahead, or onwards.

Straight flush - In poker, all the cards of one suit.

Stra.s.sen,(Ger.) - Streets.

Strauss - Name of the celebrated Viennese valse player and composer.

Strumpf,(Ger.) - Stocking.

Stunden,(Ger.) - Leagues. About four and a half English miles.

Sturm und Drang,(Ger.) - Literally Storm and Violence. Sturm und Drang periode, signifying a particular period of German literature.

Sweynheim and Pannartz - The first printers at Rome.

Takes - Allotments of copy to each printer.

Tantz,(Ger.) - Dance.

Tantzen,(Ger.) - To dance.

Tarnal - Eternal.

Taub, Taube,(Ger.) - Dove.

Taugenix, Taugenichts - Good-for-nothing fellow.

Teufelsjagersmann - Devil's huntsman.

Theil,(Ger.) - Part.

Thoom - Thumb.

Thrip,(Southern Amer.) - Threepence.

Thusnelda - The wife of Arminius,(Hermann,) the Duke of the Cheruskans and conqueror of Varus.

Tie a dog loose. Losbinden Tiger - An American term for a gambling table.

Tixey - "I wish I was in Dixie." The origin of this song is rather curious. Although now thoroughly adopted as a Southern song, and "Dixie's Land" understood to mean the Southern States of America, it was, about a century ago, the estate of one Dixie, on Manhattan Island, who treated his slaves well; and it was their lament, on being deported south, that is now known as "I wish I was in Dixie."

Todt,(Ger.) - Dead.

Todtengrips, Todtengerippe - Skeleton.

Tofe - Dove.

To House,(Ger. zu Hause) - At home.

Tortled - To tortle, to move off. From turtle.

Touch the dirt - Touch the road.

Treppe - Stairs.

Treu,(Ger.) - Faithful, true.

Throw him with ecks - Pelt him with eggs.

Turchin - Colonel Turchin's men ravaged the town of Huntsville (Ala.) during the civil war.

Turkas - Turquoise.

Turner,(Ger.) - Gymnast.

Turner Verein,(Ger. Turnverein) - Gymnastic Society.

Tyfel, Teufel - Devil.

Tyfeled, Verteufelt - Devilish.

Tyfelfest - From Teufel, here in the sense of "best" or "worst."

Tyfel-shnake, Teufelsschnaken - Devilries.

Tyfel-strikes, Teufels-streiche - Devil-strokes.

Tyfelwards - Devilwards.

Uber Stein and Schwein,(Ger.) - Over stone and swine.

Ueberschwengliche,(Ger.) - Transcendental, elevated.