Even in London
they are said to have one. They say, for example, "it a'nt" instead
of "it is not;" "I don't know," for "I do not know;" "I don't know
him," for "I do not know him;" the latter of which phrases has often
deceived me, as I mistook a negative for an affirmative.
The word "sir," in English, has a great variety of significations.
With the appellation of "sir," an Englishman addresses his king, his
friend, his foe, his servant, and his dog; he makes use of it when
asking a question politely; and a member of Parliament, merely to
fill up a vacancy, when he happens to be at a loss. "Sir?" in an
inquiring tone of voice, signifies what is your desire? "Sir!" in a
humble tone - gracious Sovereign! - "Sir!" in surly tone, a box on the
ear at your service! To a dog it means a good beating. And in a
speech in Parliament, accompanied by a pause, it signifies, I cannot
now recollect what it is I wish to say farther.
I do not recollect to have heard any expression repeated oftener
than this, "Never mind it!" A porter one day fell down, and cut his
head on the pavement: "O, never mind it!" said an Englishman who
happened to be passing by. When I had my trunk fetched from the
ship in a boat, the waterman rowed among the boats, and his boy, who
stood at the head of his boat, got a sound drubbing, because the
others would not let him pass: "O, never mind it!" said the old
one, and kept rowing on.
The Germans who have been here any time almost constantly make use
of Anglicisms, such as "es will nicht thun" (it will not do),
instead of es ist nicht hinlanglich (it is not sufficient), and many
such. Nay, some even say, "Ich habe es nicht geminded" (I did not
mind it), instead of ich habe mich nicht daran errinnert, oder daran
gedacht (I did not recollect it, or I did not think of it).
You can immediately distinguish Englishmen when they speak German,
by their pronunciation according to the English manner; instead of
Ich befinde mich wohl, they say Ich befirmich u'hol (I am very
well), the w being as little noticed as u quickly sounded.
I have often heard, when directing any one in the street, the
phrase, "Go down the street as far as ever you can go, and ask
anybody." Just as we say, "Every child can direct you."
I have already noticed in England they learn to write a much finer
hand than with us. This probably arises from their making use of
only one kind of writing, in which the letters are all so exact that
you would take it for print.
