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THE LEXICOGRAPHER'S

EASY CHAIR

In this column, to decide questions concerning the current use of words, the Funk & Wagnalls New Standard Dictionary is consulted as arbiter.

Readers will please bear in mind that no notice will be taken of anonymous communications.

TO SEVERAL CORRESPONDENTS:-The pronunciation of the word armistice is ar'mi-stis (a as in art, i as in habit, i as in hit), the stress being placed upon the first syllable. It is never correctly pronounced ar"mi-stis' (a as in artistic, i as in hit, i as in police), nor ar-mis'tis (a as in artistic, i's as in hit) by persons of refined diction to-day.

"S. F. A.," Cameron, Tex.-" (1) Please tell me the meaning of the expression, 'Between the walnuts and the wine.' (2) Can you tell me anything about the English ballad 'Greensleeves'?"

(1) The expression to which you refer is "Across the walnuts and the wine," and refers to postprandial remarks or discussions, and to stories told while the nuts and wine are being passed toward the close of a dinner. You will find it used by Tennyson in "The Miller's Daughter," 4th stanza. (2) "The New International Encyclopedia" (Volume 10) gives the following: "Greensleeves. An old English ballad, first printed in 1580 as 'A New Northern Dittye of the Lady Greene Sleeves,' tho the ballad was popular before that time. It appeared in 'A Handful of Pleasant Delites,' 1584, as A New Courtly Sonet of the Lady Greensleeves, to the new tune of Greensleeves.' The lively tune, the air of 'Christmas comes but once a year,' has been popular since the time of Elizabeth. Shakespeare mentions it twice in The Merry Wives of Windsor.' The words are found in Child's 'English and Scottish Ballads,' and the tune in Chappel's 'Old English Popular Music' (1893)."

TO SEVERAL CORRESPONDENTS.-"Spanish influenza" is a very old complaint. It is "epidemic catarrh characterized by acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the air-passages, attended by severe constitutional disturbances, followed by great debility, sometimes continuing for several months." It is moderately infectious and is caused by the Bacillus influenza, and has been known as a catarrhal disease since 1323.

In Andrew Jackson's time (1829) it was known as "Jackson's itch." When Tyler was in the political arena his opponents called it "Tyler's grippe"-a name of which the latter word has survived for years and is still in use in our own time. This word "grippe" is one of the French names for influenza. To the Russians it is known as the "Chinese catarrh." The Germans were wont to call it the Russian pest. The Italians appropriately call it the German disease, for it reached them through Teutonic sources; and the French called it also the Italian fever, no doubt associating it with the Roman fever and Spanish catarrh, but to them belongs the credit of introducing the term "influenza' as a generic name. This they are said to have done in the seventeenth century, when they attributed the disease to certain astronomical influences.

"H. C. F.," Altoona, Pa.-The plural of souvenir is formed by adding s to the singular.

"W. N. G.," St. Marys, Pa.-"Please distinguish between the words invoice, bill, and statement,, as used in the ordinary course of business."

An invoice is "a list sent to a purchaser, factor, consignee, etc., containing the items, together with the prices and charges, of merchandise sent or to be sent to him." A bill is "a statement of an account or of money due; a paper setting forth the amount of a debt, as for goods delivered or services rendered." A statement is "a copy or summary of an account covering a stated period," or "a summary of assets and liabilities, as of a bank or firm."

"S. C.," Fort Deposit, Ala.-"Is the following sentence correct, Why do the United States think it best to purchase a canal route?'"'

The usage as indicated by the official documents promulgated is our guide for referring to "The United States" in the plural. If you will read the Declaration of Independence and examine the Constitution of the United States, you will find therein ample justification for this, which is certainly preferable to the anomalous use of the singular affected by persons who have not investigated the subject.

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YOU can easily understand why good alarm clocks are harder to get than they used to be. The war has made them scarce.

Uncle Sam had to draw heavily upon his metal-power just as upon his man-power. Less steel and brass were available for clock-making.

At the same time, the war has taught folks the value of punctuality. Good alarm clocks are

more in demand than ever before.

Westclox alarms are

particularly popular. Their good timekeeping makes people want them. The same Westclox construction that made Big Ben such a favorite is back of that faithful service.

While this shortage exists, it will pay you to take good care of your Westclox alarm. Careful treatment will make it last longer.