POINTS FROM LETTERS
SOUPER AND BOYCOTT.
It would be of interest to your readers in Ireland to know if the word " souper " is in common use in Great Britain in the newspapers that circulate among the Irish emigrants to Great Britain. The word " souper - is relegated- in Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language (1911) to the lower section of the page, among the minor words- of the -English language,- where it is defined as " one who takes or distributes soup :—used of one who gives -relief as a proselytizing measure, or of one who takes such relief. Ireland." On the other hand, the word " boycott " keeps its place in the upper section of Webster's page, where its origin is given as from Captain Boycott, a land agent in Mayo, Ireland, so treated in 1880," and its meaning is defined as social and business interdiction for the purpose of coercion or punishment." In the wider sense of - holding aloof from " the word " boycott " has been introduced into foreign languages. German boykottizen, French boycottier, according to Webster. How comes it that the older term " souper " has become a minor English word, whereas the term boycott," with only half a century of -life behind- it, is, like a famous brand of whisky, still going - strong HUGH W. B. THOMPSON (Canon), St. Catherine's Rectory, Dublin.
THE IRISH MISSIONS.
I had no thought of slighting the Protestant foreign missions in my recent " Letter from Dublin." I was writing, however, of the remarkable enthusiasm of the Dublin poor. Fully 95 per cent. of these poor are Catholic and, in the nature of the case, their interest is in the Catholic foreign missions, especially the MaYnooth Mission to China.—YoLra DUBLIN CORRESPONDENT.
NEW-LAID EGGS ?
Can anyone tell me by What right a grocer labels his eggs " New-laid," no matter how old- they are, provided only they have not been put down in water-glass ? Seeing the words " New-laid " printed in large letteM over a basket of eggs, I find, on closer inspection, the' legend " South African " in much smaller type. Surely such commercial trickery debases the currency of honest English. If words are to be used in this way for trade purposes, we shall have to keep on perpetually inventing new terms to express what we really mean.. Also-, is' it fair to the English producers of real new-laid eggs ? Further, it seems to me a crying shame to try to cut out the Danes, who have led the way in clean dairy. work and co-operation: It is becoming_ increasingly difficult to get Danish butter,. once such a' stand-by.—E. M, ABEL, 85 Catton Avenue,
LORD BALFOUR.
In your otherwise excellent Note on the late Lord Balfouf (see your issue of 22nd inst.) yon refer to biro as " an English. man." I have no doubt you are perfectly well aware that he was a Scotsman. Why is it that so many-of you Englishmen persist in ignoring Scotland ?—Chas. R.. Young, Scottish
Constitutional Club, Glasgow, C.2. . — [We,. wrote that " there was never an Englishman . • , who did not feel proud that Lord Balfour was his country. man." What greater compliment could we pay to Scotland ? Spectator.]
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