SEMINAR 4

STYLISTIC LEXICOLOGY

EXERCISE. Define which layer of the English vocabulary the underlined words
belong to and discuss their stylistic value:
1. “R-right, bien‟. (Borrowings). He was beside her. “Alloy” (Colloquial layer), he cried
gaily, and off they went (K. Mansfield).
2. Like most large firms, it made so much money it felt obligated to establish a small pro
bono (Literary layer/High-flown) section to fulfil its moral responsibility to society (J.
Grisham).
3. I tried rather desperately a street that seemed a cul-desac (Borrowings), and found a
passage at the end (H.G. Wells).
4. She hummed a tune to herself, rattling pair of castanets (Borrowings)slightly now and
then (J. Conrad).
5. ―You sleep here, seсor,( Neutral layer) she murmured in a voice light like a child‘s
breath, offering him a lamp. ―Buenos noches, senorita,(High-flown) he said politely,
taking it from her (J. Conrad).
6. We had two courses, of three dishes each. In the first course, there was a shoulder of
mutton, cut into an equilateral triangle(term); a piece of beef into a rhomboids (term);
and a pudding into a cycloid(term). The second course was two ducks, trussed up into the
form of fiddles(term); sausages, and puddings, resembling flutes(professionalism) and
hautboys(professionalism), and a breast of veal in the shape of a harp(professionalism.
The servants cut our bread into cones, cylinders, parallelograms, (term)and several other
mathematical figures (term)(J. Swift).
7. “Damn, damn, damn,( Colloquial layer vulgarisms)‘ Goodman mumbled to himself (J.
Grisham).
8. Serious now, Mac said, “Eddie, the note‘s sub judice (Professionalisms). If you discuss
it or comment on it any way you‘re breaking the law …‘. “They found him dead last night.
Same gun that killed Gilmour, same modus operanti (High-flown)(R. Pitman, J.
McNally).
9. ―Come on, Eddie, stop messing about, it‘s bloody (slang)freezing out here. Let me in.‘
(R. Pitman, J. McNally).
10. ―You sho is one aggravatin‘ nigger woman!” (Colloquial layer) he declared and
stepped into the room. She resumed her work and did not answer at once. “Ah done tole
you time and again to keep them white folk‘s clothes outa dis house.”… (Colloquial
layer )“Next time, Ah`m gointer kick ` em outdoors, (Colloquial layer/ vulgarism)” he
threatened as he struck a match along the leg of his corduroy breeches (Z. N. Hurston).
11. A ref (slang)blew his whistle. “You – two minutes in the box!” (E. Segal).
12. Then she plays a ragtime tune, with horns and banjo, as Leroy lights up a joint
(Colloquial layer )and lies on the couch, laughing to himself about Mabel‘s catching him
at it (B.A. Mason).
13. If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you‘ll probably want to know is
where I was born, and what my lousy (Colloquial /vulgarisms )childhood was like, and
how my parents were occupied all before they had‘ (Y.D. Salinger).
14. Virgil recently led a drug bust in a back room at a bowling alley, where he seized ten
thousand dollars‘ worth of marijuana. (Nomenclature words) The newspaper had a picture
of him holding up the bags of grass and grinning widely (B.A. Mason).
15. “A mean man sets right plumb in the middle o‘ the seat, as much as to say, ‗Walr,
gol darn yeh, who cares!‘ But a man that sets in the corner o‘ the seat, much as to say,
‗Jump in cheaper t‘ ride ‗n to walk,‘ you can jest tie to” (H. Garland). (Colloquial layer)
16. ―I‘ll drive them to the d– – –l (slang), cried Tom Walker (W. Irving).
17. ‗Yes‘, returned Mr. Hyde, ‘it is as well we have met; and б propos (Borrowings , you
should have my address. And he gave a number of a street in Soho (R.L. Stevenson).
18. “That, said Quinbus Flestrin, contrary to the duty of a faithful subject, (Literary
layer/High-flown) is now preparing to make a voyage to the court and empire of Blefuscu,
for which he hath received only verbal licence (Literary layer/High-flown) from his
Imperial Majesty; and under colour of the said licence, doth (Literary layer/High-flown )
falsely and traitorously intend to take the said voyage, (Neutral layer) and thereby to aid,
comfort, and abet the Emperor of Blefuscu, so late an enemy, and in open war with his
Imperial Majesty aforesaid (Literary layer/High-flown) (J. Swift).
19. He thinks of Steve Hamilton – a doctor‘s son pushing grass (jargon,Colloquial layer)
(B. A. Mason).
20. It cost him damn near four thousand bucks. She probably knew what a phony slob he
was (Y. D. Salinger). (jargonisms, slang, Colloquial layer)
21. The will was holograph; for Mr. Utterson, though he took charge of it now that it was
made, had refused to lend the least assistance in the making of it; it provided not only that,
it case of the decease (Neutral layer )of Henry Jekyll, M.D., D.C.L., LL.D., F.R.S., L.C.,(
initials )all his possessions (Neutral layer )were to pass into the hands of his‘ friend and
benefactor Edward Hyde; but that in case of Dr. Jekyll‘s disappearance or unexplained
absence for any period exceeding three calendar months; the said Edward Hyde should
step into the said Henry Jekyll‘s shoes without further delay, and free from any burden
or obligation, beyond the payment of a few small sums to the members of the doctor‘s
household(High-flown) (R. L. Stevenson).
22. “I dont believe (Neutral layer )Will Mayes did it‖, the barber said. ―I know Will
Mayes.” “Maybe you know who did it, then. Maybe you already got him out of town, you
damn niggerlover”.(vulgarism) “I dont believe anybody did anything. I dont believe
(Neutral layer )anything happened. I leave it to you fellows if the ladies that get old
without getting married dont have notions that a man cant “Then you are a hell of a white
man,” (Colloquial layer )the client said (W. Faulkner).
23. “Girl number twenty unable to define a horse!” said Mr. Gradgrind, for the general
behoof of all the little pitchers. “Girl number twenty possessed of no facts in reference to
one of the commonest animals! Some boy‘s definition of a horse. Bitzer, yours.” …
“Blitzer”, said Thomas Gradgrind “Your definition of a horse.” “Quadruped.
Graminivorous. Forty teeth, namely twentyfour grinders, four eye-teeth and twelve
incisive. Sheds coat in the spring; in marshy countries, sheds hoofs too. Hoofs hard, but
requiring to be shod with iron. Age known by marks in mouth.” (professionalism)…
“Now, girl number twenty,” said Mr. Gradgrind. “You know what a horse is” (Ch.
Dickens).

EXERCISE. Read the following conversations and analyse how the peculiarities of
the characters’ speech reflect their social status, educational and cultural
background. Dwell upon the effect achieved in each of the given conversations.

1. “Well, Sam,” said Mr. Pickwick, as his valet appeared at his bed-room door, just as
he was concluding his toilet: “all alive to-day, I suppose?”
“Reg‘lar game, Sir,” replied Mr. Weller, “our people‘s a collecting down at the
Town Arms, and they‘re a hollering themselves hoarse already.”
“Ah,” said Mr. Pickwick, “do they seem devoted to their party, Sam?”
“Never saw such dewotion, Sir.”
“Energetic, eh?” said Mr.Pickwick.
“Uncommon,” replied Sam; “I never see men eat and drink so much afore. I wonder
they aren‘t afeer‘d o‘ bustin.”
“That‘s the mistaken kindness of the gentry here,” said Mr. Pickwick.
“Wery likely,” replied Sam, briefly.
“Fine, fresh, hearty fellows they seem,” said Mr. Pickwick, glancing from the
window.
“Wery fresh,” replied Sam; “me and the two waters at the Peacock, has been a
pumpin‘ over the independent voters as supped there last night.”
“Pumping over independent voters!” exclaimed Mr.Pickwick.
“Yes”, said his attendant, “every man slept vere he fell down; we dragged ‘em out,
one by one, this mornin‘ and put ‘em under the pump, and they‘re in reg‘lar fine
order, now. Shillin‘ a head the committee paid for that ‘ehe job”
“Can such things be!” exclaimed the astonished Mr.Pickwick.
“Lord bless your heart, Sir,” said Sam, “why where was you half baptized? – that‘s
nothin‘, that ain‘t.”
“Nothing?” said Mr. Pickwick.
“Nothin‘ at all, Sir,” replied his attendant. “The night afore the last day o‘ the last
election here, the opposite party bribed the bar-maid at the Town arms, to hocus the
brandy and water of fourteen unpolled electors, as was a stoppin‘ in the house.”
“What do you mean by ‘hocussing‘ brandy and water?” inquired Mr. Pickwick.
 “Puttin‘ laud‘num in it,” replied Sam. “Blessed if she didn‘t send ‘em all to sleep till
twelve hours arter the election was over” (Ch. Dickens).
(After analyzing the speech of the characters, you can judge that one of them is a
nobleman, and the other is a servant or personal assistant of a nobleman.
Such conclusions are made by me because the nobleman uses literary words in
speech and does not use colloquial vocabulary. And a servant's speech is not as
correct as his master's. The servant tries to use literary vocabulary, but sometimes he
also uses colloquial words.
The author used this stylistic device to show the difference between the classes, the
difference in the education of these two characters, and the difference in their
education.
Exclamation and question sentences are also used to show the emotional state of the
characters.
However, it can be said that both the nobleman and the servant do not use literary
vocabulary and high-sounding phrases. Most likely their speech is neutral.)

2. “How‘s the weather, Jeeves?‘

“Exeptionally clement, sir.‘
“Anything in the papers?‘
“Some slight friction threatening in the Balkans, sir. Otherwise, nothing.‘
“I say, Jeeves, a man I met at the club last night told me to put my shirt on Privateer
for the two o‘clock race this afternoon. How about it?‘
“I should not advocate it, sir. The stable is not sanguine.‘ ....
“Jeeves,‘ I said.
“Sir?‘ said Jeeves. He had been clearing away the breakfast things, but at the sound
of the young master‘s voice cheesed it courteously.
“You were absolutely right about the weather. It is a juicy morning.‘
“Decidedly, sir.‘
“Spring and all that.‘
“Yes, sir.‘
“In the spring, Jeeves, a livelier iris gleams upon the burnished dove.‘
“So I have been informed, sir‘ (P. G. Wodehouse).
(Unlike the first text, this one immediately shows the literary vocabulary. We can
say that the entire dialogue is built on a high style of speech and does not have a
neutral or colloquial vocabulary. Although the social status of the characters and
different, but their speech is almost the same.
Based on the high vocabulary of the characters, you can judge the level of education
of the author and you can even tell in what century and in what society he lived.)

3. “Listen I need that goddamn book”.

“Wouldja please watch your profanity, Preppie?”
“What makes you so sure I went to prep school?”
“You look stupid and rich‖, she said, removing her glasses.
“You‘re wrong,” I protested. “I‘m actually smart and poor”.
“Oh, no, Preppie. I‘m smart and poor” (E. Segal).
(This text is the simplest of the three. There is no literary vocabulary here. And only
one of the characters has a neutral vocabulary. We can say that this is a dialogue
between a man and a woman. The man in this case experiences strong emotions and
can not restrain himself from swearing, using colloquial vocabulary.)