Hobson-Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases, and of Kindred Terms, Etymological, Historical, Geographical and Discursive c4.14

c4.14

A valued friend of the present writer many years ago published a book, of great acumen and considerable originality, which he called *Three Essays*, with no Author's name; and the resulting amount of circulation was such as might have been expected. It was remarked at the time by another friend that if the volume had been entitled *A Book, by a Chap*, it would have found a much larger body of readers. It seemed to me that *A Glossary* or *A Vocabulary* would be equally unattractive, and that it ought to have an alternative title at least a little more characteristic. If the reader will turn to *Hobson-Jobson* in the Glossary itself, he will find that phrase, though now rare and moribund, to be a typical and delightful example of that class of Anglo-Indian *argot* which consists of Oriental words highly assimilated, perhaps by vulgar lips, to the English vernacular; whilst it is the more fitted to our book, conveying, as it may, a veiled intimation of dual authorship. At any rate, there it is; and at this period my feeling has come to be that such is the book's name, nor could it well have been anything else.