" DAME-DIEU !"
[To THE EDITOR OF THE 'SPECTATOR."] SIR,—I have read with much interest and amusement your article on " Swearing " in the Spectator of April 26th. But you will permit me to point out what I conceive to be ad error. The common French exclamation " Dame " is not synonymous with " By'r Lady." It is simply "Lord !"—the form Dame in old French being masculine as well as feminine, as seen in the word -Vidame, Vice Dominus,—the Baron who represented the Bishop in the field. "Dame-Diets" is not "Mother of God," but " Lord God." I cite from Maxi :—" Dame s'eat dit an mascnlin pour seigneur, et Dame-Dieu, on simplement Dame, eat devenn une interjection, comme Seigneur Dien, on Seigneur ; c'est cot emploi frknent de Dame-Dieu qui fait penser que dame, inter- jection, vient de Dame masculin et non de Dame feminin."—I
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