The Bîreh people use _fôḳ el-fôḳ_, which means, literally, _the up of the up_, to express _first-rate_ or _excellent_, instead of the customary _‛âl_. In Palestine the word _shellaby_ is very commonly used to mean _excellent_; also to signify assent, like _all right_, instead of the still more common _ṭayyib_, literally, _good_. Syrians in America, when conversing in Arabic, sometimes use instead of either of the above words the English _all right_, which they clip into _orrite_. _Shu b‛amal fîh?_ equals “What shall I do about it?” or, literally, “What shall I do _in_ it?” _Yâ abayyeh_, literally an intensification of “O my father!” is used in the face of difficulty as a sort of expression of dismay. _Yâ ibn Âdam_, is used in expostulation, _son of Adam_, equalling _man_. Of an exclamatory nature are the following as samples of peasant usage: _Hayû_, “There you are,” as we might say in answer to a question as to the whereabouts of a tool or other article. _‛Un_ is a sort of grunt to express proof of one’s own efficiency or honesty. If you infer that a workman is not doing his work well or skilfully, he will put in stroke after stroke under your eye, each stroke accompanied by a self-approving _‛Un, ‛un_, as if to say, “See that and that. Don’t I know how?” Or if one complain to the man who is bringing a load of fire-wood that it is filled with dirt and is not well dried (it is sold by weight), he will throw out piece after piece of choicer wood with a grunt at each one, as much as to say, “Look at that, and that and that!” If you wish to convince him, you pick out piece after piece of the inferior wood and hold it up before his very eyes with a _‛Un, ‛un_ in each case. _Eḥ_ is a sort of aspirated _e_ which means, “Yes, that’s the way,” or better, “That’s it, so.” For instance, if a boy or any one else is told to do a thing and he seems to be interpreting his instructions well, the one who is directing him will say encouragingly, _Eḥ, e[h.]_, the equivalent of the colloquial Arabic _Ay na‛am_ (or _aywa_) _hayk_, “That’s it,” or “That’s right,” or “Now you’ve got it.” A long-drawn _‛Um_ is used to mean “I comprehend,” or “Is that the way of it? Yes, I see now,” after an explanation has been given. _Uff_ is sometimes expressive of astonishment, but often of contempt in the sense of “What a fibber you are!” or “I can’t express my opinion of you.” _Uḥ_ is used in some such case as this. I ask a native, “Are the apples of Zebedâny (near Damascus) good?” He, knowing that they are famous for quality, will preface his affirmative with a breathy _Uḥ_, as if to say “Nice? Well, I should say!” “Of course they are,” or, “Better than they do not exist.” Then, perhaps, he will show their size by the circumference of a circle which he makes with all the fingers of one hand held up. _Shi_ or _Hiḥ_ is expressive of a little surprise or weak objection; or it may be merely a gratuitous exclamation thrown in where we should expect no