Londonispeculiarlyfertileinthissortofphrases，whichspringupsuddenly，nooneknowsexactlyinwhatspot，andpervadethewholepopulationinafewhours，nooneknowshow。Manyyearsagothefavouritephrasefor，thoughbutamonosyllable，itwasaphraseinitselfwasQuoz。Thisoddwordtookthefancyofthemultitudeinanextraordinarydegree，andverysoonacquiredanalmostboundlessmeaning。Whenvulgarwitwishedtomarkitsincredulityandraisealaughatthesametime，therewasnoresourcesosureasthispopularpieceofslang。Whenamanwasaskedafavourwhichhedidnotchoosetogrant，hemarkedhissenseofthesuitor’sunparalleledpresumptionbyexclaimingQuoz！Whenamischievousurchinwishedtoannoyapassenger，andcreatemirthforhischums，helookedhimintheface，andcriedoutQuoz！andtheexclamationneverfailedinitsobject。
Whenadisputantwasdesirousofthrowingadoubtupontheveracityofhisopponent，andgettingsummarilyridofanargumentwhichhecouldnotoverturn，heutteredthewordQuoz，withacontemptuouscurlofhislipandanimpatientshrugofhisshoulders。Theuniversalmonosyllableconveyedallhismeaning，andnotonlytoldhisopponentthathelied，butthatheerredegregiouslyifhethoughtthatanyonewassuchanincompoopastobelievehim。EveryalehouseresoundedwithQuoz；everystreetcornerwasnoisywithit，andeverywallformilesaroundwaschalkedwithit。
But，likeallotherearthlythings，Quozhaditsseason，andpassedawayassuddenlyasitarose，neveragaintobethepetandtheidolofthepopulace。Anewclaimantdroveitfromitsplace，andheldundisputedswaytill，initsturn，itwashurledfromitspre-eminence，andasuccessorappointedinitsstead。
“Whatashockingbadhat！“wasthephrasethatwasnextinvogue。
Nosoonerhaditbecomeuniversal，thanthousandsofidlebutsharpeyeswereonthewatchforthepassengerwhosehatshowedanysigns，howeverslight，ofancientservice。Immediatelythecryarose，and，likethewhat-whoopoftheIndians，wasrepeatedbyahundreddiscordantthroats。Hewasawisemanwho，findinghimselfunderthesecircumstances“theobservedofallobservers，“borehishonoursmeekly。Hewhoshowedsymptomsofill-feelingattheimputationscastuponhishat，onlybroughtuponhimselfredoublednotice。Themobsoonperceivewhetheramanisirritable，and，ifoftheirownclass，theylovetomakesportofhim。Whensuchaman，andwithsuchahat，passedinthosedaysthroughacrowdedneighbourhood，hemightthinkhimselffortunateifhisannoyanceswereconfinedtotheshoutsandcriesofthepopulace。Theobnoxioushatwasoftensnatchedfromhishead，andthrownintothegutterbysomepracticaljoker，andthenraised，coveredwithmud，upontheendofastick，fortheadmirationofthespectators，whoheldtheirsideswithlaughter，andexclaimedinthepausesoftheirmirth，“Oh！whatashockingbadhat！……Whatashockingbadhat！“Manyanervous，poorman，whosepursecouldbutillsparetheoutlay，doubtlesspurchasedanewhatbeforethetime，inordertoavoidexposureinthismanner。