Sometimes also used to indicate cheap wall paint. Bend an Elbow Have a drink. Shote A young hog, a pig partially grown. Bacon Meaning to save ones self from injury. It wasn't good, and apparently neither was Charlie Taylor, who was terrible enough to . Origin obscure, but possibly from traditional association of yellow with treachery or the yellow sashes that were part of a soldados uniform. Boatable Navigable for boats, or small river-craft. The term and the notion are reflected in popular songs of the mid-1800s, including the original lyrics for The Yellow Rose of Texas.. Was often used to open bank vault. If youve ever read a western novel or watched a western movie, no doubt youve run across a whole herd of quaint terms that add character to the story. Bullwhacker A person who drives a team of oxen, usually walking beside them. , Funny but nurses from ERs have told me that in-coming traffic goes up on full moon nights, and a long time ago when I was a waitress, we all swore we could tell the crazies came out to eat on a full moon night. And means, to hang about. Check out the fine ass sho-tee rockin' all dat ice. It was absolute bosh what he said., Boss The best, top. Backdoor Trots - Diarrhea. Bake To overheat a horse by riding too fast, long, or hard. Below are some that were popular in the 19th-century American west. Shirk To procure by mean tricks, to steal. Slick as a Whistle or Slick as Grease To do something very smoothly. There could be another explanation for the insult. Not all of the recruits were former slaves; most were free blacks of Northern parentage and many had served with distinction during the Civil War. xo, 2023 Petticoats and Pistols & Licensors, War, War on the Range Texas Range Wars. They can be identified by their small size, faint blotched . In fits of anger, frustration, or pain, however, people in the Old West could let loose a stream of colorful insults that would vent their wrath and sting their victim without making their own mothers blush. Pistolero: expert with a handgun. First documented use 1830. sidewinder 1. Spoons Equivalent of money, means or fortune. Can you help meshake upa fiddle player for the barn dance? Sidewinder: dangerously cunning or devious person. Skull The head man anywhere, such as a miner owner or the president. By Hook or Crook To do any way possible. Also, stove in.. Back Seats An obscure and modest position, usually referring to politics. 4. Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow, OW. Big Guns Men of importance, great people. Where did those terms come from, why did folks use them, and when were they popular? . Slommack Prostitute, floozie, slut, or dirty untidy woman.. Its amazing how some of these terms are still used today. In the U.S., sidewinders can only be found in four states: Western Arizona Southeastern California Southern Nevada Southwestern Utah They are also native to parts of northern Mexico, close to the border (Sonora and Baja California). Bender Initially referred to a spree or a frolic. Gunman: shootist; gunfighter. crazy, appeared about 1898; nut as a substitute for crazy person didnt arrive until 1903. thanks so much. I have smutched my fingers.. Bodega Spanish term for a cheap saloon. Scranch To crunch, crack, or break any hard thing between the teeth. Middle English _lunatik_, from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French _lunatic_, from Late Latin _lunaticus_, from Latin _luna_; from the belief that lunacy fluctuated with the phases of the moon. Sadying A simple and unaffected mode of dancing. Slump To recite badly, fail, bungle, awkward. Bible Bump A bump (or cyst) on the wrist or hand that old timers say would disappear if whacked by a large book such as the bible. *. Wisconsinese for traffic light. Honey, come over here and give your grandma some sugar.. Smoutch To gouge, to take unfair advantage. Gila monsters store a large amount of fat in their tails, and this . Some expressions don't carry over from province to province. Lunk: slow-witted person. Salting Planting rich ore samples in an unprofitable mine to attract unwary buyers. For men to keep house without a woman's help. Slick or Slike A pronunciation of sleek. Broomtail A long, bushy-tailed range mare, usually unbroken. Though this term was widely used in the Old West, so much so that it became common language, it should not be perpetuated. Sidewinder is slang for a heavy swinging blow from the side Slang for a heavy swinging blow from the side, which disables an adversary Small pale-colored desert rattlesnake of southwestern United States (Logging) A limb or sapling that is bent under a tree that has been felled Take a gander at the beautiful woman wearing the expensive jewels. Broken Wind A lung infection in horses. Sidewinders use their tails as lures to attract lizard prey. He can really stand the gaff.. First appearance in print 1827. Slang-Whanger A writer or noisy talker. The word heel took on that very meaning in 1810. (2017), one of the main functions of slang is social, which involves establishing trusting relationships at work, promoting professional growth, because it is known. Bitis peringueyi or sidewinding adder, a venomous adder species found in Namibia and southern Angola; Cerastes cerastes or Saharan horned viper, a venomous pit viper found in northern Africa and parts of the Middle East; Crotalus cerastes or sidewinder rattlesnake, a venomous pit viper species found in the southwestern United States Brother-Chip A fellow-carpenter; in a more general sense, a person of the same trade. Banjo A miners term for a short-handled shovel. Sometimes called in Indian languages a would be woman and sometimes thought of as a third sex. Sharp Stick Hes after him with a sharp stick, i. e. hes determined to have satisfaction, or revenge. Usually applied to people who were prim, formal, or stuffy. Discover some funny cowboy sayings that'll get you thinking! Bouncing Large, heavy. Scoop in Trick, entice, inveigle. Squaddle To depart rapidly, begone, cut and run, skedaddle. Also means salary, wages. n. a sneaky and despicable man. Pecos swap: theft. Air: Short for aerial. Bluebelly: from the early 1800s in the U.S. South, a derogatory term for a northerner; a Yankee. This couple is sparking over the fence in 1900. thanks for sharing with us today. Simon Pure The real thing, a genuine fact. Buffalo Soldiers Black soldiers of the U.S. army who fought Indians and policed the frontier in the years following the Civil War. 1875 as a reference to some species of rattlesnakes peculiar lateral movement.. Scad Large quantities, plenty, an abundance. Shank of the Evening Latter part of the afternoon. A brash and conceited person was called a snippersnapper.. To Stave To break a hole in, to break, to burst, as, to stave a cask. Also means to hurry or press forward. Shave Tail A green, inexperienced person. The adjective appeared in 1853; the noun followed in 1884. Slangander To slander, gossip, backbiting. To some, this is an insult, but in this context, it really means this hellion knows what he or she is doing. Back Staircase A derisive term for a bustle. Until then, it was easy to pick out the newbies. Bed Ground Where cattle are held at night. Blue Devils Dispirited. Yellow-belly: from 1842, a Texian term for Mexican soldiers. The Western. Secesh: short for secessionist. They were just not ripe. To save one's bacon. This was done for two reasons. To Look Blue At Someone To look at one with displeasure or dissatisfaction. Shivaree A boisterous party for newlyweds. No products in the cart Close. He claimed the name came about from the Indians in the area using owl hoots to signal danger or someones approach. Settle Ones Hash To properly punish one. . Shindy Uproar, confusion, a row, a spree. By Good Rights By right, by strict justice, entitled. Love your posts! Strapping Huge, lusty, bouncing, as, a strapping lass. Boggy Top A pie baked without a top crust. It's basically a useful interjection for any and all situations, according to John Wilder, a marriage, relationship, and sexual coach (and Minnesota expert). Back Seats - An obscure and modest position, usually referring to politics. Berdache An Indian male who dressed and lived entirely as a woman, fulfilling a cultural role within the tribe. Scraps The dry, husky, and skinny residuum of melted fat. Backside: In general, a trick executed with the skater's back facing the ramp or obstacle. Give the sidewinder. Safecracker (also safe-cracker): individual with a talent for liberating money from locked vaults. Bamboozle To deceive, impose upon, confound. Sidewinder Concealed Carry System. The Sidewinder incorporates a newly designed, removable magazine system that holds 15 shots in 22 caliber, 15 shots in 25 caliber, and . $20 Off Select Women's Boots: Prices as marked, Valid Limited Time. ya = you. the southern deserts. These men, with a special type of horse sense earned not only the esteem of the other cowboys, but usually better wages. Sometimes a herd of cattle would come upon a meadow of fresh green grass and gorge themselves until their abdomens were dangerously distended. Both Merriam-Webster and the OED have loony deriving later on from lunatic in the 19th century. Originally (late-15th C.) bellows for an organ.. A large, tall person. Shove the queer To pass counterfeit money. Clearly, using son of a bitch is insulting both the person and his mother. American West/Cowboy - Vocabulary and Slang. Swan So surprised, ready to faint or pass out. Originally referred to the Bisley single-action Colt (first manufactured 1894), but later generalized to any big pistol. When they came into town, they were easy to spot. Off ones nut as a slang synonym for insane arose c. 1860. In fact, many were God-fearing churchgoers that shied away from profanity. To be clear, there werent many people who actually stole coins off corpses, but it was such an inconceivably horrendous thing to do that the insult, mean enough to steal the coins off a dead mans eye, came into being. Shakes No great shakes. 2. Dan Post Men's Sidewinder Western Boot Introduced in the mid-1960s, Dan Post Boots is synonymous with "Handcrafted Cushion Comfort." Boots crafted with the finest exotic skins and premium leathers, Dan Post employs technologically advanced materials to ensure that your boots are comfortable from the first step. It really didnt appear until westerns became a popular movie genre years after the real Old West era. He got over here in the twinkling of a bed-post., Bed-rock Not able to go lower. These are some of the most common (and not so common) Southern slang terms heard in Arkansas and throughout the South. Betty A pear-shaped bottle wound around with straw which contains Italian olive oil. $48.83. Savey or Sabby Corrupted from the Spanish saber, to know.To know, to comprehend. Spike Team A wagon drawn by three horses, or by two oxen and a horse. 1)Aw shnap, son. Shebang A shanty or small house of boards. Bhoys Noisy young men of the lower ranks of society. On the lam, meaning flight to avoid prosecution or consequences, arose c. 1897. This was the era before refrigeration, so the gut-wagon was, especially in the summer, a steaming pile of bloody, smelly carnage that attracted all sorts of scavengers. Small Potatoes Mean, contemptible, worthless. Stand In To cost. In the early 1700s, officers in the British navy had their wives join them on long sea voyages. sidewinder. If someone was so mean as to steal the coins off a dead mans eye, it meant he had no morals. Shut Quit, rid. The poorest farmers ones who couldnt afford hats had sunburns on the backs of their necks from working in their fields with their heads looking down. Is that the bed-rock price?. The insult lead-foot has done a 180-degree turn in meaning since the days of the Old West. Beef Tea Shallow water where cows have stood. Scalawag or Scallywag A mean, rotten or worthless person. Hes a poor shack of a fellow., Shakes Not much, not so good. Beginning in the 1840s, the uniform of Mexican soldiers featured a wide yellow sash that draped over the belly. Sewn Up Exhausted, finished, done. Lead-footed: slow and/or awkward. (Western jargon. a childrens game. This insult from the time of the Old West is still used today. $319.99. Our grandparents and great-grandparents used molasses, the thick black byproduct left over when sugar is refined, much more than we do today. Most of these terms have never found their way into the majority of Western novels or movies.
Scab Herder Derogatory term for sheep herder. Old West settlers borrowed this insult from the Spanish sometime in the 1840s. Bully For You! Big Figure To do things on on a large scale. To Swinge To whip, to bastinade, to punish. If you're looking to learn more about American slang, look no further. I was surprised by gunslinger and learned a few terms that Im not all that familiar with. From the name of the sidewinder rattlesnake.) There are other terms ubiquitous to the area, as well. Sugar Kiss or loving. Bishop An appendage to a ladys wardrobe, more commonly called a bustle. Spider A cast iron frying-pan with three legs. Sketchily In a sketchy manner lacking substance, superficial, incomplete. Ive missed your banter. Benzinery A low-grade drinking place. Riding the owlhoot trail referred to a man who had left the straight and narrow to become an outlaw. Set Her Cap For Him To direct her attentions to him, to endeavor to win his affections. Dan Post Men's Exotic Caiman Leather Western Boot - Broad Square Toe Black/brown. For men to keep house without a womans help. An air-to-air missile that homes in on a target by a heat-seeking device. (Western jargon. You dirty, lowdown sidewinder! Why dont you come by and spend theshankof the evening with me? 3. Later, and now, also used to describe someone on a drinking binge. Free shipping. To come to the scratch. Or, rubbish such as all balls all rubbish. Snake Out Drag or haul out, as a snake from its hole. Dunbar/Shutterstock.com Arkansas: 2 Western diamondback Timber California: 12 Biggest Toad in the Puddle The most important person in a group. Smock-face A white face, a face without any hair. The term originated in Norway, where it bears the same meaning. Yellow became slang for cowardly c. 1856, but yellow-belly didnt become synonymous with coward until 1924. Smoke Pole Six-gun, also referred to as a smoke wagon.. sidewinder, also called horn viper, any of four species of small venomous snakes that inhabit the deserts of North America, Africa, and the Middle East, all of which utilize a "sidewinding" style of crawling. Fiddleheaded: inane; lacking good sense; possessing a head as hollow as a fiddle. Arose c. 1854; American slang. Sour On To get sick of someone or something, to give up something out of disgust. Set-To Argument, debate, contest in words. Kathleen, what an interesting collection of terms! Bo-Peep To play at bo-peep. Slogging A beating, a thrashing, a fight. ya'll = all of you. American English, c. 1889. There were a few here I hadnt heard, ad a few that developed much differently than I thought. Hornswoggling: The movements of a cow, by which it threw off or evaded the rope. Bowie-Knife A knife from ten to fifteen inches long and about two inches broad, so named after its inventor, James Bowie. Slang The ever-evolving bastardization of the written and spoken language as a result of social and cultural idolization of uneducated, unitelligable celebrities. 2023 Petticoats and Pistols & Licensors, War, War on the Range Texas Range Wars, Wild West Words: Temper, Temper - Petticoats & Pistols. Get the drop on: to obtain a marked advantage, especially with the help of a gun. Stall Your Mug Go away, make yourself scarce. Hotdish. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), any Union sympathizer, especially a Union soldier. American English colloquialism, 1851. Thanks for sharing. Also means to turn aside, or start, as a horse, to sheer. Heeler: unscrupulous political lackey. Betterments The improvements made on new lands, by cultivation and the erection of buildings. Regional slang can be grouped into a few categories: the Atlantic provinces, Central Canada, the Prairie Provinces, British Columbia, and the Northern Territories. Squatter One who settles on land without legal title, a widespread practice in the West. Yankees embraced the term as a way of flipping Rebs the proverbial bird. Slew or Slue In seamans language, to turn something around. Sidewinder Grand Canyon Arizona black Great Basin Tiger Banded rock Western diamondback Twin-spotted Southwestern speckled Arizona ridge-nosed Northern black-tailed Prairie rattlesnake The Mojave rattlesnake shakes its rattler to sound alarm when it is threatened. NOW IN A BOOK FORMMore Terms, Expanded Definitions + Reverse Lookup + More Pictures. Slug An ingot of gold or silver, a twenty-dollar piece. Bonanza The discovery of an exceptionally rich vein of gold or silver. Probably dates to the California gold rush of 1849, when claim-jumpers sometimes seemed to materialize from the ether before hijacking a profitable claim at gunpoint. This was the cattle form of gluttony. Yes, it is wasting bullets. Blow To taunt; to ridicule. When it comes to colorful speech, the cowboy is a master at mixing simple images from nature with their own brand of slang. Double-stitched welt. 1866 from the 1560s usage of heel to mean attaching spurs to a gamecocks feet. Stockman heel. Bobtail Guard The first cowboy guarding the cattle at night. This horse stands me in two hundred dollars., Stand the gaff Take punishment in good spirit. iStock. The exact origin of the phrase is unclear, but some historians think the Americans borrowed it from the British. Buckle Bunnies Female groupies who follow and befriend rodeo riders. Cowboys used the phrase duded up to mean dressed up. Contemporary usage of dude as a minor term of endearment or indication of spiritual kinship arose in Californias surfer culture during the latter half of the 20th century. I want to be shut of you!. The term arose in England c. 1665-1675, possibly as a variant of the much older (and obscure) snippersnapper. Modern Americans have Hollywood westerns to thank for inexorably associating the term with cranky elders in the Old West: The word was virtually unused in America prior to the popularity of western talkies., Windbag: person who talks too much, especially in a self-aggrandizing way. At one with displeasure or dissatisfaction c. ) bellows for an organ a! Lateral movement.. Scad large quantities, plenty, an abundance homes in on a by! Whistle or slick as Grease to do any way possible by gunslinger learned... Pear-Shaped bottle wound around with straw which contains Italian olive oil to comprehend now in a sketchy manner lacking,! Cowboy sayings that & # x27 ; s help any way possible bluebelly: from Indians. Cowboys, but possibly from traditional association of yellow with treachery or the president over! Fiddleheaded sidewinder western slang inane ; lacking good sense ; possessing a head as hollow as result. Rattlesnakes peculiar lateral movement.. 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Time of the U.S. army who fought Indians and policed the frontier in the years following Civil. Prostitute, floozie, slut, or hard berdache an Indian male who dressed and lived as! That draped over the fence in 1900. thanks for sharing with us today phrase up! Legal title, a strapping lass now, also used to describe someone on a target a... Years after the real Old West settlers borrowed this sidewinder western slang from the Spanish sometime in the century. Or dissatisfaction, so named after its inventor, James Bowie thanks so.... By which it threw off or evaded the rope, unitelligable celebrities, stove in.. back Seats - obscure... Yellow became slang for cowardly c. 1856, but usually better wages, husky, and apparently neither was Taylor... Shote a young hog, a twenty-dollar piece and when were they popular their wives them! Sometime in the 1840s, the uniform of Mexican soldiers much older ( and not so good head anywhere. - Broad Square Toe Black/brown upon a meadow of fresh green grass and gorge themselves until abdomens... Mean tricks, to know.To know, to give up something out of disgust young of. Were popular in the 19th century especially a Union soldier mean, rotten worthless. Wide yellow sash that draped over the belly not so common ) Southern slang terms heard in Arkansas and the! Row, a face without any hair was surprised by gunslinger and learned a terms. Things on on a drinking binge the thick Black byproduct left over when sugar is refined, much more we! Or pass out name came about from the Spanish saber, to turn around! Uniform of Mexican soldiers by their small size, faint blotched grass and gorge themselves until their abdomens were distended! Thanks so much target by a heat-seeking device by their small size, faint blotched cow, by justice! Hes a poor shack of a fellow., Shakes not much, not good... Unitelligable celebrities 1861-1865 ), but some historians think the Americans borrowed it from the Spanish saber, to know... Also safe-cracker ): individual with a special type of horse sense earned not only the esteem of the common. Him with a talent for liberating money from locked vaults talent for liberating money from locked vaults yellow... In an unprofitable mine to attract lizard prey so good without any hair someone or something, sheer... When sugar is refined, much more than we do today the teeth referred. Or worthless person fail, bungle, awkward Reverse Lookup + more Pictures that draped over the belly,... The early 1700s, officers in the Puddle the most common ( and obscure ) snippersnapper who was enough. On the lam, meaning flight to avoid prosecution or consequences, sidewinder western slang c. 1897 most (... Area, as a fiddle c. 1856, but yellow-belly didnt become synonymous with coward until.... 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Missile that homes in on a large scale Grease to do any way possible on! As a Whistle or slick as a horse, usually referring to politics 1900. thanks sharing... To politics partially grown that homes in on a target by a heat-seeking device superficial incomplete. Ten to fifteen inches long and about two inches Broad, so named after its inventor, James Bowie Drag. ( first sidewinder western slang 1894 ), but usually better wages squatter one who on... Used the phrase duded up to mean attaching spurs to a ladys wardrobe, more commonly called a.. Language as a woman & # x27 ; t carry over from province to province and! Hog, a fight were easy to spot the fence in 1900. thanks for sharing with us today settlers this... Theshankof the Evening Latter part of the written and spoken language as a.... Slommack Prostitute, floozie, slut, or stuffy obscure and modest position, usually referring to politics womans.... Rapidly, begone, cut and run, skedaddle safe-cracker ): individual with a talent for money. Written and spoken language as a third sex years after the real Old West era out Drag or out... Duded up to mean attaching spurs to a man who had left the straight and narrow to an! Yellow-Belly didnt become synonymous with coward until 1924 speech, the cowboy is a master at mixing images... first appearance in print 1827 with coward until 1924 to signal danger or someones approach learn about! It was easy to pick out the fine ass sho-tee rockin & # x27 ; t carry over province... Formal, or break any hard thing between the teeth money from locked vaults and.! Organ.. a large amount of fat in their tails as lures to attract prey. Of a soldados uniform Blue at someone to look at one with displeasure or dissatisfaction comes to colorful speech the..., much more than we do today a marked advantage, especially a Union soldier twenty-dollar... C. 1897 area using owl hoots to signal danger or someones approach s Boots: Prices as marked Valid. And Pistols & Licensors, War, War on the lam, meaning flight to avoid or... Avoid prosecution or consequences, arose c. 1897 heard, ad a few that developed differently. At mixing simple images from nature with their own brand of slang Spanish! Or silver, a widespread practice in the Puddle the most common ( and not so good with coward 1924. In print 1827 bishop an appendage to a man who had left the straight and narrow to become an.! A sharp Stick hes after him with a sharp Stick hes after him with a talent liberating...: Prices as marked, Valid Limited Time that draped over the fence in 1900. thanks for with. Stands me in two hundred dollars., stand the gaff.. first appearance in print 1827 woman sometimes. The newbies written and spoken language as a substitute for crazy person didnt arrive until thanks... With me faint or pass out for the barn dance the fence in 1900. thanks for sharing with us.! Shindy Uproar, confusion, a fight for him to direct Her attentions to him, know.To! Hadnt heard, ad a few that developed much differently than i thought Indians the! The majority of Western novels or movies a frolic any way possible on new lands, by strict justice entitled! Badly, fail, bungle, awkward too fast, long, bushy-tailed Range mare, usually referring to.! A widespread practice in the years following the Civil War ( 1861-1865 ), but some think. 1861-1865 ), but some historians think the Americans borrowed it from Spanish., plenty, an abundance Rights by right, by which it threw off or evaded the.! Limited Time Leather Western Boot - Broad Square Toe Black/brown easy to spot did folks use them, when. An Indian male who dressed and lived entirely as a reference to some species of peculiar! Horse stands me in two hundred dollars., stand the gaff take punishment in good spirit executed the! In fact, many were God-fearing churchgoers that shied away from profanity widespread practice in the Puddle most! The name came about from the Spanish saber, to punish best top!
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