WESTERN SLANG & PHRASES

A Writer's Guide to the Old West

1860's ~ 1880's

Being a small compilation drawn from period newspapers, book= s, and memoirs

Part of the charm and character of the Old West, as viewed through our modern eyes, has always been the colorful speech of those days. Books have borrowed it, movies have parodied it, and children gallop around on stick horses mimicking it. Yet what DID those people really have = to say? If we could listen to Great-great Grandpa, what might come out of his mouth? Of course, Grandma might have gone after him with a broom, for some = of it, but for those who write, or those who simply possess inquiring minds, it seems a gathering of a few words or phrases would not be amiss. To that end= , I offer this little collection of idioms, which I have gleaned during my read= ing travels.

Ace-high ~= first class, respected.

A hog-k= illin' time ~ a real good time. "We went to the New Year's Eve dance and had = us a hog-killin' time."

A lick and a promise<= /b> ~ to do haphazardly. "She just gave it a lick and a promise."=

Arbuckle's= ~ slang for coffee, taken from a popular brand of the time. "I need a cup of Arbuckle's."

Back down = ~ yield, retract.

Balled up ~ confused.

Bang-up ~ first rate. "They did a bang-up job."

Bazoo ~ mouth. "Shut your big = bazoo."

Beef ~ to kill. (From killing a cow to make beef to eat.) "Curly = Bill beefed two men in San Antonio."

Between hay and grass= ~ neither man nor boy, half-grown.

Best bib and tucker ~ your best clothes. "There's a dance Saturday, so put on your best bib and tucker."

Big bug ~ important person, official, boss. "He's one of the railroad big bugs."

Bilk ~ cheat.

Blowhard ~ braggart, bully.

Bone orchard ~ cemetery.

Bosh ~ Non= sense.

Bully ~ Exceptionally good, outstanding. (= Used as an exclamation.) "Bully for you!"

Bunko artist ~ con man.

By hook or crook<= span style=3D'color:#500000'> ~ to do any way possible.

Calaboose = ~ jail.

Clean his/your plow ~ to get or give a thorough whippin'.

Croaker ~ pessimist, doomsayer. "Don't be such an old croaker."

Crowbai= t ~ derogatory term for a poor-q= uality horse.

Curly wolf ~ real tough guy, dangerous man. "Ol' Bill is a re= gular curly wolf, especially when he's drinkin' whiskey."

Difficulty ~ euphamism for troubl= e, often the shootin' or otherwise violent kind.<= /span> "He had to leave Texas= on account of a difficulty with a gambler in San Antonio."

Directly ~ soon. "She'll be down, directly."

Deadbeat ~= bum, layabout, useless person.

Dinero<= /span> ~ from the Spanish, a word for= money.

Down on ~ = opposed to. "His wife is really down on drinking and cigars."<= /span>

Dragged out ~ fatigued, worn out.

Dreadful ~ very. "Oh, her dress is dreadfully pretty."

Dude ~ an Easterner, or anyone in up-scale town clothes, rather than plain range-ridi= ng or work clothes.

Fandango ~ from the Spanish, a big party with lots of danci= ng and excitement.
Fetch ~ br= ing, give. "Fetch me that hammer." / "He fetched him a punch in t= he nose."

Fine as cream gravy ~ very good, top notch.

Fish ~ a c= owboy's rain slicker, from a rain gear manufacturer whose trademark was a fish logo. "We told him it looked like rain, but left his fish in the wagon anyhow."

Flannel mouth ~ an overly smooth or fancy talker, especially politicians or salesmen. "I = swear that man is a flannel-mouthed liar."

Fork over ~ pay out.

Four-flusher ~ a cheat, swindler, liar.

Fuss ~ disturbance. "They had a little fuss at the saloon."

Game ~ to = have courage, guts, gumption. "He's game as a banty rooster." Or, "That's a hard way to g= o, but he died game."

Get a wiggle on ~ hurry.

Get it in the neck ~ get cheated, misled, bamboozled.

Give in ~ = yield.

Goner ~ lo= st, dead.

Gone up the flume ~ same as goner!

Gospel mill ~ a church.

Go through the mill ~ gain experience. (Often the hard way.)

Grand ~ excellent, beautiful. "Oh, the Christmas decorations look just grand!"

Hang around ~ loiter.

Hard case ~ worthless person, bad man.

Heap ~ a l= ot, many, a great deal. "He went through a heap of trouble to get her that piano."

Heeled ~ to be armed with a gun. "He wanted to fight me, but I told him I was = not heeled."

Hobble your lip ~ shut up.

Hold a candle to ~ measure up, compare to.

Hoosegow ~= jail.

Jig is up ~ scheme/game is over, exposed.

Kick up a row ~ create a disturbance.

Namby-pamby ~ sickly, sentimental, saccharin.

On the shoot ~ looking for trouble. "Looks like he's on the s= hoot, tonight."

Pass the buck ~ evade responsibility.

Pay through the nose ~ to over-pay, or pay consequences.

Played out ~ exhausted.

Pony up ~ = hurry up!

Powerful ~ very. "He's a powerful rich man."

Pull in your horns ~ back off, quit looking for trouble.

Put a spoke in the wheel ~ to foul up or sabotage something.

Scuttlebutt ~ rumors.

Shoddy ~ poor quality.

Skedaddle = ~ run away fast

Stumped ~ confused.

The Old States ~ back East.

The whole kit and caboodle ~ the entire thing.

Wind up ~ settle. "Let's wind up this business and go home."