Slump To recite badly, fail, bungle, awkward. Where did those terms come from, why did folks use them, and when were they popular? 14. Just like the snakes they were named after, sidewinders were dangerous, slick, and evil. Bigmouth: a person who talks too much, usually about something another doesnt want discussed. Wouldnt it be great to get your hands on some of those books now. Shack A vagabond, a low fellow. Originally referred to the Bisley single-action Colt (first manufactured 1894), but later generalized to any big pistol. Bill Show A Wild West show. The . If a man or woman was particularly ugly, someone might insult them by saying they were so ugly that they scared the vultures away from the gut-wagon. It was the 80's, however, that along with Madonna, aerobics, tie-dye and yuppies brought us many of the slang words that we still know, love and use today! Burg A town, rather than the common camps and small settlements. Jump To: A BCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ. Bach To bachelor it. (Western jargon. Near cattle ranchers and slaughterhouses, there was often a man whose job it was to drive a gut-wagon. American West/Cowboy - Vocabulary and Slang. 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. SlickingWhipping with hickory switches. Boom Along A seamans term meaning to move rapidly. From the name of the sidewinder rattlesnake.) And: You have a great day. Grab the underwear from the side or from both sides and pull it up to the victim's armpits. Synonyms for SLANG: terminology, dialect, vocabulary, language, idiom, jargon, argot, patois; Antonyms of SLANG: literary, formal, learned, standard, grammatical . Strapper A woman of a bulky form. Arch Stanton, Amazon review. Salting Planting rich ore samples in an unprofitable mine to attract unwary buyers. The adjective nutty, i.e. Big Fifty A .50 caliber Sharps rifle used by professionals for buffalo hunting. Cyrus Noble Whiskey Ad showing Faro Players, Bucking the Tiger Playing Faro or poker. A redneck is a classless, backwoods hick, an uneducated dummy with a narrow view of the world. Pronounced, and sometimes spelled, batch. 20% OFF. Blue-Skins A nickname applied to the Presbyterians, from their alleged grave deportment. Shaky A term applied by lumbermen, dealers in timber, and carpenters, to boards which are inclined to split from defects in the log from which they have been sawed. Webster's New World (slang) A person who is untrustworthy and dangerous. He got scooped into a poker game and lost his shirt.. So down with the lager and up with your hat First recorded use 1903 in a New York newspaper. A vulgar Western term. Arose ca. Cold lead: from the mid-1800s until the 1920s, a bullet. Greenhorn: novice, neophyte, or newcomer; pejorative in the American west from at least 1885. Arose 1887 from the earlier (1846) verb stick up, meaning to rob someone at gunpoint. Off ones nut as a slang synonym for insane arose c. 1860. This horse stands me in two hundred dollars., Stand the gaff Take punishment in good spirit. Loony: short for lunatic; possibly also influenced by the loon bird, known for its wild cry. Nows your time, boys; switch in and let them have it., Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas Declaring Independence, Stanley, Ks Extinct but Still Here (LOK), Black Bob Reservation in Johnson County (LOK), Make History Come Alive With These Online Tools and Resources. They seek to profit from the misfortunes of others and are quick to swoop in to take advantage of a tragic situation for their own personal gain. Shoot the Crow Obtain a drink in a saloon and leave without paying. Scoop in Trick, entice, inveigle. First appearance in print 1827. This hybrid language is an American classic and probably one of the reasons the cowboy is so warmly regarded as a true western original. Stumpage The sum paid to owners of land for the privilege of cutting the timber growing thereon. A favorite Old West insult that is still in use today, the first time we have documented proof of the use of redneck was in 1830. Buster Anything large in size or a man of great strength. Sidewinding, a form of locomotion used by some snakes . Shank The balance, what remains. Had heard of some of these, but not all. The molasses would eventually drip out, but it took forever. Also called a dream book or a prayer book.. A wannabe world traveler, Karen spends her days writing and her nights researching cheap flights to far-off places. ( slang, dated) A heavy swinging blow from the side which disables an adversary. $279.95. Yellow dog: contemptible person. Again, based on the reputation of Texass Pecos River area. Slap Paint, rouge, cosmetics. Bee A gathering of friends, family and neighbors to get a specific job done Usually used with womens quilting get togethers a quilting bee. The sidewinder is also known as the ' horned rattlesnake '. Squiffed, Squiffy Slightly intoxicated. Fox is a brevity code used by NATO pilots to signal the simulated or actual release of an air-to-air munition or other combat function. Aerial: A trick where all four wheels leave the vertical or horizontal plane. And, no, their horns were not green in color. Ive got a long slipe to go.. Boggy Top A pie baked without a top crust. Thanks for sharing. Have heard or read most of these. Clearly, using son of a bitch is insulting both the person and his mother. The word first became tied to lawyers especially of the slimy variety in 1857. Dunbar/Shutterstock.com Arkansas: 2 Western diamondback Timber California: 12 See also: handy. By The Skin Of Ones Teeth When a man has made a narrow escape from any dilemma, barely. 10,846 talking about this. Shoot, Luke, or Give up the Gun Do it or quit talking about it. Also means to spur a horse. The word arose prior to 1897, when it appeared in Owen Wisters A Journey in Search of Christmas. Blue Stocking An epithet applied to literary ladies. The verb to hold up, meaning to stop by force and rob, didnt arise until 1887, apparently from the robbers command to raise hands. It really didnt appear until westerns became a popular movie genre years after the real Old West era. Bear Sign A cowboy term for donuts made while they were on the range. But don't get "bowed up" as they say in Arkansas, below are the best slang words by state in the country, collected and defined by PlayNJ. Slat Throw down with violence. YOUR20. Beginning in the 1840s, the uniform of Mexican soldiers featured a wide yellow sash that draped over the belly. Slang is the informal teenage language that is more popular in speaking than in writing. When you use the word awesome, you're expressing that you think something is wonderful or amazing. Stretchin the Blanket Telling a tall tale. It can be used in a sentence or it could be used in a one-word reply. Bed Ground Where cattle are held at night. Meet The Sidewinder: Introduction Saddle Tramp Acowboywho spends most of his time in the chuck line. Black To look black at one is to look at one with anger or deep resentment. He would be doomed. Big Figure To do things on on a large scale. Sidewinder: dangerously cunning or devious person. Slower than molasses in January Really slow. Squatter One who settles on land without legal title, a widespread practice in the West. Sidewinder Ramp Added Benefits: Quick and easy installation - simply place ramp on top of installed Ultra-Sidewinder System. Lam: to run off. For men to keep house without a womans help. 3. The term was applied in equal measure to both friend and foe. Northern soldiers wore blue uniforms even before the outbreak of the American Civil War. Im still learning something new every day. Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas Declaring Independence, Stanley, Ks Extinct but Still Here (LOK), Black Bob Reservation in Johnson County (LOK), Make History Come Alive With These Online Tools and Resources. If your aunt had "her druthers," Thanksgiving would be at her house. To Saw To hoax, to play a joke upon one. Sharp Stick Hes after him with a sharp stick, i. e. hes determined to have satisfaction, or revenge. Heres what Merriam-Webster has for its origins: Spooney A stupid or silly fellow, also a disgusting drunk. er sd-wnd-r : a small pale-colored venomous rattlesnake of the genus Crotalus (C. cerastes) of the southwestern United States that moves by thrusting its body diagonally forward in a series of S-shaped curves called also horned rattlesnake More from Merriam-Webster on sidewinder Shivaree A boisterous party for newlyweds. Skin-Flint A tight or close-fisted person with their money. That leads you to salvation in the White-chapel Road. Bully Exceptionally good, outstanding. Midwestern Slang. A saddle stiff driving the herd along the trail, 1905. The word is pure Hollywood, from the early days of western movies. Banjo A miners term for a short-handled shovel. Bushwhacker A raw countryman, a green-horn. A few of these surprised me as being used so early. Hes got ascrew loose.. At night, they roam relatively long distances, smelling the air and substrate for prey. 1897, as a reference to robbers who used dynamite to thwart security boxes. To peep out suddenly from a hiding place, and cry bo! Well, I swan.. This cute lil shaver hangs a stocking for Santa in 1901. To some, this is an insult, but in this context, it really means this hellion knows what he or she is doing. By the late 1940s, thanks to the burgeoning interstate highway system in the U.S., the term had taken on the opposite meaning fast as a reference to a heavy foot on a vehicles accelerator. This is wonderful information for all of us western historical book and movie lovers. Also a half-hitch knot used to tie a calf's legs together in calf roping. 25% Select Men's Outerwear: Prices as marked, Sale items not included, Valid thru 03/21/2023 11:59pm CT. Buy one, get one 50% off select jewelry: Discount shown at checkout. Though this term was widely used in the Old West, so much so that it became common language, it should not be perpetuated. That old mans got one hellofa brick in his hat. Slang The ever-evolving bastardization of the written and spoken language as a result of social and cultural idolization of uneducated, unitelligable celebrities. $249.00. NOW IN A BOOK FORMMore Terms, Expanded Definitions + Reverse Lookup + More Pictures. Sidewinders give birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Cackleberries: Eggs. Hellion: disorderly, troublesome, rowdy, or mischievous. That's too much! Note that this thesaurus is not in any way affiliated with Urban Dictionary. The color yellow has long symbolized cowardness. American English. Set Store By To set value upon, to appreciate. Much older ( and obscure ) snippersnapper installation - simply place Ramp top! To salvation in the 1840s, the uniform of Mexican soldiers featured wide... 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