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Did you know? The bible was cowboy slang for a book of cigarette papers to go with Bull Durham tobacco.
Takeaways"Shakin’ a hoof" means to dance.The scatter gun was another name for a shotgun.Whiskey had special slang names: tarantula juice, red-eye and anti-fogmatic.Cowboy slang words can be as difficult to understand today as it would be for a cowboy to comprehend what a group of teens are discussing. As anyone who studies a language knows, new vocabulary words are added at a fast pace particularly in the areas of slang and inventions. If you speak to a teenager today, you may walk away from the conversation feeling a bit perplexed as teens are notorious for introducing new slang expressions. Would a cowboy understand being called a nerd or a dude? And would a teen understand the cowboy slang if they were asked to “shake a hoof” or were described as “grinnin’ like a possum eatin’ a yellow jacket”?
In the Wild West period, cowboys developed their own manner of speaking: creating cowboy slang. Perhaps today we would not quite comprehend all that was spoken. Would you wear a “boiled shirt” for church? If one wanted to get drunk, would the cowboy down an "anti-fogmatic"? Would a cowboy feel “wrathy” about loosing a poker hand?
The answers to these questions are easily known if one has knowledge about the Cowboy Slang of the Wild West.
Cowboy Roy Rodgers and his sidekick, Gabby Hayes, starred in many movies and TV westerns. Gabby had a colorful way of speaking (cowboy slang) using such phrases as: “yer durn tootin, yung whipper snapper, yesiree Bob, and durn persnickety female.”
Although viewers of these programs had little trouble understanding Gabby, if we traveled back in time to the Wild West Days, we might be a bit perplexed by some of the cowboy slang phrases used. For example, referring to a “doggie” did not mean the family pet dog, but an emaciated calf that had struggled through the winter with little food or was motherless. And you definitely would not want to chow down at the “chip wagon” which hauled cattle chips that were used as fuel where wood were scarce.
Other cowboy slang phrases have been regularly used in westerns so the meaning is not too perplexing. The chuck wagon earned its name from the cowboy who referred to food as “chuck.” However, cowboy slang was a language all its own. Slang expressions generally are popular for a short period of time, and then are replaced with new words as the old die out. Let’s look at a few of the cowboy’s slang expressions and its meaning:
Wild West Words
“All horns and rattles” referred to someone who was very angry. Additional slang expressions for being angry were: “mad as a peeled rattler” or “”mad enough to swallow a horn-toad backwards.”
“Barkin’ at a knot” was to do something utterly useless or wasting time.
If one’s aim was quite poor, it might be said that he “couldn’t hit a bull’s ass with a handful of banjos.”
But if a man’s draw was quick, the cowboy said he could “draw quickern’ you could spit and holler howdy.”
If you were told “don’t go wakin’ snakes,” it would be a reminder not to make waves or cause trouble.
"Shakin’ a hoof" means to dance.
Feeling “wrathy” is being angry.
"Grinn’ like a possum eatin’ a yellow jacket" means to be happy or embarrassed.
Wild West Clothing: Descriptive phrases
Bloomers, bustles, hoop skirts, and crinolines come to mind when we think of clothing in the Wild West period. Still popular today, Levi jeans became a major fashion trend during the mid-century. Levi jeans with rivets were tremendously popular. Jeans, blue jeans and even Kentucky jeans were some common names for this denim material. Of course, today’s jeans come in a variety of styles, whereas the cowboy Levi was standard.
Generally speaking, American clothing was influenced by the designs of the Europeans. Most American clothes were “homespun” (homemade) up to about the 1840’s when store bought clothes were readily available and at an affordable price.
Women’s Clothes
Women’s clothes consisted of the bloomer which was a frilled trouser gathered about the ankles and worn under skirts. The bodice of dresses generally was fastened up the back with hooks and eyes and most women wore a bonnet.
The crinoline, a dome shaped undergarment, was used to widen skirts and was quite detested as it occupied so much space particularly in a stagecoach or even at the dinner table. It was also dangerous. Lady Dorothy Neville related a story of the time when her skirt with the crinoline caught fire because she was too close to a fireplace. She had to drop and roll because the other women who also had on crinolines were not able to render aid for fear of catching on fire themselves.
Most dresses did hang straight down at the waist and many were covered with an apron. It was much more practical especially for the pioneer woman. A popular material, calico, one with two or more colors, became a nickname for women given to them by the cowboy.
Men’s Clothes
Men wore breeches which were high waisted pants that reached to the knee or just below. However, longer pants became fashionable and of course, Levi’s were worn by those living in the frontier areas. A man would wear a ‘boiled shirt” (cowboy slang for a clean shirt) to church.
The Stetson cowboy hat was the favorite. Chaps, short for chaparejos, which were leather breeches, were important for the cowboy to wear over his jeans as more often than not he had to protect his legs as he rode through brush or maneuvered cattle.
Other Important Cowboy Items
Some significant items in cowboy slang terms were his bedroll, his peacemaker, bowie knife, a bible, and his horse.
The bedroll consisted of several blankets rolled together that one could spread out near the campfire. When on the ranch, the cowboy slept in the bunkhouse.
The bible was cowboy slang for a book of cigarette papers to go with the Bull Durham tobacco.
The peacemaker or Colt .45 was the most popular pistol which was used for killing snakes, kill sick or injured cattle, and often help to turn a stampede of cattle.
Food and drink
The cowboy meals consisted of frijoles, (dried beans), coffee(coffin varnish if it was bad coffee), jerky (dried beef) son of a bitch stew ( made from calf brains, tongue, liver, kidneys and heart mixed with vegetables which was a cowboy favorite, and sourdough bread.
Whiskey had special slang names: tarantula juice, red-eye and anti-fogmatic.
Amusements
The honky-tonk was a cheap saloon or dance hall frequented by the cowboy when in town.
Weapons
The peacemaker was the Colt .45.
The scatter gun was another name for a shotgun.
Sharp’s rifle which was a single shot rifle used to hunt big game. It was replaced by the Henry and the Winchester repeater weapons of the 1860’s.
The derringer or parlor gun was used by gamblers and dance hall girls. It was a small one –shot pistol and easily concealed.
Shooting iron and six-shooter were slang expressions for a gun.
In conclusion, the vocabulary and slang words of the cowboy would be just as perplexing for us today as it would be for the cowboy to understand some of our expressions. Try explaining a computer and the Internet to the cowboy. Because, English is a “living language” its vocabulary is constantly adding or even deleting words.
If someone told you to shut pan (shut up), and piled on the agony (add insult to injury) by calling you a varmint (a wild animal or objectionable person) would you skedaddle (run) or throw a sockdologer ( a powerful punch)?
Thankfully, many Westerns survive and help to keep the Cowboy’s language and particularly slang words from being forgotten entirely.
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