What are the origins of this fun-filled festive custom?
"Brown gargle" is one of many colorful cowboy terms for coffee.
In cowboy lingo, to be in a "feeze" means to be in a state of excitement.
This expression means one isn't feeling well, as in "I've had a hitch in my giddy-up the last couple of days."
"Hop juice" is one of many excellent cowboy terms for beer. Additionally, there's "John Barleycorn" and "purge."
"Hard money" is a common term for silver and gold, rather than actual paper money.
This is a stew made of whatever is available, plus the organs of a recently-slaughtered calf.
Sausages of any variety are so-called because their ingredients are often a mystery! In the Victorian era, they were called "bags o' mystery."
If you're a cowboy, then oysters and clams are called "saltwater vegetables."
"Dude horse" describes a horse that's slow, easy, and lazy. It's also a bad horse for an experienced rider.
In case you were wondering, "overland trout" is cowboy slang for bacon.
When cowboys wanted eggs, they asked for "cackleberries." The word is a compound of the verb cackle and the common noun berry.
Bet you didn't know there were donuts in the Wild West! Well, in cowboy lingo, "bear sign" means donut!
A Western expression of enthusiasm and excitement, you've probably used or heard "yee-haw" before.
This expression means something was a real good time. "We went to the Rodeo Dance and had us a hog-killin’ time!"
"Acknowledge the corn" means to confess or acknowledge a lie or failure.
"All down but nine" described missing the point or not understanding something. It's a reference for missing all nine pins in bowling.
This expression describes someone who talks a lot. "I like him, but he's a bit of a wobblin' jaw."
Don't confuse this expression with an actual bad egg. In cowboy lingo, "bad egg" is used to describe someone bad, dishonest, or unreliable.
"Yellow-belly" is a term used to describe a cowardly person. "Jim was acting a little yellow-bellied before the rodeo."
Sources: (Mental Floss) (Ranker)
The typical cowboy greeting, "howdy" was originally a shortened form of the inquiry "How do ye?" It's still commonly used across the Southern US.
This word is a non-cuss exclamation. "Tarnation! That car is blocking my driveway!"
"That dog won't hunt" is a dismissive phrase, used to mean that a particular idea or approach is going to fail.
"Tenderfoot" is used to describe someone young, inexperienced, or new to a job. "Our daughter may be a tenderfoot, but she's a great horse rider."
"Varmint" is the cowboy way to say "vermin." It usually refers to a small or medium-sized animal, or a disreputable individual.
"Too much mustard" describes a braggart, or the quality of bragging too much.
"Barn sour" describes a horse that wants nothing more than to stay put in the barn.
"Airin' the lungs" is cussing. "Hey, no airin' the lungs out here!"
"Desert canary" is cowboy slang for a donkey.
This term comes from poker, but was also used to refer to things that were fine, luxurious, and respectable. "This hotel sure is ace-high."
A phrase that's still used today, it means that something is honest and legitimate. For example, "the poker games here are all above board."
Do you ever wonder what some of those words mean when you're watching a Western, reading a historical novel, or even listening to country music? Cowboys in the old Wild West had an extensive lexicon of slang that's hard for us to figure out today. Yet other sayings remain in everyday use (albeit primarily in certain regions of the US).
If you're looking to inject some Western flavor into your vocabulary, then click on the cowboy slang terms you need to know.
Tarnation! The funniest examples of cowboy slang
Get ready for a visit to the Wild West!
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Do you ever wonder what some of those words mean when you're watching a Western, reading a historical novel, or even listening to country music? Cowboys in the old Wild West had an extensive lexicon of slang that's hard for us to figure out today. Yet other sayings remain in everyday use (albeit primarily in certain regions of the US).
If you're looking to inject some Western flavor into your vocabulary, then click on the cowboy slang terms you need to know.