Cowboy Speak: Slang and Jargon

I’m a huge collector of all types of slang and jargon but as a historical writer I’m partial to cowboy slang and jargon. There’s a difference between the two. And since the list at the end of this blog is mainly slang, I’d like to explain that difference.

Slang is an informal term not found in an ordinary dictionary, coinages and words changed often times for factious figures of speech.

Jargon is a group of terms exclusive to certain kind of technical terminology. An example might be the technical terms that computer geeks use. Those terms may not be in an ordinary dictionary but every computer geek knows what they mean. Jargon might also be terms or the names that are applied to equipment used in a particular profession.  

It is not always wrong to use slang and jargon interchangeably. Sometimes slang is used so much that it earns a definition/place within a set of technical terminology.   

When writing about the Old West, cowboy speak adds atmosphere and realism to the story.  

As writers we use descriptions to set a scene and build an atmosphere that will pull the reader into our characters’ reality. Dialogue or the way our characters speak serves as another form of description. The way someone talks says a lot about where he’s from, his profession, his education and social hierarchy.  

So it’s important to incorporate appropriate dialogue in our Old West stories. The hero’s twang, his slang and jargon should shout, COWBOY!

One note of caution here: Never overdue dialect and slang or your characters come off too slapstick matinee.  Also be careful dialects; too much is distracting. Use just enough to flavor the story. Also, never trust old west movies as a reference for slang and jargon of the 1800s. Sometimes movies use phrases and terms that either didn’t exist at the time or were not yet in common usage. Generally speaking, once a word came into use, it took ten years before it was accepted as “common” usage.

Cowboy Curses: Yes, cowboys did use the F word but in my research I’ve learned that most of their curses took the form of religious blasphemy (hell, dam etc) rather than that of a sexual nature like the F word. Cowboys often competed in cursing contests around campfires but their curses were more outrageous and funny than they were dirty.

Examples: My own Aunt Mary! My dead Sister’s doll! Little Willy’s goat! Well, I’ll be a . . . (something funny)

I’ve compiled a long slang/jargon list with terms from many sources who borrowed from many other sources so there’s no real way for me to give credit where it’s due. However, I have listed some reference links below and I’m certain most of the phrases and terms can be found in them.  

To save my sanity and yours, I’ve corralled mostly slang terms for this list. A (J) after the word means it crosses over into jargon. Most terms and phrases are defined; the rest are obvious. Forgive the curse words, I’m just relating the info.

A hog-killin’ time – a real good time

Ace-high – first class, respected

An invite to a dance – could mean shooting at a man’s feet to make him dance

As different as whiskey and tea

Bad plum – bullet

Bellerin’ like a . . . – yelling, howling, complain loudly

Bellyaching- complaining (still used today)

Belly-up – dead, died; also belly up to the bar (stand up at the bar and drink)

Biddy – hen but often used to refer to a nagging or irritating female

Big bug – the boss, an important person

Blue whistler – a bullet

Bobtail her and fill her with meat – Cut the small talk and get to the point

Bold face – whiskey or alcohol

Book learnin’

Boot-licker- brown noser

By jingo, you’re right

Cached up – hiding

Cain’t shoot center – can’t shoot straight

Calico – a female, a type of print material used in the west for women’s everyday dresses

Caterwauling – usually terrible singing, or complaining

Chawed – chewed

Clean his/your plow – to get or give a thorough wippin’

Clipped his horns – took him down a notch or two; referring to a fight or a braggert

Con sarn it – soft replacement for g ** damn it, might be considered dialect

Cookie – camp cook (J)

Coons age – long time

Corncracker – derogatory for farmer

Cotton to- take a liking to

Crowbait –derogatory term for a poor-quality horse

Cultus – despicable, worthless, stupid

Dad-blame it – G** damn it

Dang! – Damn

Dicker – barter, trade

Dipping – chewing snuff

Dug for his cannon – reached for his gun

Fandango – from Spanish, used for a big party with lots of dancing

Fit to be tied – angry

Fixen – intending

Fly at it – cook says this when his food is ready (have seen it used to mean fight!)

Full as a tick – drunk or over eating

Get a wiggle on – hurry

Go to blazes – go to hell

Gol-Darn – softer version of obvious blasphemy

Goner – lost, dead

Gray backs – lice (J)

Hang fire – delay, lets hang fire before we make up our minds

Hang it all – who cares

Hanker or hankering – strong wish or want

Haulloa stranger – yelled when approaching a strange camp to avoid getting shot

Hazing a tenderfoot – giving a city man a hard time

Heeled – armed with a gun (used more by city slickers)

Hellbenders – drunken sprees

Hell fire – exclamation of irritation, a curse

Hesh up – hush up

Highflautin’ – fancy, stuck up, snooty

Hill of beans – of trifling value, ain’t worth a hill of beans

His look would pucker  a hog’s butt

Hoppin’ mad

Horse feathers – exclamation meaning ridiculous or lack of belief

Howdy pard!

I can set with that – I can agree with that, I can handle that

I reckon – I suppose, I believe

Ifin’ – if

Infernal – awful (meaning from hell) Infernal weather, infernal man

Jamboree – any kind of party or celebration

Jawin’ me ta death – talking too much

Lambasted – to hit or slug

Lead plum – bullet

Leaky mouths – talks too much, gossip

Lickspittle – insult, a very low person, dishonest, no good

Light a shuck – to get the heck out of here, lets light a shuck

Light and set a while – climb off horse and stay a while

Loco son-of-a-bitch - crazy

Lowdown, dirty sneaking polecats

Mean as catmeat

Meat and tata

Montana feathers – hay used to stuff mattresses on early ranches

Montgomery Ward Woman – a very ugly woman

Moppin’ his plate – licking it clean, eating everything

Nary – never

One horse town

Ornery as a mama bear with a sore teat

Packing – armed

Planted him ‘neath the daisies

Plumb – meaning completely or totally. ( plumb tuckered out, plumb loco)

Prairie coal – dried cow manure, used to build fires (J)

Pretty as a little red heifer

Pshaw, ‘taint no trouble ‘tall – heck it wasn’t any trouble

Purely purdy – purely pretty

Raise hob – raise hell as in going to town to raise hell

Randy - wanton

Red skins got his har – Indians scalped him; dialect

Rode slick – said of a top rider who eschews all devices to help keep him in saddle

Sad as a tick-fevered pup

Sam hill – what the Sam hill? or what the devil?

Scalawags – thieves, con men, bad men

She stock – generic for female cattle regardless of age (J)

She’s aimin’ to hogtie and brand him – she aims to marry him

Shooting iron, six shooter – gun, pistol

Shuck – remove guns but could mean to remove clothes

Skeerd – scared; dilect

Skin yourselves – remove your guns

Slick heels – without spurs (J)

Sorta nice, ain’t it?

Soured my milk – made me irritated

Sowbelly – bacon (J)

Stretched hemp – someone who has been hung with a rope

That don’t/won’t wash – sounds wrong, makes no sense

That shines! – swell, really great

Thunderation – non-profane curse

Time to cut and run – cut your losses and get the hell out

Tromp his britches – beat him up

Unreliable as woman’s watch – because women are always late

Useless as a bull with tits

Vamose or Vamoose – go, leave, disappear

Varmint or Varment – wild animal or a bad man

Viands – food, meals

Vittles – food

Wanna snort? – What a drink

Whoo-up whoo-up – same as Haulloa stranger but from a greater distance

Whup – whip

Will die standin’ up – brave

Wobblin’ jaw – talks to much

Yaller – yellow, coward; dialect

Yarn the hours away – tell stories

Yellow belly – coward

Yonder – over there

Younder, a piece

You can slide, mister – you can go to hell

Yourn – yours

Yup – yes

Cowboy Slang and Jargon Books

Cowboy Slang by Edgar R. “Frosty” Potter: Potter’s books also have info on horses, brands, cattle etc. [one of my all time favorites]

Cowboys Talk Right Purty by Edgar “Frosty” Potter: Similar to Cowboy Slang, it has less slang but lots of invaluable info on rustling, horses, cattle, equipment

A Dictionary of The Old West by Peter Watts: You name it, this books defines it. Contains lots of terms/jargon and definitions of equipment etc.

Dictionary of the American West by Winfred Blevins: Similar to A Dictionary of The Old West yet different and valuable on it’s own.

Wonderous Times On The Frontier by Dee Brown: If you write Old West, this book is a must. This is more of a history of adventures of real people but Brown uses the language of the times. He demonstrates just how much the cowboy loved a good joke but also tells the serious stuff. Mine is highlighted all over the place! Worth every penny.

Cowboy Slang and Jargon On Line

Western Slang and Phrases – You’ll see a few of these on my list. Be careful to check the origin date of some of the terms. Some look like they originated at the turn of the century rather than the 1800s and some are general slang terms used by everyone, not just men of the west. Still, this a good resource.

Gone To Texas

Cool Western Slang : Some of these sights borrowed from each other but I noticed each has a few of their own too.   

Cowboy Quotes and Sayings

Cowboy Way

As Roy Rodgers always said -- Happy Trails.