Slang

Colt 45
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Colt 45
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Colt 45
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Colt 45
Boot Hill

Colt 45
House Rules

Colt 45
Slang


Ace-high ~ first class, respected, a winning hand at poker.

According to Hoyle ~ Correct, by the book.

A hog-killin' 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 ~ to do haphazardly. "She just gave it a lick and a
promise."

All down but nine ~ missed the point, not understood. (Reference to missing
all nine pins at bowling.)

All-fired: hell-fired.

All to pieces: completely, absolutely.

Almighty: huge.

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

At sea ~ at a loss, not comprehending. "When it comes to understanding
women, boys, I am at sea."

Back down ~ yield, retract.

Balled up ~ confused.

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

Bazoo ~ mouth. "Shut your big bazoo."

Bear sign ~ cowboy term for donuts. A cook who could and would make them was
highly regarded.

Beat the devil around the stump ~ to evade responsibility or a difficult
task. "Quit beatin' the devil around the stump and ask that girl to marry
you."

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

Bend an elbow ~ have a drink. "He's been known to bend an elbow with the
boys."

Bender ~ drunk. "He's off on another bender."

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.

Blow ~ boast, brag. "Don't listen to him, that's just a lot of blow."

Blowhard ~ braggart, bully.

Blow-up ~ fit of anger. "He and the missus had a blow-up, but it's over,
now."

Bone orchard ~ cemetery.

Bosh ~ Nonsense.

Boss ~ the best, top. "The Alhambra Saloon sells the boss whiskey in town."

Bulldoze ~ to bully, threaten, coerce.

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

Bunko artist ~ con man.

Burg ~ town.

By hook or crook ~ to do any way possible.

Bad egg: a bad person.

Barkin' at a knot: doing something useless; wasting your time.

Bee: a gathering of friends, family and neighbors to get a specific job
done (quilting bee.)

Bee in your bonnet: an idea.

Biddy: hen.

Biggest toad in the puddle: the most important person in a group.

Body: person.

Buzzard food: dead.

Buckaroo: a cowboy from the desert country of Oregon, Nevada, California
or Idaho.

Calaboose ~ jail.

California widow ~ woman separated from her husband, but not divorced. (From
when pioneer men went West, leaving their wives to follow later.)

Chisel, chiseler ~ to cheat or swindle, a cheater.

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

Coffee boiler ~ shirker, lazy person. (Would rather sit around the coffee
pot than help.)

Consumption ~ slang for pulminary tuberculosis.

Copper a bet ~ Betting to loose, or being prepared against loss. "I'm just
coppering my bets."

Come a cropper ~ come to ruin, fail, or fall heavily. "He had big plans to
get rich, but it all come a cropper, when the railroad didn't come through."

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

Crowbait ~ derogatory term for a poor-quality horse.Curly wolf ~ real tough
guy, dangerous man. "Ol' Bill is a regular curly wolf, especially when he's
drinkin' whiskey."

Cut a swell ~ present a fine figure. "He sure is cutting a swell with the
ladies."

Cooling yer heels: staying for a while. "He'll be cooling his heels in the
pokey."

Coot: an idiot; simpleton; a ninny.

Cold as a wagon tire: dead.

Cotton to: To take a liking to.

Crazy as a loon: very crazy.

Dicker ~ barter, trade.

Difficulty ~ euphamism for trouble, often the shootin' or otherwise violent
kind. "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 ~ from the Spanish, a word for money.

Don't care a continental ~ Don't give a damn.

Down on ~ opposed to. "His wife is really down on drinking and cigars."

Doxology works ~ a church.

Dragged out ~ fatigued, worn out.

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

Dry gulch ~ to ambush. Reference from abandoning a body where it fell.

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

Don't get your dander up: anxious; excited.

Eucher, euchered ~ to out-smart someone, to be outwitted or suckered into
something.

Fandango ~ from the Spanish, a big party with lots of dancing and
excitement.

Fetch ~ bring, give. "Fetch me that hammer." / "He fetched him a punch in
the nose."

Fight like Kilkenny cats ~ fight like hell.

Fine as cream gravy ~ very good, top notch.

Fish ~ a cowboy'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."

Flush ~ prosperous, rich.

Fork over ~ pay out.

Four-flusher ~ a cheat, swindler, liar.

Full as a tick ~ very drunk.

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

Fixin': intending. "I'm fixin' to get supper started."

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

Get a wiggle on ~ hurry.

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

Get my/your back up ~ to get angry. "Don't get your back up, he was only
joking."

Get the mitten ~ to be rejected by a lover. "Looks like Blossom gave poor
Buck the mitten."

Give in ~ yield.

Goner ~ lost, dead.

Gone up the flume ~ same as goner!

Gospel mill ~ a church.

Gospel sharp ~ a preacher. (Apparent opposite of a card sharp!)

Got the bulge ~ have the advantage. "We'll get the bulge on him, and take
his gun away."

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

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

Granger ~ a farmer.

Grass widow ~ divorcee.

G.T.T: Gone To Texas. A common expression in use following the Civil War.
People would find the letters G.T.T. carved into their doors, left by
a kin.
Many outlaws went to Texas.

Galvanized Yankees: former Confederate soldiers who served in the U.S. Army
in
the West following the Civil War, and during the Indian
Wars.

Good-fer-nothin': someone who is no good, causes trouble.

Hang around ~ loiter.

Hang fire ~ delay.

Half seas over ~ drunk.

Hard case ~ worthless person, bad man.

Heap ~ a lot, 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."

Here's how! ~ a toast, such as Here's to your health.

Hobble your lip ~ shut up.

Hold a candle to ~ measure up, compare to.

Hoosegow ~ jail.

Hot as a whorehouse on nickel night ~ damned hot.

In apple pie order ~ in top shape.

Is that a bluff, or do you mean it for real play? ~ Are you serious?

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

Kick up a row ~ create a disturbance.

Knocked into a cocked hat ~ fouled up, rendered useless.

Knock galley west ~ beat senseless.

Keep that dry: keep it secret.

Let slide/ let drive/ let fly ~ go ahead, let go. "If you think you want
trouble, then let fly."

Light (or lighting) a shuck ~ to get the hell out of here in a hurry. "I'm
lightin' a shuck for California."

Like a thoroughbred ~ like a gentleman.

Lunger ~ slang for someone with tuberculosis.

Lands sake!: acceptable alternative term of profanity.

Like lickin' butter off a knife: somthing that is easy; not hard.

Lily liver: somene who is a coward.

Loco: crazy.

Make a mash ~ make a hit, impress someone. (Usually a female.) "Buck's
tryin' to make a mash on that new girl."

Mudsill ~ low-life, thoroughly disreputable person.

Madder than an old wet hen: "Mama woke up madder than an old wet hen."

More scared than a chicken in the rain: someone who is very scared.

Muddy end of the stick: short end of the stick.

Nailed to the counter ~ proven a lie.

Namby-pamby ~ sickly, sentimental, saccharin.

Notion: idea.

N.G.: no good. "He is n.g. and can't be trusted."

Nosey Parker: someone who is nosey.

Odd stick ~ eccentric person. "Ol' Farmer Jones sure is an odd stick."

Of the first water ~ first class. "He's a gentleman of the first water."

Offish ~ distant, reserved, aloof.

Oh-be-joyful ~ Liquor, beer, intoxicating spirits. "Give me another snort of
that oh-be-joyful."

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

Obliged: thankful. Indebted for a favor. "Thank you fer the coffee and eggs,
ma'am. Mighty obliged."

On the Dodge: hiding out somewhere; laying low for a while.

Ornery as a fried toad: "He shore is ornery as a fried toad."

Pass the buck ~ evade responsibility.

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

Peter out ~ dwindle away.

Play to the gallery ~ to show off. "That's just how he is, always has to
play to the gallery."

Played out ~ exhausted.

Plunder ~ personal belongings. "Pack your plunder, Joe, we're headin' for
San Francisco."

Pony up ~ hurry up!

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

Promiscuous ~ reckless, careless. "He was arrested for a promiscuous display
of fire arms."

Proud ~ glad. "I'm proud to know you."

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

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

Packin': carry a weapon.

Pard: friendly version of partner.

Pinning away for: longing for.

Plumb: entirely, completely. "He's plumb crazy."

Pokey: jailhouse.

Pony up: pay the bill.

Pray tell: tell me.

Purty: pretty. "That woman shore is purty."

Quirley ~ roll-your-own cigarette.

Quakin' in your (their) boots: someone who is scared.

Rich ~ amusing, funny, improbable. "Oh, that's rich!"

Ride shank's mare ~ to walk or be set afoot.

Right as a trivet ~ right as rain, sound as a nut, stable.

Rip ~ reprobate. "He's a mean ol' rip."

Roostered ~ drunk. "Looks like those cowboys are in there gettin' all
roostered up."

Reckon: to guess or think. "I reckon that'll do right fine."

Right as Rain: fine. "After a good night's rest, he'll be right as rain."

See the elephant ~ originally meant to see combat for the first time, later
came to mean going to town, where all the action was.

Scoop in ~ trick, entice, inveigle. "He got scooped into a poker game and
lost his shirt."

Scuttlebutt ~ rumors.

Shave tail ~ a green, inexperienced person.

Shin out ~ run away.

Shindy ~ uproar, confusion.

Shoddy ~ poor quality.

Shoot, Luke, or give up the gun ~ poop or get off the pot, do it or quit
talking about it.

Shoot one's mouth off ~ talk nonsense, untruth. "He was shootin' his mouth
off and Bill gave him a black eye."

Shove the queer ~ to pass counterfeit money.

Simon pure ~ the real thing, a genuine fact. "This is the Simon pure."

Skedaddle ~ run like hell.

Soaked ~ drunk.

Soft solder ~ flattery. "All that soft solder won't get you anywhere."

Someone to ride the river with ~ a person to be counted on; reliable; got it
where it counts.

Sound on the goose ~ true, staunch, reliable.

Stand the gaff ~ take punishment in good spirit. "He can really stand the
gaff."

Stop ~ stay. "We stopped at the hotel last night."

Stumped ~ confused.

Superintend ~ oversee, supervise. "He just likes to superintend everything."

Sand: guts; courage; toughness. "You got sand, that's fer shore."

Seegar: cigarette. "I reckon I'll sit on the porch an' smoke a seegar."

Sick as a poisioned coyote pup: "I was feelin' sick as a poisoned coyote
pup."

Spell: time; for a while.

Stew in one's own juice: to suffer from one's own action.

Spirits: alcohol. "The men go down to the saloon and git their fill of
spirits."

Strong enough to float a colt: very strong coffee.

Take on ~ grieve. "Don't take on so."

Take French leave ~ to desert, sneak off without permission.

Take the rag off ~ surpass, beat all. "Well, if that don't take the rag off
the bush."

The Old States ~ back East.

The whole kit and caboodle ~ the entire thing.

Source for some material on this page:
The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the 1800'sThrow up the sponge ~ quit,
give up, surrender.

Tie to ~ rely on. "He's a man you can tie to."

To beat the Dutch ~ to beat the band. "It was rainin' to beat the Dutch."

To the manner born ~ a natural. "He's a horseman to the manner born."

Twig ~ understand.

Three ways from Sunday: moving quickly; high-tailing it out of there.

Up the spout ~ gone to waste/ruin.

Wake up/Woke up the wrong passenger ~ to trouble or anger the wrong person.

Who-hit-John ~ Liquor, beer, intoxicating spirits. "He had a little too much
who-hit-John."

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

Windbag: talking nonsense. "If that windbag gets outta hand, you come tell
me an' I'll take care of the old coot."

Wipe your chin: be quiet.

Yammerin': talking. "Drink yer coffee an' quit yer yammerin'."

Yellow Belly: a Coward.

Y'all - (this is actually the correct spelling for it) "Hiya, y'all."

Source for some material on this page:
The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the 1800's