Old West Slang, Terminology, Sayings and Phrasing
In the Old West drinking was part of everyday life, if you were fortunate to have the money. A friend might invite you to ‘bend an elbow’, meaning to have some drinks at the local saloon. If the guy was already drunk he was on a ‘bender’. If he was extremely drunk he was ‘full as a tick’.
Other terms for being drunk include ‘half seas over’ or ‘soaked’. When it came time to ordering coffee you asked for a cup of Arbuckle’s – a famous brand of that era.
If a person was respected he was ‘ace-high’ or ‘boss’. A very important person was called a ‘big bug’. A con man was referred to as a bunko artist. A woman separated from her husband, but not divorced was called a ‘California widow’. A lazy person was called a coffee boiler, a cheater was a chiseler. If you were on the pessimistic side you may be called a croaker. A bum was referred to as a deadbeat but someone from the east, with impressive clothing or expensive rigs, was called a dude.
If you went to an event and had a good time it was said that you had a hog-killin’ time there. If you did something carelessly, or did a sloppy job, you gave ‘a lick and a promise’. Bang-up referred to a good job that someone did. Balled up meant you were confused. If you shirked your responsibilities you were said to ‘beat the devil around the stump’. If you boasted, it was said that you ‘blow’. A blowhard was a braggart or even a bully.
If you ‘beefed’ someone you killed them. If you ‘blew up’ it meant you had a fit of rage. A ‘curly wolf’ was a dangerous guy who was known to cause trouble. A ‘hard case’ was a worthless person. If you were a real low-life or loser you were referred to as a ‘mudsill’. If there was a fuss it meant there was an argument, fight, or other disturbance. If you ‘got your back up’ it meant you were getting angry. If you’d ‘been through the mill’ it meant you had learned things the hard way.
Some expressions of today, founded in the Old West, now have a different meaning than they had back then. To ‘take on’ meant to grieve or wail. To ‘tie to’ meant you could rely on it. To ‘twig’ was to understand. ‘Wind up’ meant to wrap up the business or agreement. To ‘shove the queer’ meant to pass counterfeit money.
Some sayings from way back in the Old West days still mean the same thing today, such as ‘to back down’, bilk, fetch, fork it over, give in, grand, hang around, hold a candle to, the jig is up, shoddy, and the whole kit and kaboodle. It’s fun going back to the Old West, whether reading a western book, writing a cowboy story, or simply reviewing the language of days gone by.
