As Americans, the wild wild west is somewhat of a romantic period for the country. The idea of cowboys has always been our idyllic vision of the past, just ask Paula Cole. However pleasant it may seem, I’ll pass on the shootouts, death by wild animal, and gangrene. Instead, I’ll just stick to the movies and these slang words to quench my thirst for the cowboy life.
- Adam’s Ale– Simply water
- Addle-Headed– Dimwitted/Stupid
- Airin’ the Lungs – A cowboy term for cussing
- Airtights – Canned goods, such as canned beans, milk, or fruit
- Among the Willows – Dodging the Law
- Argufy – Argue, to have weight as an argument
- Bach – To bachelor it. For men to keep the house without a woman’s help.
- Back Seats – An obscure and modest position, usually referring to politics
- Barrel Fever – A hangover
- Bay-window – Pregnancy
- Bee in Your Bonnet – An idea
- Biggest Toad in the Puddle– The most important person in the group
- Buckaroo – Friend
- Calico Queen – Prostitute
- California Widow– A woman, separated from her husband, but not divorced
- Catstick – A bat used by boys in a game
- Celestial – A term used in the West to refer to people of Chinese descent; the word derives from an old name for China, the “Celestial Empire.”
- Coffin Varnish – Whiskey
- Cowpuncher – Cowboy
- Don’t Care a Continental– Don’t give a damn.