Did he really just say that?

 

Hi! Kit Morgan here and today I'm going to tell you what happens when you go down a historical slang rabbit hole. I was researching Victorian and Western slang terms for a book and boy oh boy, did I find some humdingers! I had so much fun I shared some of the things I found in a Facebook party, then I blogged about them last month in another western group I belong to and everyone had to use them in a sentence. What everyone came up with was hilarious. Then I dug a little further and found even more nuggets from days gone by and these from the old west. 

I've blogged about cowboy slang before, and so have others, but this list has things on it I've never heard before, so I thought I'd share a few with you. 

So, if you're a cowboy talking with another cowboy about women, one might say to the other, "When it comes to females, I'm at sea." The term, I'm at sea, means you can't comprehend or understand something.

A hog-killing time isn't what you think. It means having a great time.

Above Snakes: If you were above snakes, it meant you were alive!

Airin' the Lungs: This was a term for cussing.

Bear sign: Donuts. If you were a cook that made them, you were highly regarded. Paid to make doughnuts in the old west!

Bazoo: Mouth. As in, shut your big bazoo! 

Chew gravel: To get thrown from a horse.

Dug for his cannon: Reached for his gun.

Flatch Kanurd: Tipsy, half drunk.

Light a shuck: This means to get the heck out of there!

Odd Stick: An eccentric  person.

That dog won't hunt: That idea or plan won't work.

Thunderation: A non-profane curse.

Wild West Weekly: A dime novel.

Wobblin' jaw: Someone who talks to much. I must use this one in a book.

Yarn the hours away: Tell stories.

So you may have heard some of these, or even some variations, but all of these were new to me and I found them to be quite fun. Try using some this week and see how many interesting looks you get! Guaranteed you'll make a lot of folks scratch their heads!

Until next time, 

Kit