8/20/2008
The Wonderful World of Cowboy Slang
Image via Wikipedia A post on colorful Scottish dialect got me thinking we have some colorful language of our own here in the U.S. Last year I picked up a wonderful little book, Cowboy Slang, by Edgar R. “Frossty” Potter, to help me develop a cowboy cartoon character I was working on at the time.
From movie Westerns I got the idea cowboys had a distinctive way of expressing themselves, but I never imagined how rich their language is until I flipped through Cowboy Slang. Here are just a few of the many entries –
- Blackern’ a blacksmith’s apron.
- That hoss looked as easy as shootin’ fish in a dry lake.
- Busiern’ a hen drinking out of a pan.
- Had no more guts than a snake had hips.
- Crooked ‘nough to sleep on a corkscrew.
- Had on boots so fine you could see the wrinkles in his socks.
- So drunk he couldn’t hit the ground with his hat in three tries.
- Hungry ‘nough to eat a saddle blanket.
- His word was as bindin’ as a hangman’s knot.
- [To someone who's talking too much] Save part of yore breath for breathin’.
- As useless as settin’ a milk bucket under a bull.
So expressive and full of good natured humor. The analogies (like corkscrew, for instance), get the point across quickly, don’t they? Demonstrates how powerful analogies and metaphors are in business writing.
(History and Old West culture buffs will like the book for its lengthy section on rodeo, drawings of 18 types of bob wire, and other cowboy trivia.)
20 Responses to The Wonderful World of Cowboy Slang
Hey Brad,
I love listening to different forms of dialect in the English language. Here in the UK, last I heard we have the most accents and dialects of any nation. I can literally go 15 minutes up the road and the people there have a different accent than I do.
Here are a few phrases from Yorkshire, the county where I like:
“a reight bobby dazzler” – a good looking girl
“a reight gud sooart” – a really kind person
“popped ‘is cloggs” – died
“put wood i’th’oil” – close the door
Jamie, Thank you for sharing those – you are a reight gud sooart! never heard any of those expressions before. The seemingly endless richness of our language never ceases to amaze me.
Ah, now on these? I’m clueless. I’m good (for an American) at British slang, but rarely ever watch Westerns, and am in New Jersey, so…
Brad, cowboy slang is very colorful! They also have some ahem interesting cuisine choices. It is amazing how language can be shaped and molded by different regions. US Southerners have very colorful phrases. Cajun with its special blend of French has a language this is richly rooted in culture, and of course the slang in urban communities. I suppose it’s proof that English can take on a broader definition.
I especially liked “Save part of yore breath for breathin.” I have a friend who talks so fast and gasps. I think I’ll use this line next time she gasps.
Brad,
thanks for sharing! I liked “hungry enough to eat a saddle blanket” – just imagined munching away at a saddle blanket…
Hi Brad – these are brilliant. I especially like this one: “Had on boots so fine you could see the wrinkles in his socks.”
I’m going to use some of these for writing prompts.
Deb, Looks like your knowledge of cowboys is scarce as hiccups at a prayer meeting.
Karen S, Wrapping ones arms around all the many dialects of our language is like tryin’ to find hair on a frog.
Karen P, When you try out that phrase, I hope your friend doesn’t jump on you like a roadrunner on a rattler.
Ulla, I lived in Colorado for a time, and I can assure you a saddle blanket tastes as dry as dust in a mummy’s pocket.
Cath, Knowing my post may help your (already stellar) writing makes me as happy as a flea in a doghouse!
Well, then there’s always on of my favorite expressions, “finer than a frog’s hair”, meanin’ “very, very good”. You know, ’cause “fine” hair is very thin hair, and the hair on a frog is so fine you can’t even see it. Get it? Huh? Huh?
Oh, never mind.
Robert, I seem to recall you using that expression in your blog. I’ll bet you have a few more nuggets!
Great expressions! Thanks. One I use a lot is “The good Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise.” Even if we plan to do something, we can never be sure of external circumstances.
Jean, That’s a good one! That expression packs a lot of meaning into not too many words. Thanks for sharing.
Brad, these are brilliant, thanks for sharing them. I loved “crooked enough to sleep on a corkscrew” – it’s got a great rhythm and pattern as well as the visual metaphor. Fab!
As usual my mind goes blank when asked to think of examples – I’ll try and jot some down when I think of or come across them and save them up for a post
Joanna
Joanna, Look forward to reading your examples, whenever you get to them. (No cheating and looking in the Scots dialect book!)
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Hi Brad,
Found you through the ProBlogger contest (I entered too) and love your literate blog. I’ll bet you even know the difference between “lay” and “lie” and “it’s” and “its.”
My Alabama husband has two expression for a really hard rain:
“a real frog strangler” and “like a cow pissin’ on a flat rock through a briar bush.” Both of ‘em sound better with his accent.
Jean, Frog strangler. I love it! Could you have your husband do a podcast? Thanks for your kind words and for visiting Word Sell.
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One of my favorites over the years – “Yea, and if a bullfrog had wings…”. The extended version is “If a bullfrog had wings, he wouldn’t bump his butt when he lands.” or something close to that. Used to address the “what if” ponderables often hanging in the air.
Bill, Never heard the back end of that saying – thanks for sharing. It’d be fun to live in Texas just for the conversations.