trtiXitt-. . UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA LIBRARY

Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2011 with funding from LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation

http://www.archive.org/details/westernwordsdictOOadam WORDS estern K_y I L/IO # A DICTIO NARY

OF THE RANGE, COW CAMP dTli

TRAIL £ RAMON IP. ADAIVIS ?

Norman : university of Oklahoma press : 1945 4*7. 3

COPYRIGHT 1944 BY THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS, PUBLISHING DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY. SET UP AND

PRINTED AT NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, U.S.A., BY THE UNI- VERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS. FIRST EDITION, NOVEM-

BER, 1944; SECOND PRINTING, FEBRUARY, 1 945 Dedicated to the old-timers who used, the saddle for a workbench

in making history, to the modern cowhands who are still

using a saddle for their throne in upholding a tradition, and

to future cowmen who will never forsake this saddle for a

jalopy to help them over the rough places.

"A is a man with guts and a boss"

^ ^

^>

I79b21

INTRODUCTION

"There ain't much paw and heller to a cowboy"

They say a good range cook never misses a rock when "herding" his teams across the country. I hope that, like him, I have not missed many- words from the cowman's vocabulary in compiling this lexicoi My greatest pleasure in collecting the material has been in associating with the cowboy in his native haunts. Never loquacious around strangers, he has attained the reputation of being about as talkative as a Piegan Indian. But I learned, as a small boy, that when one becomes intimate with him, he "don't depend entirely on the sign language." Among his own kind he is never "hog-tied when it comes to makin' chin music." In fact, if he accepts you, his tongue gets "plumb frolicsome." From first youthful impressions, my interest in his speech has grown until recording it has become the hobby of a lifetime. When a tender- foot hears this range vernacular—distinctive, picturesque, and pungent- he is as surprised as a dog with his first porcupine. After he recovers from the shock of such unconventional English, the more he listens the more refreshing it becomes, because, like a fifth ace in a poker deck, it is so unexpected. Never having had a chance to "study the higher branches of infor- mation through book learnin'," the native cowman forged his own language. Like other men of the soil, he created similes and metaphors, salty and unrefined, but sparkling with stimulating vigor. In the early days, many men with college degrees came west, fell in love with the freedom of range life, and remained. Not bound by conventions, thev were not long in "chucking" their college grammar and drifting into the infectious parlance of the cow country. I have never yet met a cowman who didn't use it naturally and unconsciously, be he educated or otherwise.

Within the cowman's figures of speech lie the rich field of his subtle humor and strength—unique, original, full-flavored. With his usually limited education he squeezes the juice from language, molds it to suit his needs, and is a genius at making a verb out of anything. He "don't have to fish 'round for no decorated language to make his meanin' clear," and has little patience with the man who "spouts words that run eight to the pound."

VII Western Words

Perhaps the strength and originality in his speech are due to the solitude, the nearness of the stars, the bigness of the country, and the far horizons—all of which give him a chance to think clearly and go into the depths of his own mind. Wide spaces "don't breed chatterboxes."

On his long and lonely rides, he is not forced to listen to the scandal and idle gossip that dwarf a man's mind. Quite frequently he has no one to talk to but a horse that can't talk back. William MacLeod Raine told me that he once heard his friend Gene Rhodes call a man a "rancid, left-handed old parallelogram." Who but a Westerner could put so much punch into a phrase? Who but a cow- man would say of a gesticulating foreigner that "he couldn't say 'hell' with his hands tied"? Or think of a better figure for hunger than "hungrier'n a woodpecker with the headache"? "The frontiersman, like the Indian," says Edward Everett Dale, "was a close observer. He saw every detail and in speaking of something he did not describe it. Rather he painted a picture in a single apt phrase— a picture so clear and colorful that description was unnecessary. He did not tell the listener—he preferred to show him—and show him he did with one pungent, salty phrase that often meant more than could long and detailed explanation." 1 Unlettered men rely greatly upon comparisons to natural objects with which they are familiar to express their ideas and feelings. Mental images are a part of the life of a cowman. His comparisons are not only humorous, but fruity and unfaded. One cowhand spoke of a friend who had gone into a city barbershop to experience his first manicure with, "He's havin' his forehoofs roached and rasped by a pink and white pinto filly." A certain fiery old-timer was said to be "gettin' 'long in years, but his horns ain't been sawed off." "Calm as a hoss trough," "pretty as a red heifer in a flower bed," "soft as a young calf's ears," "useless as a knot in a stake rope," "a heart in his brisket as big as a saddle blanket," "noisy as a calf corral," and "gals in them days didn't show much of their fetlocks" are but a few of the many examples of homely comparisons cowmen create.

One of the inherent characteristics of the cowboy is exaggeration. Not only does he have a talent for telling tall tales, but he has a genius for exaggeration in ordinary conversation. In the following examples the ordinary man would be content to use the unitalicized words, but the cowman wants more strength and he adds words such as the italicized ones to gain this potency: "so drunk he couldn't hit the ground with his hat in three throws" "raised hell and put a chunk under it" "his

1 "Speech of the Frontier," an address at the Association Banquet, Central States Speech Association, , April i, 1941.

VIII '

INTRODUCTION tongue hangin' out a foot and forty inches" and "he'd fight y'u till hell freezes over, then skate with y'u on the ice" Another pronounced trait is the pithy, yet robust humor which ". continually crops out in his speech. Struthers Burt writes, . . this close- ness with nature makes the cowboy exceedingly witty. They are the wittiest alive. Not wisecracking like the city man, but really witty."2 The cowman has always reserved control of his spelling and pro- nunciation, completely ignoring the dictionary. He pronounces his Spanish as it sounds to his ear, and thus new words have been created; for instance, hackamore (from jdquima) and hoosgoiv (from juzgado). "Just as the cowboy 'borrowed' much of his traditional 'riggin' from the vaquero," wrote S. Omar Barker, "and adapted it to his own needs, so, too, he borrowed freely from this vaquero's word supply, which he also adapted. He borrowed 'by ear,' of course, and so plenti- fully that today much typical western terminology owes its origin to

Spanish, however little it sometimes resembles the original either in spelling or pronunciation." 3

Like all other Americans, the cowman is in a hurry and employs our typical shortening of words and phrases. His grammar is rough and rugged like his hills and canyons, but his short cuts are practical. Thus he creates words such as lariat, from la reata; chaps, from chaparejos; and dally, from dar vuelta.

Yet in his actions he is not hurried, but takes time to examine small things. He gets the habit of "usin' his eyes a lot and his mouth mighty little." He catalogs each detail and stores it away in his mind for future use, squeezing out all significant items and adding their essence to his refreshing philosophy. He has a talent for "sayin' a whole lot in a mighty few words," and "don't use up all his kindlin' to get his fire started." Not only did the cowman borrow from the Spanish, but he took what he wanted from the Indian, the trapper, and the freighter who preceded him, and from the gambler, the gunman, and others who came after him.

The terms recorded in this volume have been gathered from every part of the range. There are genuine cowmen who may disclaim ever having heard of certain ones. This can easily be true, just as throughout our country one section is unfamiliar with the colloquialisms of an- other. When the East-Sider ridicules the Southerner's you-all, he doesn't

2 Struthers Burt, Powder River (New York, Farrar & Rinehart, 1938), 229. 3 S. Omar Barker, "Sagebrush Spanish," Magazine, XX, No. 12 (December, 1942), 18.

IX Western Words stop to think that his own youse guys is just as comical and ridiculous south of Mason and Dixon's line. Different sections of the West also have their own peculiar argot. As Will James said, "A feller wrote a review of my books one time, without being asked, and he said something about my language not being true cowboy language. As I found out afterwards, that feller had been a cowboy all right enough, but I also found out that he'd only rode in one state all his life. He'd compared his language with mine and mine had been picked up and mixed from the different languages from the different parts of the whole cow country. The language of the cow 4 country is just as different as the style of the rigs and ways of working." The Texan says pitch; the northern cowboy says buck; yet they mean the same thing. Likewise, the Texan's stake rope becomes picket rope on the northern range, and cinch in the North becomes girth when it hits the South. These are but a few examples of many that could be mentioned. California, Oregon, Utah, Nevada, and Idaho use terms rarely heard in the rest of the range country.

When Texas first went into the cattle business, it adopted the Mexi- can's methods and equipment—big-horned saddles, spade bit, rawhide rope, system of "dallying," and all the rest. The massacre at the Alamo stirred in Texans a fierce hatred of all things Mexican and brought changes in following the customs of the Spanish vaquero. The long rope and system of "dallying" disappeared, and Texas became a "tie- fast" country. The grazing bit was substituted for the spade and ring bits, and the Spanish rig gave way to the double-rigged saddle. But the language of the Mexican had deeper roots. This the Texan kept and corrupted to suit his needs. The cattle business of California was also born under Spanish influence, but it had no Alamo, no Goliad.

Today it still uses the Spanish rig, the long rope, the spade bit, and the dally. Many other Spanish customs dominate, and the language has been less corrupted. When the Texan rode over the long trails north, he carried his customs and his manner of working all the way to the Canadian line. Montana, , and other northern and central states adopted much of his Spanish-influenced language. In exchange, the northern cowman gave the Texan that which he had appropriated from the northern Indian and the French-Canadian, words strange to the man from the Rio Grande. Many cowmen, yearning to see what was "on the other side of the hill," or being forced to go where they "could throw a rope without gettin' it caught on a fence post," were like a tumbleweed drifting be- 4 Will James, Lone Cowboy (New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1930), 226. INTRODUCTION fore a wind. They scattered their language until it no longer remained a "boggy crossin' " for a cowman from another section. Yet, even today, there are some who have never been off their home range; and to them portions of this collection will seem strange. One old-timer told me that he had never heard the word coivpuncher until he was an old man. Of course, it is a comparatively recent word, having come into use with the moving of cattle by train and the closing of the trails. Now the majority prefer it to cowboy, for the word cowboy has more or less borne a stigma for many years. Yellow journal- ists, during the trail days, spread the cowboy's reputation for woolliness far and wide. He was pictured as a demon of death and disaster. Mothers even threatened their unruly offspring with the coming of this evil one. And so almost every cowman chooses to be called puncher, cow- hand, or just plain hand. But no matter by what name he is called, the working cowhand is called "plenty early in the mornin'." Cowhands are neither so plentiful nor so picturesque as they were in the days of the open range, and with the passing of its customs, many of their terms are becoming obsolete. This volume has been prepared to help preserve this lingo for posterity. As long as we are a nation of meat-eaters, I am not afraid that the cowboy himself will become extinct, but some of his older language may die with the passing years. However, he will create new idioms typical of the range as long as he forks a horse. Furthermore, living in the tradition of men who rode semiwild horses to work obstinate, unruly cattle, he will never become so soft that he will pack a lunch, wear his sleeves rolled up, and say my gracious instead of goddam when he is mad.

XI

IN APPRECIATION

"A full house divided don't win no pots"

Many years ago, my "roundup" of the lingo of the cowboy became so copious that I arrived at the decision to move some of it, grass finished though it was, to shipping pens, and thence to market. Riding herd over it had been a keen but solitary pleasure for nearly twenty years.

It seemed to me, as it must to most cowmen, that a reasonably well filled-out herd is not for the keeping, but for the sharing. My Cowboy Lingo, published in 1936, was the result. Its reception was sufficiently gratifying to justify my previous course in pasturing the stuff out of sight for so long. Since its publication, many of its terms have been used in stories by writers of "westerns"; and western story magazines are reflecting current interest in the subject by conducting columns and departments on this jargon of the range, cow camp, and trail. Letters from philologists, authors, and editors asking for more ex- amples of this lusty speech have encouraged the preparation of Western Words. Yet the completed volume would not have been possible with- out the help of others, who contributed expressions, defined words, gave other definitions, dug up sources of phrases, and added colorful anec- dotes.

First, I want to thank the host of sun-tanned, grin-wrinkled cow- hands I have met upon the range and the old-timers with whom I have talked at cowmen's conventions throughout the West. They are too many to name. Besides, they are of the breed whose mention in a book would make them as uncomfortable as a camel in the Klondike. To them I can only say muy gracias. This volume is largely theirs, and I hope it will serve as a monument to their picturesque speech.

The authors I quote are not those "town-gaited" writers who have never been closer to a cow than a milk wagon. They have lived the life, and you may have confidence in their knowledge. I extend thanks to the following writers, each of whom I am proud to list as a personal friend: J. Frank Dobie, W. S. Campbell (Stanley Vestal), Edward Ever- ett Dale, J. Evetts Haley, Foster-Harris, William MacLeod Raine, Agnes Wright Spring, Jack Potter, John M. Hendrix, and the late George Saunders.

I am also grateful to these writers, with whom I have corresponded

XIII Western Words and whose co-operation has been most helpful: Philip A. Rollins, Harold W. Bentley, the late Will James, Agnes Morley Cleaveland, Dick Halli- day, W. M. French, Bruce Clinton, and "Don," who wishes to remain anonymous. I am no less grateful to Eugene Cunningham, Ross Santee, E. W. Thistlethwaite, the late Will C. Barnes, and all others whom I have quoted in citations.

I especially wish to thank Cattleman magazine and its former edi- tor, Tad Moses; Western Horseman magazine and its former editor, Paul Albert; and all the publishers who so generously allowed me to quote from books in their lists. Last, but by no means least, I wish to acknowledge a debt of grate- ful obligation to Elizabeth Ann McMurray, bookdealer and lover of all literature of the West, for her continued interest, faith, and encourage- ment. She has been unceasing in her efforts to spur my own energies to the riding of the "final horse." Thanks are extended, also, to E. DeGolyer for his sustained and stimulating interest. Without the urging of such good friends, this volume would have perhaps been hazed into the "cut backs" until the old man with the hay hook "come along." Rounding up this bunch of strays, driving them to the home range, and cutting them into the proper herds has been a long, hard work. The brush has been thick, the coulees rough, and the quicksands boggy. Yet all my saddlesores are healed by the thought that this bob-tail may fill some hand long after I've "sacked my saddle." You can now ride the same trail at a high lope without rope or running iron, but you'll miss the fun I had in dragging these mavericks to the branding fire.

Ramon F. Adams Dallas, Texas September i$, 1944

XIV WESTERN WORDS

A

"A wink's as good as a nod to a blind mule"

ace in the hole Advantage A shoulder holster, a hideout. A man's See hold the high card. ace in the hole might take various forms, as the carrying of his gun in the waist- advertisin' a leather shop band, in a boot-leg, or in some other un- Said of a tenderfoot dressed up in ex- expected place. aggerated leather "trimmin's," such as boots, chaps, cowhide vest, leather cuffs, acion (ah-the-on') etc. Charlie Nelms pointed out to me one Stirrup leather. A Spanish term some- dressed in hairy chaps and vest with the times used on the southern border and remark that "from the hair he's wearin' in California. y'u'd think it's cold 'nough to make a bear hunt cover, and here it's hot acorn calf polar as hell with the blower on." A runty calf, a weakling. Action afoot Said of a man without a horse. A man See cut his wolf loose, get down to afoot on the range is looked upon with cases. suspicion by most ranchers and is not adios (ah-de-os') welcome when he stops for food or shel- A Spanish word (meaning literally to ter, unless he can prove that he belongs God,) commonly used in the border cattle to the country and that his being afoot country as an expression of friendly is caused by some misfortune. It has al- leave-taking equivalent to the English ways been the custom of the range coun- good-bye, so long, or I'll see you later. try to regard a man as "a man and a horse," never one without the other. adobe (ah-do'bay) Even cattle have no fear of a man afoot, A mud brick made from clay that ad- and he is in danger of being attacked. heres compactly when wet. After being One of the old sayings of the West is, mixed with water and straw, it is cast "A man afoot is no man at all." He can into wooden molds about 18 by 6 by 10 not do a man's work without a horse and inches in dimension. When taken from is useless in cow work. Teddy Blue used the molds, these bricks are placed in the to say, "There's only two things the old- hot sun and allowed to dry and bake. time puncher was afraid of, a decent They are a common building material in woman and bein' left afoot." the sections under Spanish influence. The word is also used in referring to a house airin' the lungs built of adobe—usually shortened to What the cowboy calls "cussin'," 'dobe. The word is also used by the cow- which seems to be a natural part of his

boy in referring to anything of inferior language ; and he has a supply of words quality. (Harold W. Bentley, Diction- and phrases that any mule skinner would ary of S-panish Terms in English [New "be happy to get a copy of." As one York, Columbia University Press, 1932], cowman said, "The average cowhand 87). The Mexican silver dollar is some- ain't pickin' any grapes in the Lord's times spoken of as a 'dobe because the Vineyard, but neither's he tryin' to bust cowman holds it to be of small value. any Commandments when he cusses. It Western Words

jes' sets on his tongue as easy as a hoss- amble fly ridin' a mule's ear, and he can shore To go; to go leisurely. The cowboy cram plenty o' grammar into it." very often uses this term as, "I'm goin' to airin' the paunch amble over to the north pasture." Vomiting. Ambush air-tights See bushwhack, dry gulch, lay for. Canned goods. Today we can buy amigo (ah-mee'go) anything in cans from pie dough to po- A Spanish word commonly used in the tato strings, but the open-range cowboy Southwest, meaning rarely saw any canned foods other than friend, good fellow, or companion. corn, tomatoes, peaches, and milk. albino among the willows Said of one dodging the A horse ranging in color from a pure law. white with a blue, or "glass," eye to a Amount cream too light to be considered a palo- See burro load, poco. mino. andale (ahn'dah-lay) alforja (al-for'hah) The Spanish andar means move, stand A Spanish word meaning saddlebag out of the way, plus le meaning you or portmanteau. Americanized, it is a (thou). It is commonly used by Spanish- wide, leather or canvas bag, one of which speaking cowboys as hurry up, get a move hangs on each side of a packsaddle from on, get going. Because it is easier on the the crosses on the top of the saddle. Eng- vocal organs, they frequently yell this lish modifications are alforge, alforche, in place of longer English phrases at alforki, and alforka (Philip A. Rollins, cattle being driven. The Cowboy [New York, Charles Scrib- ner's Sons, 1936], 155). Anger See all horns and rattles, arches his alkalied back, cabin fever, dig up the tomahawk, Acclimated to the country; said of easy on the trigger, frothy, get a rise one who has lived in the country a long from, get his back up, get his bristles up, time; also of one drinks alkaline who haul in your neck, horning the brush, water. of the men considered old- Most horn-tossin' mood, on the peck, on the timers been living in the country so had prod, on the warpath, paint for war, red- long that, in the language of the cow- eyed, riled, sharpens his horns, sod- boy, "They knowed all the lizards by pawin' mood, techy as a teased snake, their first names, except the younger set." wash off the war paint. all hands and the cook angoras This phrase signifies an emergency. A frequently used slang name for It is used when every hand is called to chaps made of goat hide with the hair are guard the herd, when the cattle left on. unusually restless or there is imminent danger of a stampede. animal A bull. The cowboy will use any word all horns and rattles to avoid calling a spade a spade in the Said of one displaying a fit of temper. presence of ladies. In earlier times bull A man in this mood, as one cowboy said, was a word unsuited for parlor use, but "maybe don't say nothin', but it ain't safe today we are not so modest, and we hear to ask questions." throwing the bull on every hand. all-round cow horse Animals One good at performing any duty, as See cat, cimarron, hooter, javalina, cutting, roping, etc. ketch dog, kip pile, lobo, medicine wolf, ;

ARBUCKLE S

nice kitty, otie, pack rat, painter, pikets, and, with a vivid imagination, connect prairie lawyers, rooter, sachet kitten, it with the Appalachian Mountains. stand, wolf, wood pussy, wooshers. Yet it is easy to discover the correct origin of the spelling of the word. In anquera (an-kay'rah) the early days no one had occasion to From the Spanish meaning a round write the name, and as a spoken term the covering for the hindquarters of a horse two words a Pelouse were corrupted into semilunar tailpiece of a saddle. Ameri- affalousy, which, in turn, became af- cans use this term as meaning the broad faloosa. The spelling is merely an en- leather sewn to the base of the cantle deavor to follow the pronun- when there is no rear jockey, and extend- ciation of stressing the final e. (F. D. ing beyond the cantle. Haines, "The Appaloosa, or Palouse Horse," Western Horseman, II, No. i anti-godlin [January—February, 1937], 8-9; "More The cowboy's description of going Care in Breeding Spotted Horses," diagonally or in a roundabout way. Western Horseman, III, No. 2 [March- April, 1938], 30—31; Robert M. Den- anvil hardt, "Peculiar Spotted Ponies," Cattle- When a traveling horse strikes his fore- man, XXVI, No. 6 [November, 1939], feet with his hind ones, especially if he is 19-23.) shod all around. See forging. Appear aparejo (ah-pah-ray'ho) See bulge, show up on the skyline. Spanish, meaning facksaddle. This is a apple form of packsaddle composed merely of A slang name for the horn of the sad- a large leather pad about twenty-eight dle. inches wide and thirty-six inches long. It

is made double and stuffed to a thickness apple-horn of two or more inches. Attached to it is a The name given the style of saddle wide cinch and an exceptionally wide used in the eighties. It was so named breeching which fits close under the from the small horn whose top was

animal's tail, like a crupper. Since it is round like an apple, compared to the not equipped with sawbucks like the ordi- broad ones of the saddles it replaced. nary packsaddle, kyacks can not be used apron-faced horse with it. Anything can be packed on it, One with a large white streak on the but it is especially designed for heavy, forehead. awkward loads that can not be handled on ordinary packsaddles. Today it is be- Arbuckle coming scarce, and consequently good A green hand. Called this on the as- aparejo are rare. men sumption that the boss sent off Arbuckle coffee premium stamps to pay for his appaloosa "extraordinary" services. A breed of horse whose distinguishing characteristics are the color spots on the Arbuckle's rump, a lack of hair on the tail and in- The brand of coffee so common on the side the thigh, a good deal of white in range that most cowmen never knew the eye, and pink on the nose. This par- there was any other kind. Coffee is the ticular breed was developed by the Nez first thing on the fire at the cook's "roll Perce Indians in the Pelouse River coun- out," long before day; and throughout try. There are several explanations of the day and night, if camp is not to be the origin of the word affaloosa. Some moved, the pot nests on hot coals so that writers contend the word comes from the the hands can have a cup at the change Spanish noun felusa (since this feminine of guard. Nothing else the cook can do noun means down •which covers flants will make the cowboy hold him in such

it or fruits, is certainly not applicable) ; high esteem as keeping the coffee hot others claim the spelling is Affaluchi and handy. Western Words

The old-time wagon cook loved to tell forty-five, forty-four, gambler's gun, the tenderfoot his favorite recipe for gun, hair trigger, hardware, heeled, making cowboy coffee. With the greatest hide-out, hogleg, iron, Kansas neck- of secrecy he would say: "Take two blister, lead chucker, lead plum, lead pounds of Arbuckle's, put in 'nough pusher, man-stopper, meat in the pot, water to wet it down, boil for two hours, no beans in the wheel, old cedar, old and then throw in a hoss shoe. If the reliable, one-eyed scribe, open-toed hol- hoss shoe sinks, she ain't ready." The ster, parrot bill, peacemaker, persuader, cowman likes his coffee to "kick up in plow-handle, road agent's spin, scatter- the middle and pack double." gun, Sharps, shootin' iron, single roll, six-gun, skinning knife, smoke wagon, arches his back stingy gun, talkin' iron, thumb buster, Said of an angry person, of a horse tied holster, Walker pistol, Winchester, preparing to buck. Winchester quarantine, Worchestershire. Arizona nightingale arriero (ar-re-ay'ro) A prospector's burro. Called this be- Muleteer, packer, a man who packs cause of his extraordinary bray. loads on pack mules. Arizona tenor Arrive A coughing tubercular. See blow in, blow in with the tumble- Arizona trigger weeds. A cattle-trap consisting of a sort of arroyo (ar-ro'yo) chute going into a watering place, which This is a Spanish word meaning rivu-

is left wide open at first so that the cattle let. It is used almost exclusively in the

will get used to going into it. Then, Southwest, where a small stream is ca- when the cattle are to be caught, the pable of cutting a deep channel for itself chute is narrowed down at the inside in the soft earth, and the name has come so that the cattle can get in but can not to mean a narrow gorge having precipi- get out. tous walls of dirt. Arkansas toothpick artillery

A large sheath knife 5 a dagger. Pistols, personal weapons. I heard one cowhand say of a heavily armed man, armitas (ar-mee'tas) "He's packin' so much artillery it makes Spanish armar, to From the meaning his hoss swaybacked." arm or to flate with anything that may add, strength. Well-cut aprons, usually Association saddle made of home-tanned or Indian buck- The saddle adopted by associ- skin and tied around the waist and knees ations in 1920. Its use is now compulsory with thongs. They protect the legs and at all large contests. Built on a modified clothes and are cooler to wear in summer Ellenburg tree, medium in height, with than chaps. Their use practically passed a fourteen-inch swell and a five-inch

with old-time range customs, although cantle, it has nothing about it which per- they are still used to some extent, espe- mits the rider to anchor himself. As the cially in Southern California. (Dick cowboy says, "It gives the hoss all the Halliday to R. F. A.) best of it." The original Association Arms saddle was made with small, round skirts, three-quarter rigged, with a flank rig See ace in the hole, Arkansaw tooth- set farther back than on a regular rigged pick, artillery, belly gun, black-eyed saddle. It was full basket stamped and susan, pipe, blue lightnin', blue blow had stirrup leathers made to buckle for whistler, border draw, border shift, buf- quick and easy adjustment. falo gun, buscadero belt, caught short, credits, cross draw, Curly-Bill spin, cut- augur

ter, derringer, dewey, double roll, draw, Boss, a big talker (as noun) ; to talk

equalizer, fill your hand, flame thrower, (as verb). BALDFACED

augurin' match both of 'em talkin' at the same time and each one's got so much to say that it A talking contest such as is held no- gets in his way. At the start they talk where else except in the West. In the lan- fast furious, but after guage of the cowman, an augurin' match and an hour or so they slow down to a trot to be savin' is "jes' a case of two loose-tongued hu- of both words and wind. By the time it's mans a-settin' cross-legged, knee to knee over, neither one of 'em's got 'nough and face to face, talkin' as fast as they vocal power left to bend a smoke ring." can to see which one can keep it up the longest without runnin' out of words and wind. There's jes' a constant flow of axle grease words that don't make no sense a-tall, Slang name for butter. B

"Brains in the head saves blisters on the feet"

baa-a-ah "Were so tough they'd growed horns and was haired over." Kirk spoke The cowboy's contemptuous name for Tom of one's being "a wolf, and he ain't sheep. If you want to start a fight, just togged out in no sheep's wool either." blat this at a cowboy. backfire Badmen

A term used in fighting prairie fires, See bad medicine, cat-eyed, curly wolf, which means to start a new fire in front Daniel Boones, gun fanner, gunman, of the one to be fought. This purposely gunny, gun tipper, hired killer, killer, set fire is controlled on the advancing leather slapper, short-trigger man, want- side and driven toward the oncoming ed. blaze until the two meet and burn them- selves out. bag pannier A flat, oblong bag of canvas or leath- back jockey er with a long flap, lashed to the pack- The top skirt of a saddle, being the saddle to carry camp equipment. uppermost broad leathers joining behind the cantle. baile The Southwest's name for a dance, back trail especially one conducted under Mexican A trail just traversed (as noun); to or mixed auspices. go back over such a trail (as verb). Badlands bait Food, a meal. A section of country with little vege- tation, composed principally of buttes, bake peaks, and other badly eroded soil; also To ride in such a way as to overheat the cowboy's name for a red-light dis- a horse. trict. Badlander baldfaced called An inhabitant of the Badlands. A stiff-bosomed shirt, sometimes boiled; also applied to a horse when the bad medicine white on its head includes one or both Bad news, a man considered danger- eyes. Sometimes white-faced cattle are ous. Some of these men, said one cowboy, called baldfaced. Western Words band ear with yore elbow," or another with, "like huntin' for a whisper in a big A group of horses. This word is used wind." in referring to horses only, as either cat- tle, stock, or livestock are spoken of as shoe a herd, or bunch of cattle, or as a bunch A horseshoe with a metal piece welded of livestock. across the heel. bandido (ban-dee'do) base-burner A bandit, an outlaw. Used near the Slang for a drink of whiskey. Mexican border to refer to a Mexican outlaw. Band.it is the more common word basket hitch referring to the American outlaw. A packer's knot made with sling ropes, band wagon by passing them across the bottom of the pannier and around the rear cross of A range-peddler's wagon, usually the packsaddle, then bringing the loose loaded with clothing, cinches, stirrup end up under the pannier and tying it leathers, and other cowboy supplies. down. bangtail basto (bahs'to) A mustang or wild horse. Later bang- A Spanish word meaning a fad. The tail was used in the East in speaking of skirt of a saddle. The word is a technical race horses, as, "playing the bangtails." term restricted to the saddle industry and bar bit to horsemen. A straight or slightly curved round batch bar for a mouthpiece, having a ring at An unmarried man, short for bachelor each end for attaching the rein and head- (as noun) ; to live alone, to cook one's stall. own food (as verb). barbed brand bat-wings One made with a short projection from Chaps made of heavy bull-hide with some part of it. wide, flapping wings. They have become barboquejo (bar-bo-kay'ho) the most popular chaps on the range be- cause they snap on. Every cowboy lives A Spanish word meaning chin strap. with a pair of spurs on his heels, and A halter for the hind part of the under wearing the bat-wings, he does jaw of a horse; also a chin strap for the when not have to pull his spurs off to shed his cowboy's hat (see bonnet strings). Rare- chaps as he does with the "shotgun" ly used except near the Mexican border. style. These chaps are commonly deco- bar-dog rated with nickel or silver conchas down A . Many were former cow- each leg. boys too stove-up for riding. A bar-dog's bay favorite occupation, as one cowhand horse of light reddish color, always said, was "yawnin' on the glasses to give A a black mane and tail. 'em a polish." When he reached for your having bottle and hammered the cork home with bayo coyote (bah'yo ko-yo'tah) the heel of his hand, that action told you The Southwest's name for a dun horse more plainly than words that your credit with a black stripe down its back. had run out. bean-eater barefooted A nickname for a Mexican. Said of an unshod horse. bean-master barkin' at a knot A slang name for the cook. Trying to accomplish the impossible. One cowman might express the same bear-sign thought with, "like tryin' to scratch yore The cowboy's name for doughnuts.

8 BED-SLAT RIBS bear-trap to have the cattle on the bed-ground and bedded down before dusk. The bed- The name for a certain style of saddle, ground is chosen in a wide open space a severe bit. when possible, away from ravines or beast with a bellyful of timber, in order to avoid things which bedsprings might frighten the cattle. Said of a good bucking horse. Some- bed him down times a poor rider would let another top To kill one; also used in speaking of off his horse "to see that there ain't no putting a drunk to bed. bedsprings loose." bedroll Bed The cowboy's bedroll consists of a See bed down, bedroll, bed-wagon, tarpaulin seven by eighteen feet, made of bunk, cama, crumb incubator, cut the No. 8 white ducking, weighing eighteen bed, dream sack, flea-bag, flea-trap, ounces to the square yard and thoroughly goose hair, hen-skins, hippin's, hot-roll, waterproofed. This is equipped with lay, Mormon blanket, mule's breakfast, rings and snaps so that the sleeper may

parkers, prairie feathers, rildy, shake- pull the flap over him and fasten it. In down, skunk boat, split the blankets, the bed proper will be, perhaps, two spool your bed, star-pitch, suggans, tarp, heavy quilts, or soogans, a couple of Tucson bed, velvet couch. blankets, and a war-bag which the cow- bedded boy uses for a headrest. In such a bed placed on well-drained ground, he can In the cowman's language, this means sleep as dry as inside a house, even in a that a roped animal has been thrown full heavy rain. (John M. Hendrix, "T/te length with such force as to cause it to Bed-roll," Cattleman, XX, No. 4 [Sep- lie still. tember, 1934], 10.) bedding down Next to his horse and saddle, his bed- roll is the cowboy's most valued posses- The forming of a herd for their night's sion. It serves as his safe-deposit box, and rest—a scientific job requiring that the it is not what you would consider healthy herd be not crowded too closely, nor yet for a man to be caught prowling through allowed to scatter over too much terri- another's bedroll. tory. With a trail herd, as the sun began Such a bed is warm in winter. The to sink in the west, the men in charge "tarp" keeps out snow, sleet, and wind; would carefully and gradually work the and even when the bedroll is covered cattle into a more compact space and urge with snow and ice, the extra weight helps them toward some open, level ground se- keep the sleeper warm. In the morning lected for the bed-ground. If the herd dresses a la Pull- had been well grazed and watered dur- when he awakens, he style without quitting the blankets. ing the day, they would stop, and grad- man For a cowhand to leave his bed un- ually a few would lie down to their con- rolled packed for loading into tented cud chewing. (Will C. Barnes, and not the wagon when camp is to be moved is "Texas Cowboy—Pioneer and Senator," a very serious breach of range etiquette. Cattleman, XV, No. 9 [February, 1929], The cook will be sure to call him names 27—30.) With patience the cowboys that would "peel the hide off a Gila would stay with them until relieved by monster." If the careless puncher com- the men of the first guard. mits the offense more than once, the cook beddin' out is certain to drive off and leave his bed A term often used in connection with behind. the roundup season, as at this time the bed-slat ribs cowboy does all his sleeping in the open. Said of an animal in poor condition. bed-ground A cowhand in New Mexico told me of a The place where cattle are held at drought when "them bed-slats got so pore night. It is the duty of the day herders their shadows developed holes in 'em." Western Words bed-wagon together. Cowmen in these sections con- tend that the bells will warn them if the A wagon used to carry bedding, brand- horses become frightened in the night ing irons, war-bags, hobbles, and corral and leave in a hurry. But most cowmen ropes. It generally contained all that the object to a bell in the remuda because it cowboy truly valued, and was also used sounds too many false alarms and awak- as a hospital to carry the injured or sick ens a sleeping outfit needlessly. until they could be taken to town or to headquarters. Only the larger outfits car- belly-buster ried a bed-wagon, the smaller ones piling The Texan's name for the long stick, their beds into the chuck wagon. or pole, which serves as a latch to wire beef gates. If you have ever tried to open one of these gates and have had this pole slip Any cow or steer over four years of from your hand, you will know that it age (as noun) ; to kill an animal for is well named. food, to bellyache (as verb). Beef belly-cheater slang for the cook. See beef, beef cut, beefing, beef round- A name Many up, big antelope, jerky, slow elk, wo- cooks were merely cooks and not cow- haw. men. One cowhand informed me that the cook with his outfit "didn't savvy cow beef-book unless it was dished up in a stew." A tally book in which the records of belly-gun the ranch are kept. See also tally sheet. A slang name for a gun carried in beef cut the waistband of the pants instead of in Roundup parlance for cattle cut out of a holster. The gun is naked and drawn a herd for shipment to market. with a single motion similar to the regu- lation cross draw. beefing Slaughtering, bellyaching. belly rope When the roper's loop slips over the beef issue shoulders of a roped animal and tightens The issue of beef for food to reserva- around its belly, as the result of using tion Indians at a government agency. too large a loop. This act is always funny beef roundup to everyone except the man doing the roping. Synonymous with jail rounduf, for the purpose of gathering all cattle for belly through the brush shipment to market. Said of one hiding and dodging the beefsteak law.

When used as a verb, it means to ride belly up so that a horse's back becomes galled and Dead, to drink at a bar. Old Cap Mul- sore. hall had nothing but contempt for the beef-tea younger punchers when they "raised hell" in town after a few drinks. I have The old-timer's name for shallow often heard him utter the philosophy, "It water in which cattle had stood usually — don't take backbone to belly up to a bar." green, stagnant, and full of urine. belly-wash Behavior A slang name for weak coffee. See wagon manners. bench bell mare A plain rising above a lowland. A mare with bells around her neck, which is used in some sections of the bench brand cattle country to keep the saddle horses A brand resting upon a horizontal

IO BIT

bracket with its feet downward like a big bench. Whatever idea or physical asset that bend is expected to bring success (Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy [New York, To turn a stampede, or general move- Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936], 80). ment of animals. Used in some sections of the North. big fifty A nickname for the .50 caliber Sharps bendin' an elbow rifle. The act of drinking whiskey. One old rancher, who had no patience with a big house drinking man, used to hold to the phi- The home of the ranch owner. never pulled losophy that "a corkscrew big jump no one out of a hole." The cowman's reference to death. Best When one died, he was said to have taken the big and a good See nickel-plated, tops. jumf, many cowmen were "weighted down with their boots." between a rock and a hard place big sugar Bankrupt, in a tight. Nickname for the owner of a ranch. between hay and grass big swimmin' In different seasons, as in early spring, Said of a high river. when hay is gone and grass has not come

up ; also meaning difficult times. billet wide leather strap looped through Bible A the tree on the off side of the saddle. The cowboy's name for his book of Holes are punched in it to accommodate cigarette papers. the tongue of the cinch buckle. Bible "Two" Bill-show The Texas Rangers' annually - A wild west show such as Buffalo lished fugitive list, read by them more Bill's and Pawnee Bill's. than the real Bible. Bill-show cowboy bicycling A show-off cowboy of the The act, when riding a bucking horse, show type. of scratching with first one foot and then the other in the manner of riding a bi- Birds cycle. See chaparral bird, hooter, paisano, road runner. biddy bridle biscuit An old-fashioned bridle with blinders. A slang name for the horn of the t big antelope saddle. An animal, belonging to someone else, biscuit-roller killed for food. It was the custom in the A slang name for the cook. old days for a ranchman never to kill his own cattle for food, and many an biscuit-shooter old-timer was accused of never knowing Another slang name for the cook, a how his own beef tasted. One ranch waitress in a restaurant. woman was heard to say, "I would just bit as soon eat one of my own children as one of my yearlings." A metal bar which fits into the horse's mouth. There are many kinds of bits, big augur some of them extremely cruel when mis- The big boss. used. Yet it is rare that a cowboy uses a

II Western Words

bit for cruelty. His idea of a bit is that blab it is merely to hang in the horse's mouth. To clip on a calf's nose a thin board, When turning to the right, for example, six by eight inches in size, at the center he does not pull the right rein ; he merely of one of the long edges (as verb). He moves his bridle hand a couple of inches can graze but is assuredly weaned (Philip to the right, bringing the left rein against A. Rollins, The Cowboy [New York, the horse's neck. It is merely a signal. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936], 194.). The well-trained horse turns himself; he This device used for weaning (as noun). does not have to be pulled around. Many Also, as a noun, it had another meaning cowboys do not use bits, but ride with a now obsolete. The early-day rep wore hackamore instead. around his neck and hanging down a Bits piece of stiff leather which was known as a blab. It bore the brand of the outfit he See bar bit, bit, bit ring, chain bit, represented for all to see, and served as cricket, curb bit, grazin' bit, half-breed his identification card. (Will James, bit, Kelly's, port, ring bit, snaffle bit, York, Charles Scrib- spade bit, stomach pump, straight bit, Home Ranch [New ner's Sons, The word is tool chest, war bridle. 1935], 118.) now commonly used in the meaning of bitch to tell or loose talk. A tin cup filled with bacon grease, blab board and, with a twisted rag wick, used in The full name for the weaning device. place of a lamp or candle when either is not available; also a cowhide stretched blackballed outfit under a wagon from axle to axle for A ranch, or outfit, barred from send- carrying wood. See cuna. ing a rep to the general roundup, the bite 'em lip term being especially applied to small When a rodeo bulldogger leans over ranchers suspected of being rustlers or and fastens his teeth in the upper lip of friendly to them. the bulldogged steer. This stunt was orig- black book inated by , a famous Negro The Texas Rangers' list of "wanted" bulldogger. men. bittin' ring black chaparral Fastening the rein of the bit to the peculiar belly-strap for the purpose of making A very thorny kind of brush the horse bridle wise before the rider to the Southwest. mounts. When the rein is fastened, the black-eyed susan horse will gallop around in a circle with A slang name for a six-gun. little danger of crashing through a fence. steer bit ring A scrawny steer from the timbered The metal ring to which the reins are country. fastened. bit the dust blacksmithing Pimping or procuring for a woman Thrown from a horse. When Hawk of easy virtue. A polite way of giving Nance once got thrown, he got up to information of such a man, as "Bill is gingerly test his bones, then remarked blacksmithin' for Bertha." with a grin, "I reckon I didn't break nothin', but all the hinges and bolts are blacksnake shore loosened." It also means to be A long whip. killed. This expression originated in the Indian days, and during a battle when black spot an Indian was shot from his horse, it What the cowboy calls a piece of shade.

was said that "another redskin bit the It is also used in another sense, as when dust." one cowman spoke of another's reputa-

12 BLUE LIGHTNIN

tion by saying, "His past is full o' black from John Blocker, a well-known roper spots." In this characteristic cowboy man- of Texas, who originated and used this ner, he let me know of the other's shady loop. It is turned over when thrown and reputation. goes over the steer's shoulders and picks up both front feet. It is started like the black-strap straight overhead loop, being taken A slang name for molasses, thick and around the head to the left. The cast black. is made when the loop is behind the right shoulder, the right arm being blattin' cart whipped straight forward across the The calf wagon. See calf wagon. circle it has been describing. At the same blaze time the hand and wrist give the loop a twist toward the left. The loop goes To mark a trail (as verb) ; a white color on a horse's nose which goes up- out in front of the roper, appears to stop, ward to join the strip (see star strip), stand up, then roll to the left, showing causing the whole to become a blaze (as the honda to be on the side of the loop noun). opposite its position when the throw was started (W. M. French, "Ropes and blind as a snubbin' post Ropers," Cattleman, XXVI, No. 12 Undiscerning. One cowhand described [May, 1940], 17-30). such a person with, "He couldn't see through a bob-wire fence." blood bay A horse of darker red color than the blind bucker bay. A horse that loses his head when rid- den and bucks into or through anything. blot To deface a brand. blinder A sack or cloth used in covering a blow a stirrup horse's eyes when saddling or shoeing. Losing a stirrup, an act which dis- blinding qualifies the rider in rodeo contests. Covering a horse's eyes with a sack or blow in cloth to keep him quiet enough for sad- To spend money, to arrive. dling. blow in with the tumbleweeds blind trail To come unexpectedly. A trail with indistinct markings or blow out sign. A celebration. blind trap blow out his lamp A hidden corral for trapping cattle for kill. or wild horses. A slang expression blizzard blow-pipe slang for a rifle. A high, cold, searching wind, accom- A name panied by blinding sleet and smothering blow the plug snow. riding through blizzard, When a Said of a bucking horse that exhibits you would think, as one cowboy of my all the tricks of the rodeo arena. acquaintance did, that you were "ridin' on the knob o' the North Pole." blow up To start bucking. blizzard choked Said of cattle caught in a corner or blue-belly draw or against a drift fence during a The southern cowman's name for any blizzard. Yankee. Blocker loop blue lightnin'

An extra-large loop, taking its name A slang name for a six-gun.

l 3 Western Words blue meat rider fails to scratch his horse. See bog- gin' time in. The flesh of an unweaned calf. blue whistler boggin' time in fails to A bullet, so called because of the blue When a rodeo contestant scratch his mount. frame of the pistol 5 also a norther. Bluff boggy crossin' See cold blazer, fourflusher, put the A crossing of a stream which is full

saddle on him. of quicksand or boggy earth ; also some- boar's nest thing which one does not fully under- stand. A line camp, taking this name because its occupant is a man more interested in boggy-top cowhand than in the art his duties as a The cowboy's name for a pie with one housekeeping. These camps usually of crust. consist of shacks with one or two rooms and a small corral and storage for horse bog hole feed. They are furnished with a mini- Alkali hole, mud hole, or quicksand mum amount of equipment so that visit- where cattle are likely to enter for a little ing prowlers will not profit. Single men moisture and get bogged too deeply to who do not mind loneliness and who extricate themselves. can eat their own cooking are usually placed in these camps. Because there is bog rider in killing a beef for one too much waste A cowboy whose immediate duty it is man, the principal diet of this cowboy to rope the mired cattle and pull them consists of beans, lick, coffee, flour, lard, to dry ground. He rides a stout horse a few cans of food, and a slab of white, and frequently carries a short-handled salt-covered "sow belly." (John M. shovel, which he uses to get the bogged Hendrix, "Batchin' Camp," Cattleman, cow's legs clear. Placing his rope about XVI, No. 8 [July, 1934], 5.) the animal's horns, he wraps the other bob-tail guard end around the horn of his saddle. After cinching up his saddle as tightly as the The first guard at night herding. latigo straps can be drawn, he mounts body spin and starts his horse slowly. Then inch

A term in trick roping. The act is ac- by inch the cow is pulled to dry ground. complished by bringing a wide, spinning (Will C. Barnes, "The Bog Rider," loop up and over the head and thence Cattleman, XVI, No. 8 [January, 1930], down around the body during the spin- 27-28.) ning. It can be performed from the As soon as this is done, the rider dis- ground or from horseback. mounts and "tails" up the brute. The cow gratitude by immedi- bog camp usually shows her ately charging her rescuer. The ingrati- A camp established close to a boggy tude of a bogged cow is notorious. "As area so that men may be handy to pull ungrateful as a cow fresh pulled from a cattle mired. out which become bog-hole" is a common comparison. Bog bogged his head riders usually ride in pairs, as the job is strenuous for one man. Said of a horse which puts his head between his forelegs as a preparation for boil over bucking. To start bucking. bogged to the saddle skirts bonanza To be deeply implicated in some situ- rich body of ore, hence, prosperity. ation. A The word is also used in referring to any boggin' 'em in unusually promising or profitable enter- A term used in rodeo riding when the prise.

14 BOOT-HILL bone-orchard by book count, and created a saying which has survived through the years. A slang name for a cemetery. bone picker boot

The cowman's footwear ; also a horse- A man who, in the old days, gathered shoe with both heel and toe calked. buffalo bones after the hunters had ex- The cowboy's boots are generally the most terminated the buffalo ; also a slang name expensive part of his rigging, and he for a buzzard. wants them high-heeled, thin-soled, and bone seasoned made of good leather. The tops are made Experienced. of light-weight, high-grade leather, and all the stitching on them is not merely bone-yard for decoration. It serves the purpose of Another name for a cemetery; also a stiffening them and keeping them from reference to an emaciated horse. wrinkling too much at the ankles where they touch the stirrups. (John M. Hen- bonnet strings drix, "Boots," Cattleman, XXXIII, No. Buckskin thongs hanging from each ii [April, 1937], 5.) side of the brim of a hat at its inner The boots are handmade and made to edges, to the hat on. ends are hold The order. The cowman has no use for hand- run through a bead or ring, pull- and by me-down, shop-made foot-gear, and no ing these up under his chin, the cowboy respect for a cowhand who will wear it, has hat that will stay on during fast a a holding the opinion that ordinary shoes ride or in windy weather. He does not are made for furrow-flattened feet and care to have to ride back several miles not intended for stirrup work. to hunt for a hat that has blown off, for The high heels keep his foot from slip- he is usually too busy to stop. ping through the stirrup and hanging; booger they let him dig in when he is roping on foot, and they give him sure footing To scare, to confuse. in all other work on the ground. Then, book count too, the high heel is a tradition, a mark Selling cattle by the books, commonly of distinction, the sign that the one wear- resorted to in the early days, sometimes ing it is a riding man, and a riding man much to the profit of the seller. has always held himself above the man on foot. Books A cowhand wants the toes of his boots See beef book, Bible, Bible "two," more or less pointed to make it easier black book, book count, books don't to pick up a stirrup on a wheeling horse. freeze, brand book, dream book, prayer He wants a thin sole so that he has the book, shepherd's bible, tally sheet, wish feel of the stirrup. He wants the vamp book. soft and light and the tops wide and loose books won't freeze to allow the air to circulate and prevent sweating. A common byword in the northwest When a man is seen wearing old boots cattle country during the boom days "so frazzled he can't strike a match on when eastern and foreign capital were so 'em without burning his feet," he is con- eager to buy cattle interests. The origin sidered worthless and without pride. of this saying is credited to a saloon keep- er by the name of Luke Murrin. His bootblack cowpuncher saloon was a meeting place for influen- A man who came from the East to go tial Wyoming cattlemen, and one year into the cattle business for the money during a severe blizzard, his when herd- there was in it, called this by the old- owner customers were wearing long time cowman. faces, he said, "Cheer up boys, whatever happens, the books won't freeze." In this boot-hill carefree sentence he summed up the es- A name given the frontier cemetery, sence of the prevailing custom of buying because most of its early occupants died

*5 Western Words

with their boots on. The word has had bosal brand an appeal as part of the romantic side A stripe burned around the animal's of the West and has become familiar as nose. a picture of the violent end of a reckless life. But to the Westerner boot-hill was bosque (bos'kay) just a graveyard where there "wasn't In Spanish the word means literally nobody there to let 'em down easy with a forest, but English-speaking men use their hats off." Like the old saying, it more commonly in referring to a clump "There ain't many tears shed at a boot- or grove of trees. hill buryin'," and it is "full o' fellers that pulled their triggers before aimin'." Bosses See big augur, big sugar, buggy boss, Boots caporal, cock-a-doodle-doo, corral boss, See boot, California moccasins, cus- foreman, head taster, old man, powders, tom-mades, Justin's, mule-ears, peewees, presidente, range boss, read the Scrip- stogies. tures, right-hand man, rod, roddin' the booze blind spread, roundup captain, runnin' the outfit, segundo, straw boss, top screw, Very drunk. A man with a full-grown trail boss, wagon boss, white-collar case of booze blindness perhaps "never rancher. knowed he had a twin brother till he looked in the mirror behind the bar." botch Very often he got to the state where he Said of a bungled worked-over brand. "sees ain't there." Speed Car- things that A botched job is an acute mortification low declared that no man "could gargle to most rustlers. that brand o' hooch" he'd been drinking "without annexin' a few queer animals." both ends against the middle A method of trimming cards for deal- border draw ing a brace game of faro. A dealer who with the car- A cross draw made gun uses such a pack is said to be "playing ried at or near the hip, but hanging butt both ends against the middle," and the forward. A quick stab of the hand across saying became common in the West. the body reaches the gun, and the con- tinuation of the movement lifts it clear bottom of the holster. It is called this because of Endurance, as, "This horse has plenty

its popularity with men in the vicinity of bottom" ; also a low ground contigu- of the Mexican border. (Eugene Cun- ous to a stream. One of the sayings of ningham, Triggernometry [New York, the cow country is, "Real bottom in a Press of Pioneers, 1934], 423.) good hoss counts for more than his rig- gin'." border shift The throwing of the gun from one boughten bag hand to the other and catching, cocking, Cowboy's name for the traveling bag and if need be, firing it without seeming used by an Easterner. to pause. (Eugene Cunningham, Trig- gernometry [New York, Press of Pio- bounce neers, 1934], 423). A very difficult To turn animals. Not commonly used. stunt requiring much practice. bow up borrowed Said when cattle hump their backs in Euphemism for stolen. a storm; also used in the sense of show- ing fight, as one cowboy was heard to bosal say, "He arches his back like a mule in the Spanish bozal (bo-thahV From ), a hail storm." meaning a muzzle, a temporary head- stall. A leather, rawhide, or metal ring box brand around the horse's head immediately A brand whose design bears framing above the mouth, used in place of a bit. lines.

16 BRANDS box canyon brander

A gorge with but a single opening, the The man whose immediate duty it is inner terminal being against a wall of to place a brand upon an animal during rock within the mountain mass; also branding. When the calf is dragged to called a blind canyon. him, he jerks the branding iron from the fire, hits the rod on his forearm to jar box pannier off the coals and slaps it on the critter's box, usually A flat, narrow wooden hide. Perhaps he is working away from covered with green rawhide with the the fire and has an assistant. Then when hair on and lashed to the packsaddle to his iron becomes too cold to scar the carry camp equipment. hide, he yells, "Hot iron!" and another, Boys glowing a cherry red, is brought from the fire on a trot. See button, door knob, fryin' size, hen wrangler, pistol, put a kid on a horse, Branding whistle, yearling. See blot, botch, brander, branding brace game chute, brand inspector, burn cattle, burn 'em and boot 'em, burnin' rawhide, burn- A game which the dealer in' and trimmin' up calves, butcher, calf has fixed so that he is sure to win. Many on the ground, cook stove, corral brand- trusting and ignorant cowboys were vic- ing, dotting irons, fireman, fire out, flank, tims of the crooked gambler. flanker, hair brand, hair over, herrar, bradded brand hot iron, hot stuff, iron, iron-man, iron- Letter or figure having enlarged ter- tender, Look out, cowboy!, mavericking, mini. more straw, open-range branding, op'ra, picking sleeper, Braggarts a range branded, rolling a calf, run a brand, running iron, scorch- See flannel mouth, got callouses from er, slappin' a brand on, slicks, snappin' pattin' his own back. turtle, tally branding, working brands, brain tablet work over. A slang name for a cigarette. branding chute brand A narrow, boarded passage into which cattle are driven and held so that they The mark of identity burned upon the may be branded without having to be hide of an animal (as noun) ; the act of thrown. burning this emblem (as verb). Also slangily used to mean the deed to a sad- brand inspector dle horse. The origin of the brand dates A man hired by cattle associations to to antiquity, and there has never back inspect brands at shipping points and to take its place as a per- been anything cattle markets. manent mark of ownership. As the cow- man says, "A brand is somethin' that Brands won't come off in the wash." See barbed brand, bench brand, bosal brand, box brand, bradded brand, brand, brand artist brand you could read in the moonlight, rustler, one expert at changing A burnt till he looks like a brand book, brands. calling the brands, cold brand, connected brand blotter brand, counterbrand, county brand, de- coy brand, drag brand, fluidy mustard, A cattle thief who mutilates brands in flying brand, fool brand, forked brand, order to destroy the legitimate owner's greaser madhouse, hair brand, lazy claim; also called brand blotcher and brand, map of Mexico, maverick brand, brand burner. open brand, picked brand, rafter brand, brand book road brand, running brand, set brand, An official record of brands of a cattle skillet of snakes, sleeper brands, slow association. brand, stamp brand, swinging brand,

17 Western Words

tumbling brand, vent brand, walking their mounts while saddling and break- brand, whangdoodle. ing them. brand you could read in the breaking pen moonlight A small corral used for breaking Said of a large brand, or one covering horses. a large area of hide. breaking the medicine brasada Overcoming an enemy's efforts to harm you, breaking a jinx. Brush country. The Spanish word is brazada (brah-thah*'ciah) from brazo, break in two meaning arm or branch. This term is Said when a horse starts bucking. particularly applied in parts of Texas to the region densely covered with thick- break range ets and underbrush (J. Frank Dobie, Said when horses run off their home Vaquero of the Brush Country [Dallas, range. Southwest Press, 1929], 229). breed brave-maker To mate animals for the purpose of

An occasional name for whiskey. It reproduction (as verb) ; short for the has been said that, "When a man has to West's half-breed, or person of mixed go into a barroom to build his courage blood (as noun). up, he mighty often has to prove it." bridle breachy The headgear of the horse, composed A cow that jumps over or breaks of a crown-piece, brow-band, throat- through fences. latch, and, on each side, a cheek-piece. Most cowboys prefer a plain headstall. breaking There are no buckles nor conchas down Conquering, taming, and training a the cheeks to interfere with roping. When

horse by force and fight. the cowboy ropes anything and holds it, Breaking he keeps his horse facing it so that the rope naturally runs out beside the head. See blinding, breaking, breaking age, breaking patter, breaking pen, broken, bridle chain bronc stall, bust, choke down, curry the A short piece of chain fastened to the kinks out, ear down, gentling, hazer, In- bit ring on one end, and to the reins on dian broke, ironing him out, kick the the other end. Some riders like chains be- frost out, lady broke, let the hammer cause the reins do not get wet when the down, makin' shavetails, rough break, horse drinks, and they also keep a tied sacking, sacking out, smoothing out the horse from chewing the reins. humps, snappin' broncs, soak, three sad- bridle head dles, top off, uncorkin' a bronc, unroost- er, whip breaking, wiping him out, work The headgear of the bridle. over. bridle ring breaking age A metal ring at each end of the bit, The age at which horses are usually to which the reins are fastened. broken, between three and one-half and Bridles four years old. See biddy bridle, bittin' ring, bosal, breaking brush bridle, bridle chain, bridle head, bridle ring, band, rein, Said of one riding in the brush coun- brow bucking Cali- fornia reins, cheek-piece, cricket, try. crown piece, ear-head, fiador, freno, hacka- breaking patter more, headstall, horse jewelry, one-eared The soothing, yet derisive talk that bridle, open reins, romal, throat-latch, horse tamers use to distract the minds of tied reins, war bridle.

18 BRONC SCRATCHER bridle wise hands can ride the "snuffy" ones, but won't. This is the buster's job, and he re- Said of a horse so trained that he can ceives a few extra dollars per month. be controlled and guided in the direction No man hired to break horses ever abuses desired solely by laying the bridle reins them. He takes great pride in his work, on the side of his neck. and it is an honor to be pointed out as brindle the rider of the rough string for a big To go; also used in describing the outfit. He does his best to make good color of a cow, variegated with spots of cow horses out of his charges and not different colors. spoil them. No outfit wants spoiled horses, and a man who spoiled them would last bring-'em-close glasses only long enough to ride one horse. Field glasses. His job requires strength and skill, and he has to possess the "sixth sense" of bringin' up the drags knowing which way the horse will jump In the rear. Sometimes used in speak- next. Once in the saddle, he does his best person. ing of a slow or lazy to keep the bronc's head up. If he is brockled thrown, he is certain to crawl back on the animal immediately, provided he has An animal covered with splotches of not been crippled. To let the horse think various colors. he has won the fight gives him bad ideas. Broke Falls have no terrors for the seasoned See between a rock and a hard place, rider, but the thought of a foot's be- close to the blanket, didn't have a tail coming hung in the stirrup, or of find- feather left, down to the blanket, sold ing himself under a man-killer's hoofs his saddle. worries him plenty. How to fall is one of the first things he learns. He learns broken how to kick free of the stirrups, to go Said of a horse when he has had the limp and hit the ground rolling. He al- rough edges taken off, but to the tender- ways knows he is going a jump or two foot he would still seem fairly wild. before he actually goes. His working years are short, and he broken bit is too old for the game at thirty. Then bit composed of two pieces of metal A he has to be content to ride horses other joined by a swivel. men have gentled, the jar and lunge of bronco the rougher ones having torn him up in- A wild or semiwild horse, often con- side. tracted into bronc. From the Spanish bronc fighter bronco, meaning rough, rude. A horse Another name for a buster, but one usually retains this appellation until he which more properly fits the man who has been sufficiently gentled to be con- has never learned to control his own sidered reliable. temper, and he, therefore, usually spoils bronc belt the horse rather than conquers it. A broad leather belt sometimes worn bronc peeler by bronc fighters to support their back Another name for a rider of the rough and stomach muscles. string. bronc breaker bronc saddle A man who breaks wild horses. A specially built saddle used in break- bronc buster ing horses, made with wide, undercut fork, with built-in swells, and a deep- A man who follows the hazardous dished cantle. trade of horse-breaking as a steady busi- ness. He has to be good, even better than bronc scratcher the man who just breaks horses, and a A slang name for the breaker of wild good one is hard to find. The best cow- horses.

19 Western Words bronc snapper although thorns and limbs are constantly tearing at his face. he Synonymous with bronc scratcher. When comes out of the brush, he perhaps has knots on his bronc squeezer head and little skin left on his face, but Another term for bronc buster. he goes right back in at the first oppor- tunity. bronc stall The brush hand dresses differently A narrow enclosure where a wild from the plains cowboy. Compared with horse can be tied inside with just enough the romantic cowboy of fiction, he is a room for him to stand. Once a horse is sorry-looking cuss. No big hats or fancy in a place of this kind he can do nothing trappings for him. He is not much in the but snort, and a man can place his hand sun, and a big hat gives too much sur- upon him without fear of getting bitten face for the brush to grab. His chaps are or kicked. It is a gentling place for bad never of the hair variety, and flapping horses used at many ranches, especially leather bat-wings are likely to be snag- where a number of horses are broken for ged. He wears a strong, close-fitting, work in harness. The cowboy seldom uses canvas jacket without a tail. If he can

such a contrivance, but does his gentling afford gloves, he wears them ; otherwise, in the middle of a bare corral, or wher- his skin has to pay the penalty. Some of ever he happens to be (Will James, Sand, the tougher busters claim it is "cheaper to [New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, grow skin than buy it" anyway. His sad- 1929], 294). dle is a good one, though smooth and without fancy stamping to invite the hold bronc stomper of thorns. Every saddle is equipped with Another rider of the rough string, heavy bull-nosed tapaderos and these, to- which the old-timer would describe as a gether with his ducking-covered elbows, "man with a heavy seat and a light head." fend off most of the whipping brush. (J. bronc tree Frank Dobie, Vaquero of the Brush Country [Dallas, Southwest Press, 1929], A saddle with dished cantle and swell 205.) fork, made especially for riding bad The brush hand does practically all horses. Same as bronc saddle. his work on horseback, is tireless and bronc twister full of courage. No other cowman is such a glutton for punishment. Still another term for bronc buster. broom-tail brush country Range mare, a horse with long bushy A country covered with low-growing tail. Usually shortened to brooniie. trees and brush. The most famous sec- tion of such a country is in southwestern brow band Texas. The front part of a bridle. Brush Country brown gargle See brush country, brush hand, brush A slang name for coffee. horse, brush popper, brush roper, brush brush buster roundup, brush splitters, brush thump- er, brush whacker, limb skinner. A cowboy expert at running cattle in the brush. Cowboys of the plains country brush hand have a easier much time working cattle A cowboy of the brush country. than the brush hand. The brush hand has to be a good rider because he has to ride brush horse

in every position to dodge the brush. At This is usually a light-weight horse one time or another during his ride, he and has to be agile, although a big horse is practically all over the horse, first in is better for making an opening. It re-

one position, then in an entirely different quires little reining, and once it gets one, as he dodges. In order to dodge suc- sight of the cow, nothing can stop it (J. cessfully, he has to keep his eyes open, Frank Dobie, Vaquero of the Brush

20 a

BUCKET MAN

Country [Dallas, Southwest Press, 1929], brush whacker 206). Like its rider, the brush horse is a A brush hand. brute for punishment and game as they come. The number of horses in the brush buckaroo hand's mount is greater than in other A term used in the Northwest for mounts because the work is too hard to cowboy. The terms baquero, buckhara, keep a horse at it long at a time. Between and buckayro, each a perversion of either rides each horse is given a rest to allow the Spanish word vaquero or boyero, are the thorns to work out and the wounds also used (Philip A. Rollins, The Cow- to heal. Yet no matter how stove-up it boy [New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, becomes, it is always ready to break into 1936], 39)- the brush at the first opportunity. buckboard brush popper A light, four-wheeled vehicle in which elastic boards or slats, extending from The most popular name for the brush axle to axle and upon which the seat hand. He knows he would never catch a rests, take the place of the ordinary cow by looking for a soft entrance ; there- springs. Instead of sides on the body, it fore, he hits the thicket center, hits it flat, has an iron rail, three or four inches in hits it on the run, and tears a hole in it. height, which holds in luggage or other brush roper packages carried on its floor. It is said that just two things are re- buckboard driver quired to make a brush roper good — A mail carrier. Called this because he damned fool and a race horse (J. Frank usually used this vehicle for his deliveries. Dobie, Vaquero of the Brush Country Ranch mails, especially in the early days, [Dallas, Southwest Press, 1929], 211). were always small, no matter how in- Nevertheless, he is without a peer when frequent their coming or how large the it comes to roping. He uses a short rope, outfit. The owner's business involved lit- a small loop, and frequently has nothing tle correspondence, and the boys' inspired but a hind foot to dab his rope on. There less. Few with close home ties exiled is neither space nor time to swing a loop, themselves on the range. Many were on and to avoid entanglements his cast must the scout from the scene of some shooting be made expertly at just the right mo- scrape and known by no other name than ment. The plains cowboy, with his long a nickname. rope and his wide, swinging loop, would be worthless in the brush country. bucker A horse that pitches. brush roundup BUCKERS This is more of a drive than it is a See beast with a bellyful of bed roundup and is done quietly. It takes springs, blind bucker, bucker, cinch many "workings" to scare out a good binder, close-to-the-ground bucker, cloud- percentage of the hidden cattle. The hunter, gut-twister, high-roller, honest drive starts as early in the morning as pitcher, killer, livin' lightnin', pile-driv- possible, as cattle in the brush country er, pioneer bucker, run-away bucker, can not be worked well in the heat of the show bucker, spinner, sulker, sunfisher, day. Often these drives are made on weaver. moonlight nights because brush cattle lie in the brush and bottoms during the bucket dogie day and come out on the grass to feed Sometimes stockmen purchased calves at night. in the corn belt, or from farmers, and shipped them to their ranches to restock brush splitters the range. These were called bucket Cattle of the brush country. dogies. brush thumper bucket man Another slang name for the man who A contemptuous name given the cow- works in the brush country. boy by the rustler.

21 Western Words

buck fever with hair, three or four inches high, and Violent nervousness; sometimes called tied down on each side of the fork just buck ague. behind the horn. buck hook bucking the tiger Playing faro. During the early days A blunt-nosed, up-curved piece added the professional gambler of the frontier to the frame of the spur and used to lock carried his faro outfit in a box upon in the cinch or in the side of a plunging which was painted the picture of a Royal horse. Bengal tiger. Tigers were also pictured bucking upon his chips and oilcloth layout, and Synonymous with the Texas term, the game became known as the tiger. fitching. See pitching. buckin' straight away Bucking This buck consists of long jumps See blow up, bogged his head, boil straight ahead without any twists, whirl- over, break in two, broken, bucking, ing, or rearing, an easy horse for some bucking on a dime, buckin' straight to ride, yet poison for others. Straight- away, casueying, cat-back, chinnin' the away buckers are usually big and strong moon, circle buck, come apart, come un- and rough in their actions. Their chief done, crawfish, crow hop, double shuffle, stock in trade is to jump extremely high, fall back, fence corner, fence wormin', then, as they start down, to kick high fold up, goat, haul hell out of its shuck, with their hindquarters. At the same time hop for mama, jack-knifing, kettling, the cantle of the saddle hits the seat of kick the lid off, moan, pinwheel, pitch- the rider's pants, and the rider hits the ing, pitchin' fence-cornered, pump- dirt. A horse of this type usually hurts handle, pussy-back, rainbowin', rear- his rider when bucking him off, because back, settin' the buck, shoot his back, he generally throws him high and hard. slattin' his sails, straight buck, stuck his (Bruce Clinton, "Buckin' Horses," West- bill in the ground, sunfishing, swallowed ern Horse-man, III, No. 3 [May—June, his head, swapping ends, throw back, 1938], 10.) tryin' to chin the moon, turned through buck-nun himself, turn a wildcat, unwind, walkin' A recluse, a man who lives alone. beamin', waltz with a lady, warps his backbone, watchin' the op'ra, whing- buck out ding, windmilling, wrinkled his spine. To die. Commonly used to express a bucking on a dime tragic death. Said when a bucking horse does his buck out in smoke bucking in one spot. To die in a gun battle. bucking rein buckskin Usually a single rope attached to the A horse of light yellowish color pro- hackamore of a bucking horse. By grip- duced by the mixture of sand and blood ping this, the rider has an aid in keeping bays. his balance, but in contests he is not per- buck strap mitted to change hands. A narrow strap riveted to the leather bucking rim housing of the saddle just below and on A round-headed projection on the the off side of the base of the horn. Top cantle of some saddles. riders have nothing but contempt for this hand hold, and of course it is barred bucking roll at contests. A roll of blankets tied across the sad- dle, just behind the fork, to help wedge buck the saddle the rider in the saddle and make it more Said when a green bronc, at the first difficult for the horse to throw him. saddling, is allowed to buck with the Sometimes it is a leather pad, stuffed empty saddle while he is held by a rope.

22 BULL-HEAD buds building a loop A mark of ownership made by cutting Shaking out the noose in preparation down a strip of skin on the nose of an for a throw with a rope. animal. built high above his corns bueno (boo-ay'no) Said of a tall person. Cowboys are A Spanish word, meaning good or strong for exaggerations. I heard one speak of another's being "so tall it'd ferfect of its kind, but during open-range take a steeple-jack to 'im in the days in the Southwest, it was also used look eye," and again, "so tall he couldn't tell as a cattle term. In this sense, it meant that the animal called thus was "good" when his feet was cold." in that it had not been claimed by any- bulge one at the roundup, and that its brand To appear suddenly, as, "He bulged could not be found in the brand book. into the road ahead." Such animals were "good" pickups be- cause they were supposed to get by brand bull-bat inspectors at shipping points and market A slang name for the bronc buster. Potter R.F.A.) ^centers. (Jack to bulldog buffaloed To throw one's right arm over a steer's A slangy synonym for mentally con- neck, the right hand gripping the loose, fused, bluffed. bottom skin at the base of the right horn or the brute's nose, while the left hand buffalo gun seizes the tip of the brute's left horn. A heavy caliber rifle used by the buf- The dogger then rises clear of the ground, falo, hunters, usually a Sharps .50. and, by lunging his body downward against his own left elbow, so twists the buffalo mange neck of the animal that the latter loses A western name for lice, of which the his balance and falls. The first bulldog- buffalo hunters usually had a supply. ger was a Negro named Tom Pickett, and he astonished the cowboys of his day buffalo skinner by dropping off a running horse on the A man who made a business of skin- neck of a steer and throwing the animal ning buffaloes for their hides. by hand. Others began trying it with suc- cess, but it was not until a good many buffalo soldier years later that enough of them were The Indian's name (adopted by the present at any one rodeo to make a con- cowboy) for the Negro soldier of the test. As far back as 1 9 1 o and 1 9 1 1 a early frontier forts, because of his color single steer was bulldogged at some and kinky hair. shows, purely as an exhibition. buffalo wallow bulldogger A depression in the prairie which had One who bulldogs. been hollowed out by the wallowing of BULLDOGGING buffaloes. See dogger, hoolihaning, mug, twist- buggy boss ing down. Title given an eastern owner of a bulldogs ranch, who rode around in a buggy on A slang name for short tapaderos. his inspection tour because he did not ride horseback well. bulled When a cowboy speaks of an animal's bug juice bulling on him, he means that it balked A slang name for whiskey. or refused to move. build a smoke under his hoofs bull-head Shooting at another's feet. A dehorned animal.

23 ;

Western Words

bull hides ers frowned upon the tailing of their A frequent name for heavy leather stock, and the sport died out. chaps. bullwhacker bull nurse A man who drove (called whacked) A cowboy who accompanies a ship- the ox teams in early freighting days. ment of cattle on the train to their ulti- bull whip mate destination. A heavy cow whip, sometimes the bull riding knotted end of a rope. An event at , where the con- bull-windy testant rides a bull equipped with bull A balky horse. rigging. In the early contests the rider was allowed to hang on with both hands, bunch setting himself well back, with his feet A group of cattle (as noun) ; to herd well forward, and spurring the shoulders a group of cattle together (as verb). and neck only. Later two hands were barred, one hand had to be kept free, bunch grasser and finally the surcingle was abandoned A range horse living upon bunch grass altogether and a loose rope substituted. also a man who lives in the foothills. bull riggin' bunch ground A specially made surcingle used at Occasional name for roundup grounds. rodeos for riding wild bulls. It consists bunch quitter of a heavy leather strap, three inches wide and about two feet long with two A horse that has the habit of leaving hand holds about nine inches apart. At the remuda and pulling for the home each end is a heavy ring to which latigos ranch or to parts unknown. and cinch are attached as on a saddle. bunk Not used in present-day rodeos.

A built-in bed (as noun) ; to sleep, to bull shoes sleep with another (as verb). Shoes, sometimes made of rawhide, bunkhouse sometimes of iron, placed on the feet of Sleeping quarters of the cowhands at work oxen, much after the fashion of a ranch. horseshoes, to keep their feet from getting sore. Bunkhouse bull's manse See bunkhouse, dice-house, dive, dog- house, dump, ram pasture, shack. The home of the big boss. burn cattle bull tailing Said of branding. A game once popular with the Mexi- can cowboys of Texas. One bull would burn 'em and boot 'em be released from a pen of wild bulls, and Branding calves. After a calf is brand- with much yelling a cowboy took after ed, it is usually booted toward its anxious him. Seizing the bull by the tail, the mother. rider rushed his horse forward and a lit- burnin' and trimmin' up calves tle to one side, throwing the bull off his Branding, earmarking, and castrating balance and "busting" him with terrific calves. force. American cowboys are more hu- mane and seldom indulge in this sport. burn powder Frank Dobie, Vaquero the Brush (J. of To shoot. Country [Dallas, Southwest Press, 1929], 16, 19.) Bull tailing may be considered burnin' rawhide the forerunner of bulldogging, but with Branding. Used mostly with reference the increase in the value of cattle, own- to rustling.

24 BUTTERFLY

burnt till he looks like a brand bushed book Exhausted, worn out; also short for bushwhack. Said of a much-branded horse. A horse with many brands shows that he has bushwhack changed hands often and that he has no To ambush. One cowboy friend used friends among any of his former own- to say, "Some men are bad—behind a ers. A good sign that he is untrustworthy. bush." burn the breeze business riding To ride at full speed. One cowhand, When a rider of a bucking horse is in telling of a fast ride he made, said unable to spur his mount, he hooks his that when he "pushed on the reins, I had spurs in the cinch, and makes it his "busi- that hoss kickin' the jack rabbits out of ness" to stay on—if possible. the trail." bust burro (boo'r-ro) To throw an animal violently, to Not burrow, as pronounced by many break a horse. Americans. A donkey, an ass. This ani- mal was extensively used in the early busted cinch

West as a carrier of freight. The word Either j ust that, or an expression mean- also means a stand made like the roof ing failure. of a house, upon which to keep a saddle busted flush when it is not in use. Using a burro is much better than laying the saddle down Plans gone awry. or hanging it by a stirrup. If the cow- buster hand does lay his saddle down, he lays Short for bronco buster, a breaker of it on its side or stands it on its head. He bad horses. does not drop it on the skirts. If he hangs it up, it is usually by the horn string. Busters burro load See bronc breaker, bronc buster, bronc fighter, bronc peeler, bronc scratcher, This term is often used as a unit of bronc snapper, bronc squeezer, bronc measure, as use or bushel, espe- we feck stomper, bronc twister, bull-bat, buster, cially in the hauling of firewood bought contract buster, flash rider, jinete, peeler, by the burro load. rough-string rider, twister. Bury butcher See plant, put to bed with a pick and The man, during branding, who cuts shovel. See also death. the earmarks, dewlaps, wattles, and other inerasable marks identification on the bury the hatchet of animal's anatomy. Expression of Indian origin, meaning to cease hostilities and again become butte friends. A conspicuous hill or mountain left standing in an area reduced by erosion. buscadero (boos-cah-day'ro) From the Spanish buscar, meaning to butterboard weaner search for, to seek. Used in the South- Blab for weaning a calf. See blab west for a tough, gun-carrying officer of board. the law. Later occasionally used to mean any gunman. butterfly The first act in ordinary trick roping buscadero belt is to start the rope spinning, either in A belt made from four to six inches front of your person or around your wide with a slotted flap on each hip for head. Then the noose is enlarged and carrying the gun. rapidly darted from side to side, vertical-

25 Western Words

ly spinning to the right and then to the buyin' chips left, in a stunt called butterfly. A gambling term; also said of one buttermilk who takes part, unasked, in a dispute or fight. A motherless calf. buzzard-bait buttermilk cow A poor horse. In cowboy parlance A slang name for a bull. one which "was dead but jes' wouldn't buttermilk horse lie down." What the cowboys of some sections buzzard-head call a palomino. A mean-tempered range horse. button buzzard-wings The cowboy's name for a boy. Another name for bat-wing chaps. buy a trunk buzzsaw An expressive western phrase meaning A spur whose rowel has a few, long, to leave the country. sharp points. C

"Only a fool argues with a skunk, a mule, or a cook" caballada (cah-bal-lyah'dah) cabestro (cah-bes'tro)

In Spanish // sounds like the English Spanish for halter. The American y ; ada is a Spanish suffix meaning a cowboy uses this word mostly to dis- group of. Thus vaca is cow, and vacada tinguish a horsehair-rope halter, which is a drove of covjs; caballo is horse, and he calls cabestro, from a leather one. caballada is a band horses. The word of cabin fever means a band of saddle horses wherever they may be—the extra horses, not at When two or more cowboys are the time under saddle—the supply of snowed in at a line-camp and forced to mounts maintained by a ranch. This word spend so much time in each other's com- is not used in referring to unbroken pany that they become hostile to each horses, but is reserved for those used as other, they are said to get cabin fever. saddle horses. Though it is a Spanish cable word, the Mexican corrupted it into What the cowboy calls the rope he cavayer or cav-ayah, and the American uses for a rope corral. See rope corral. cowboy pushed it further into cavvieyah, cavoy or cavvy. caboodle caballero (cah-bal-lyay'ro) Lot, aggregation, amount. Horseman. Translated literally it caboose means a cavalier or knight. A hardened rawhide cradle under the for but gay cowboy who can jump on his A wagon carrying fuel. horse at any moment and tell the rest of the world to go to hell. cabron (cah-brone') caballo (cah-bahTlyo) Spanish for he-goat, a person who con- A horse. The word is used in light sents to the adultery of his wife. Used in conversation, but mostly the cowboy calls the Southwest to mean an outlaw of his horse a hoss. low breeding and principle.

26 CALIFORNIA PANTS cache the calves born during the winter. It occurs after From the French cacher, meaning to the grass has come, taking place in conceal. Hide (used as both a noun and March throughout the South and on correspondingly a verb). later dates in the more northern latitudes. cactus calf slobbers Not only a thorny plant of many va- Cowboy's name for meringue. rieties, but also a term sometimes used in referring to the desert country. calf wagon cactus boomers A wagon used by some of the old trail drivers to pick up and haul the calves A popular nickname for wild brush born en route. Some trailers did not carry cattle. such a wagon, and, rather than delay cahoots the herd, killed the calves or gave them to settlers if any happened to live near. In partnership. The cowman always throvoed, in or went into cahoots with calico another man when he entered a partner- A pinto horse ; also the cowboy's slang ship. name for a woman, taken from the dress cake wagon material commonly worn. It was said in the old West that "calico on the range A wagon used on modern ranches to was scarce as sunflowers on a Christmas carry cottonseed-meal cake to feed cattle. tree." calf crop calico queen Calves born during the season. The frontier name for a woman of calf horse the honkytonks. A horse used in roping, so trained that California he will back away, still facing the thrown To throw an animal by tripping it. animal, to take up the slack. California buckskin calf on the ground Baling wire. The flanker's call to the ropers that the calf to be branded had been thrown. California collar calf on the string A hangman's noose, taking this name The roper's call that the calf to be from the vigilante days of California, branded had been roped. when it was freely used to curb lawless- ness. calf roping In this rodeo event, the cowboy, astride California drag rowel a horse, must rope a calf, jump from Spur whose rowels drag the ground his horse, dash to the calf, and tie the when its wearer is afoot. It is of the Span- animal by three legs against time. The ish California type, straight heelband, event had its origin in actual practice. with a small button on the end to loop Cowboys on roundup had to rope the the spur-leather on, and the heel-chains calf and drag it to the branding fire in passing under the instep to hold it in po- the same way as in the contest. sition on the boot. calf 'round California moccasins

To loaf, to idle about. It is, in the Sacks bound about the feet to prevent language of one cowhand, "keepin' 'bout their freezing. as busy as a hibernatin' bear." California pants calf roundup A style of pants used on the range, Synonymous with sfring roundup and usually of striped or checked heavy wool primarily for the purpose of branding of excellent double weave.

*7 Western Words

California reins sion is not commonly used, but is well understood in the Southwest. Reins made of one piece of leather with no separation of each rein as with Camps the open reins. See boar's nest, bog camp, bog hole, California rig cow camp, dry camp, Jones' place, line- camp, sign camp. A one-cinched saddle on a California % tree. camp-staller A horse that refuses to leave camp in California skirts the mornings. When the stock saddle has round

skirts, it is said to have California skirts, can for these are the favorite style in that To wire a tin can to a cow's neck to

state. prevent fence breaking ; also to discharge an employee. California sorrel A red-gold horse of the palomino type. canned cow Canned milk. California twist A roping term meaning to cast the can openers rope with a single overhand twist and Slang name for spurs. no twirling. cantinesses calling the brands Saddle pockets. Ability to give brands a name. Brands cantle have made necessary the coining of a The raised back of the saddle. language all their own, and though they are an enigma to the tenderfoot, the cantle-boarding cowman is very adept at reading them. Riding loosely and hitting the cantle Calves or back of the saddle. See acorn calf, blab, blab board, blue cantle drop wean- meat, bucket dogie, butterboard The outside of the back of the cantle er, calf crop, calf roundup, calf wagon, of a saddle. churn-dash calf, deacon, dogie, droop- eyed, hairy-dicks, hot foot, leppy, long can't hook cattle yearling, mug, open heifer, orejano, pail Cattle without horns, muleys. fed, poddy, rusties, sanchos, short year- can't whistle ling, skimmy, sleeper, slick, spike wean- er, weaner, wind-belly, wrastlin' calves, The cowboy's name for a harelipped yearling. person. cama (cah'mah) canyon Spanish, meaning bed, and used as an A deep valley, with high steep sides. occasional name for the cowboy's bed- The Spanish word originally meant a large tube or funnel. roll. Camping cap-and-ball layout A shiftless and unprogressive ranch See sage-henning. or outfit. camping on his trail caponera (cah-po-nay'rah) Following someone closely. From the Spanish capon, meaning a castrated animal. A herd of geldings. campo santo (cahm'po sahn'to) The Mexican name for a graveyard. caporal (cah-po-rhar) Campo meaning field, and santo means The boss, the manager or assistant sacred, literally a holy field. The expres- manager of a ranch.

28 CATTLE capper cash in A man who frequents the gambling To pass from this mortal life, to die. houses, and who, by being allowed by cash in his six-shooter the dealer to win large sums, leads the An outlaw's phrase for holding a unwary cowboy to buck a brace game. up bank. cap rock casueying (ka-soo'ying) The escarpment of the High Plains, A South Texas term for pitching, but as the Cap Rock of the Texas Panhandle. rarely heard in other sections. (cah-ray'ho-ing) carajoing catalog woman Shouting "Carajo" (cah-ray'ho)l An A wife secured through a matrimonial exclamation used by mule skinners, cow- bureau. Usually, as Alibi Allison said, boys, and other outdoor workers (J. "one o' them widders that wants 'er Frank Dobie, Coronado's Children [Dal- weeds plowed under." las, Southwest Press, 1930], 362). cat-back Care for A slang term for mild bucking. See ride herd on. cat-eyed careless with his branding iron Said of a badman who has to be con- Said of a rustler, or one suspected of stantly watchful to keep from being having designs on other folks' livestock. "downed" by a rival jealous of his repu- carnival hand tation. Most men of this type make it their business to sit with their backs to A stunt rider. the wall, facing the door. If the door Carry is closed, they watch the knob for ad- See pack. vance notice of an entrant. In cowboy carry the news to Mary lingo, "You'd never find 'im settin' on his gun hand." Said when a horse runs off with the saddle on his back. catgut cartwheel A slang name for a rope, particularly a rawhide one. A spur with a rowel having few, but

long, points radiating from its axle ; also cat what a silver dollar is sometimes called. Short for cantamount, literally moun- carvin' horse tain cat; cougar. A cutting horse. cattalo hybrid offspring buffalo and carvin' scollops on his gun A of cattle, the first of which were the results Making credits, or notches on a gun of experiments by Charles Goodnight, of to commemorate a killing. Texas. casa grande (cah'sah grahn'day) Cattle Literally large house, but to the a See animal, bed-slat ribs, beef, beef ranch life it meant Spanish-American cut, beefing, bend, big antelope, black- the place where all the hands gathered jack steer, blizzard choked, bounce, bow for frolic; the owner's home, fun and up, breachy, brockled, brush splitters, used only in the Southwest. bueno, bulled, bullheads, bunch, butter- case of slow milk cow, cactus boomers, can, can't hook cattle, case of worms, cattalo, cattle Said of the loser in a gun-fight, said grubs, cedar braker, coaster, cold-blood- of a man too slow in getting his gun into ed stock, come out a-stoopin', combings, action. corriente, cow, cowpen herd, critter, case of worms cull, cut, cut-back, cutter herds, cutting An animal with screwworms. out, day herd, dehorn, dew-claws, die

29 Western Words

up, doctor, double-wintered, downer, Cattlemen down steer, drag, drift, drive, droop- See little feller, longhorn, range pi- eyed, droop-horn, dry drive, dry stock, rate, sharpshooter, stock detective. duke, dust, fallen hide, feeders, fence crawler, full-ear, gentler, Goodnighting, cat-walk grade up, grass-bellied, grass train, A narrow boardwalk along the top grown stuff, grubber, heavy cow, herd, of a shipping chute, used by the cowboy herd broke, horned jack rabbit, horn- to assist in driving cattle into the cars. swoggling, hospital cattle, hot bloods, caught in his own loop hothouse stock, Judas steer, just a ball of hair, kettle-bellied, kneeing, ladinos, Said of one who fails through some lead steer, line-back, line breeding, lobo fault of his own. stripe, loco, longhorn, long yearling, caught short marker, maverick, mealy nose, Mexican Unarmed in a crisis. In the language buckskin, milk pitcher, mixed cattle, of one cowhand speaking of an unarmed mixed herd, mocho, mossy-horn, mother- man, "He was caught short and now he's up, mountain boomer, muley, mustard deader'n hell in a preacher's back yard." the cattle, necking, Nellie, night drive, night herd, on their heads, on the hoof, caverango (cah-vay-rran'go) on the lift, open-faced cattle, open heif- An English corruption of the Spanish er, pasture count, pegging, petalta, pil- caballerango which means he

30 CHAPS

Celebration a clump or thicket formed by thorny shrubs. See blow out. Cemetery chaparral bird bird with long legs, See bone-orchard, bone-yard, boot- A long slender body, long tail, and large powerful beak, hill, campo santo, grave patch. commonly living in chaparrals. It has center-fire wings but seldom uses them, since its A name for a saddle with one cinch, chief defense is speed in running. It is also this being placed near the center of the called chafarral cock and road run- ner, the it saddle; also called single-fire, single- latter because customarily runs rigged, single-barreled, and California down the trail in front of a rider as if challenging him to a race. rig. This saddle is not much good in a mountainous country as the cinch will chaparral fox not hold when going downhill. A sly, tricky person, a sneak. One of chain bit those fellows who, in the words of Frank Ortega, "wouldn't trust as as A bit made of a short piece of chain. you far y'u could throw an elephant ag'in' the chain hobble wind." The fastening of a short chain, about chaparro (chah-par'ro) two feet long, to the horse's forelegs, left loose at the other end. This method An evergreen oak.

of is not commonly used, be- hobbling chapping cause the loose end strikes the horse's legs act of if he starts to run, and besides causing The whipping one with a pair pain often trips and injures him. of chaps. This is often done in rough horseplay when a group of cowboys get changing mounts together for a kangaroo court. When This is routine work with a cow out- used against someone of vile and un- fit during roundup and occurs several popular disposition, it can be severe pun- times a day. A rider may change his ishment. circle horse for his cutting horse, or a chaps rope horse, according to the duty he is going to perform. Later, if going on An American abbreviation of the night herd, he changes to his night horse. Spanish chafarejos (chah-far-ray'hose), There are always a few broncs in his meaning leather breeches or overalls. string, and he works them in rotation to This word was too much of a mouthful give his other horses a rest. He uses these for the American cowboy, so he "bit horses on circle, and when he puts his shallow" and said chafs, pronouncing it saddle on one of them, the changing is shafs. a thrill producer. They are skeleton overalls worn pri- Since all horses of the remuda are kept marily as armor to protect a rider's legs away from the camp, when the riders are from injury when he is thrown or when ready to change mounts, the wrangler a horse falls upon him, pushes him drives the horses to camp where they against either a fence or another animal, are penned in a rope corral. Then each carries him through brush, cacti, or other man ropes the mount he wants. In the chaparral, or attempts to bite him; also early morning he usually selects the they are proof against rain or cold. The gentle horses, but on cold mornings even word occurs in English dictionaries as these have a hump in their backs. At chafarejos, but the Spanish word is real- noon his courage rises with the warmth ly chafareras (cha-far-rray'rahs). of the sun, and he catches the wilder In spite of the movies and popular

ones if he is riding circle. fiction, the cowhand sheds his chaps when he dismounts for ground work, for they chaparral (chah-par-rahT) are hot and uncomfortable to walk in. Thorny shrubs, low evergreen oaks, Only the hand of the brush country keeps

31 Western Words

his on, because he never knows when he cheek-piece is going to have to tear a hole in the The side part of the bridle. brush. When the cowboy rides to town, he leaves his chaps hanging on a nail chestnut in the bunkhouse. If he does wear them, A horse of brownish hue with neither he takes them off when he arrives, and flax nor black mane and tail; the mane either hangs them over his saddle horn, and the tail are always approximately leaves them at the livery stable, or throws the same color as the body. them behind the bar of some saloon where he is known. chew gravel Chaps To get thrown from a horse. See angoras, armitas, bat-wings, bull chew it finer hides, buzzard wings, chaps, chap string, A request to explain in more simple cut, chigaderos, chinkaderos, words. One cowhand I know admitted chivarros, dude chaps, grizzlies, hair that he'd "never got past the fly-leaf of pants, leggin's, open-shop pants, pinto a primer," and words that "showed up chaps, riding aprons, shotgun chaps, as big as a skinned hoss" discouraged twelve-hour leggin's. him. chap string the cud A short string which holds the legs chew of the chaps together in front at the To argue, to carry on a long-winded

waist. It is not so strong that it will not conversation. Blackie Taylor spoke of break when the cowboy gets "hung up" two such old "augurs" with, "Their in the riding gear. tongues was so frolicsome their prattle sounded like rain on a tin roof, but it Charlie Taylor wasn't long till they both run out o' A substitute for butter, a mixture of smart answers." syrup or sorghum and bacon grease. Cheyenne cut chase a cloud A type of wing chap developed in To be thrown high from a horse. Wyoming, the wing being narrower and chassed straight. The under part of the leg is cut back to the knee, with no snaps be- From the French chasser, meaning to low that point. go. Chassed into is commonly used as a synonym for haffened ufon. Cheyenne roll Cheating Frank Meanea, a saddlemaker of something different See deal from the bottom, gig, gouge. Cheyenne, to create from the current saddles of his day, cheeking made a saddle with a leather flange ex- Grasping the cheek strap of the bridle tending over, to the rear, of the cantle- just above the bits and pulling the horse's board, and this is called a "Cheyenne head as far toward the saddle as possible roll." (Bruce Clinton to R.F.A.) This while mounting to prevent the horse from saddle was brought out about 1870 and running or bucking. If a man does not became very popular throughout the know a horse, he is sure to cheek him seventies and eighties, especially east of the first few times. Cheeking pulls the the Rockies. horse toward you if he starts in motion, and this has the advantage of almost chicken horse swinging you into the saddle without Small, scrubby horse killed for dog effort. Swinging in the opposite direction and chicken feed as in recent years. would make mounting difficult. (John M. Hendrix, "Gittin' Up in the Big chicken saddle Middle," Cattleman, XXI, No. 5 [Oc- A slang name for an unusually small tober, 1934], 5-) saddle.

32 CHOOSIN MATCH chigaderos (chig-gah-day'ros) and another name for leggins or chaps, Another name for riding aprons or more commonly those made of goat skin. armitas. See armitas and chinkaderos. choke-bored pants Chihuahuas (Chee-wah'was) A name given the flare-hipped, tight- Large Mexican spurs. Made in one kneed riding breeches of the Easterner. piece with wide heel bands, the genuine choke down Chihuahua spur is often a beautiful piece subdue an animal by choking with of workmanship, inlaid with silver in To a rope. the most intricate designs, even to the spokes of the rowels (Dick Halliday to choke rope R.F.A.). A rope placed around the horse's neck, Chihuahua cart used by many old-time Wild West show riders. When the horse lowers his head A heavy wooden cart with solid wood- to buck, the rope slips near his en wheels. down jaws. With a firm grip on the rope, the chili rider rears back against it, thus more Not only a favorite dish of the Mexi- or less choking the horse down, as well can, but also the slang name the cowboy as steadying himself in the saddle and sometimes gives the Mexican himself. therefore making the ride much easier. chili-eater choke strap Another nickname for the Mexican. The derisive reference to a necktie, Commonly used to mean loiv caste or something for which the cowboy has low-iroiv. little need. chinkaderos (chink-ah-day'ros) choke the horn

Same as chigaderos ; often shortened To catch hold of the saddle horn dur- to chinks. ing the riding of a bucking horse. If a rider concentrates on holding to the horn chinnin' the moon instead of trying to ride with his whole Said of a horse which bucks high, or body, the horse will soon have him stands on his hind feet and paws the air. "knockin' a hole in his vest with his Chinook chin." George Phillips, the old "foothill filosopher," once described such a rider warm wind in the Northwest from A with, "His head got to poppin' back and the Japan current, which melts the snow forth, lookin' like every jump it would even in midwinter; also the term used pop plumb off, back and forth, forth and for the universal Indian language un- back, jes' like he was sayin' how-de-doo, derstood by all tribes of the Northwest. how-de-doo." chin spot cholla (choriyah) When a white snip on the horse's face A particularly spiny species of cactus. increases in size to include part of the It grows to a height of six or eight feet lower lip, it is called a chin spot. and has many stumpy branches which are chip-box easily detached, and on this account has a most vicious reputation for embedding Place where dung fuel is kept; also itself in passers-by. called chif file. chip wagon choosin' match A two-wheeled cart used in the early The selection of mounts on a ranch. days on the range to carry cow chips The choice rotates according to seniority when wood was scarce. with the firm, and each puncher chooses his string from the remuda of the ranch. chivarras (chee-vah'rras) His choice is final, and even the foreman

From the Spanish chiva, female goat, respects it.

33 Western Words

chopper Convenient drawers are made for plates, cups, and knives and forks. Others A man employed in cutting out cattle. are stored with coffee, bacon, beans, and chopping horse other chuck. Also in every chuck-box A slang name for a cutting horse. the cook has a drawer for a few simple remedies such as liniment, pills, salts, chouse quinine, and calomel; and he might This word, as used by the cowboy, sneak in a bottle of whiskey for his per- means to handle cattle roughly, to make sonal use in case of "snake bites." See them nervous, to annoy them and stir chuck wagon. them up unnecessarily. chuck-eater chuck A man from the East who came west The cowboy's name for food. to learn ranch work. The cowboy con- Chuck tends that about all the help he renders is to make the chuck disappear. See air-tights, Arbuckle's, axle grease, bait, bear-sign, belly-wash, black-strap, chuckle-headed as a prairie dog boggy top, brown gargle, calf slobbers, Contrary, undiscerning. canned cow, Charlie Taylor, chuck, chuck wagon chicken, cow grease, cut Chuck House straw and molasses, dip, district attor- See cook house, feed-bag, feed-rack, ney, doughgods, fancy fluff-duffs, fried feed-trough, grub house, mess house, chicken, frijoles, grub, grub-pile, grub- nose-bag, swallow-and-git-out trough. stake, gun-wadding bread, hen-fruit stir, horse-thief's special, hot rock, chucking the Rio huckydummy, immigrant butter, jerky, Said of a cowman of the Northwest John Chinaman, Kansas City fish, lar- affecting the dress and manners of the rup, lick, lining his flue, long sweetenin', Southwesterner. machinery belting, man at the pot, Mexican strawberries, , moun- chuck-line rider tain oyster, muck-a-muck, music roots, This appellation is applied to anyone nigger-in-a-blanket, padding out his who is out of a job and riding through belly, pig's vest with buttons, pooch, the country. Any worthy cowboy may be poor doe, potluck, prairie strawberries, forced to ride chuck-line at certain sea- sea plum, sinkers, skid grease, slow elk, sons, but the professional chuck-line soft grub, son-of-a-bitch-in-a-sack, son- rider is just a plain range bum, despised of-a-bitch stew, sop, sourdoughs, sour- by all cowboys. He is one who takes ad- dough bullet, sourdough keg, sow bos- vantage of the country's hospitality and om, splatter dabs, spotted pup, staked to stays as long as he dares wherever there a fill, state's eggs, Supaway John, swamp is no work for him to do and the meals seed, Texas butter, throat-ticklin' grub, are free and regular. See grub-line rider. trapper's butter, wasp nests, whistle- chuck wagon berries, wool with the handle on. The mess wagon of the cow country. chuck-box Usually made by fitting at the back end Bolted to the rear of the chuck wagon of an ordinary farm wagon a large box is the chuck-box. It has a hinged lid that, which contains shelves and has at its rear when let down and supported by a stout a lid that, hinged at the bottom and

leg, forms a wide shelf or table. This is armed with legs, makes, when lowered, the cook's private property and woe unto a serviceable table. the nervy puncher who tries to use it for In the open-range days the chuck a dining table. Occasionally this privi- wagon was the most widely known and lege is granted to the wrangler, who most talked of institution in the cattle generally eats after all the others have country. Nothing added more to the har- finished and are changing horses, but mony of the cowboys' life than a well- never to a rider. appointed chuck wagon. It furnished a

34 CIRCLE BUCK

complete index to the good or bad man- Chutes agement of the ranch. See branding chute, cat-walk, chute, Once a hand has thrown his bedroll snappin' turtle, squeezer. into the wagon, he has pledged allegiance to the brand for which it stands, and he Cigarettes it leaves it. will fight for until he He See Bible, brain tablet, dream book, may cuss the cook, the company, and fill a blanket, makin's, prayer book, everything connected with it, but he had quirly, shuck. better not hear an outsider say anything

against it. cimarron (the-mar-rone') The life of the cowboy away from Spanish, meaning wild, unruly. The headquarters has always centered around Mexican uses it for an animal, horse, the chuck wagon. It is his home, his bed bovine, or even human, which, deserted and board; it is where he gets his fresh by all its friends, runs alone and has horses, and it means fire, dry clothes, little to do with the rest of its kind. Lit-

and companionship 5 it is his hospital and erally, it signifies one who flees from office, his playground and social center. civilization and becomes a fugitive or At night it is his place of relaxation, wild person. where he spins his yarns, sings his songs, smokes his cigarettes at leisure, and cinch spends the happiest years his life. the ( of From Spanish cincha theen' chah) , Chuck Wagon meaning girth. This is a "broad, short band made of coarsely woven horsehair See chuck-box, chuck wagon, crumb or sometimes of canvas or cordage, and castle, cuna, Dutch oven, fly, groanin' terminating at each end with a metal cart, growler, jewelry chest, long-eared ring" (Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy chuck wagon, mess wagon, pie-box, pie [New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, possum-belly, wagon, round pan, sheet, I 936] ) 126). Together with the latigo, sourdough keg, squirrel can, the wagon, it is used to fasten the saddle upon the Which way's the wagon?, wreck pan. horse's back. chuck-wagon chicken Cinches Cowboy's slang name for fried bacon. See billet, cinch, cinch ring, flank churn-dash calf girth, flank rigging, girth, latigo, rear cinch, rear girth, scratcher cinch, tack- One, although belonging to a milk berry buckle, tarrabee, trunk strap. cow, which has not the full benefit of the mother's milk. cinch binder churn-head A horse which rears on its hind legs, loses its balance, and falls backward. A hard-headed horse, one with no in- telligence. cinch ring churn-twister A metal ring at the termination of the The cowboy's contemptuous name for cinch for fastening the cinch, by means a farmer. of the latigo, to the saddle ring. chute cinch up A narrow, fenced lane, usually con- (As verb, and never merely cinched.) necting one corral with another; also a The act of fastening the saddle upon the narrow passage designed for loading cat- horse's back by drawing the cinch up tle into cattle cars, or passing them tight with the latigo straps. through into dipping vats. circle buck chute crazy The bucking of a horse in long, rapid, Said of a horse .which rears, backs, and evenly timed leaps in a circle of and otherwise shows extreme nervous- thirty or forty feet, the horse leaning in- ness when placed in a rodeo chute. ward toward the center of the circle.

35 Western Words circle horse when passing it, said, "It sounded like they was shoein' a bronc inside." And A horse used on circle during the when he went in to see what the trouble roundup. The wilder horses are used for was, he found both fighters so skinned this task. They do not have to be special- up "their own folks wouldn't know 'em ly trained, but they do have to be tough from a fresh hide." and have bottom. See on circle. clean straw circle rider What the cowboy calls clean sheets. One of the horsemen, who, on round- up, widely separate into small parties, clear footed

starting miles from a chosen holding spot, Said of a horse which is able to dodge then ride toward it, driving slowly successfully gopher holes, etc. before them all cattle encountered (Philip clipped his horns A. Rollins, The Cowboy [New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936], 221). Said of one who has been placed in a disadvantageous position, to make one circular story harmless. Wherein the cowboy tells a long story clogs for the benefit of the tenderfoot, rambling A hobble made by taking forked sticks on until seemingly he has reached the about an inch and one-half or two inches end, but starting at the beginning and in diameter and about two feet long and continuing in a circle. There is a "sell" lashing them with rawhide thongs on the at the bottom of every tale the cowboy front legs of a horse. Used principally tells the tenderfoot. If this "pilgrim" in the brush country. doesn't "bite," the cowboy keeps talking, but sooner or later the greener usually close to the blanket then there's "a pulls the cork under, and A gambler's term meaning that the heap o' hilarity in camp." one spoken of is about broke, or has lost I remember a puncher told one who all his money but a small amount. for the benefit of an old man from the East, and after this tale-teller had talked close-to-the-ground bucker

" 'til his tongue hung out like a calf- This type of horse is very quick in his rope," the old man said, "Would you actions, and though bucking very hard, mind talking a little louder? I'm hard of he never gets very high off the ground. hearing." He kicks sideways with his hindquarters In a case of this kind the teller of the and seems to be trying to explode and yarn feels "as helpless as a dummy with disintegrate. He shakes his head from his hands cut off," and "might as well side to side, and with ever quick-chang- been talkin' Chinee to a pack-mule." ing movements he hurls his body through the air, doing everything possible to con- claim jumper fuse his rider. With his fast and violent One who unfairly and unlawfully ap- actions it seems no task for him to be- propriates a homestead or mine claim fuddle the rider and cause him to lose his from the prior and rightful owner. sense of timing and direction. Very fre- quently the rider loses track of his mount claw leather entirely and finds himself gathering a catch hold of the saddle horn dur- To handful of something he does not want. ing the riding of a bucking horse. (Bruce Clinton, "Bucking Horses," claybank Western Horseman, III, No. 3 [May- June, 1938], 28.) A horse, of yellowish color, produced from the mixture of the sorrel and the close herd dun. To herd cattle in a compact group; also cheek-to-cheek dancing. clean his plow To whip a man. One puncher, in tell- close seat ing of a fight he heard in the bunkhouse A steady and firm seat in the saddle.

36 COMB

Clothes However, this term is used differently See baldfaced, barboquejo, bonnet in various sections of the range. Some sections call the period of first guard, strings, boot, bronc belt, California moc- from six to eight o'clock, cocktail. casins, California pants, Cheyenne cut, choke-bored pants, choke strap, chucking coffee cooler the Rio, collar and hames, conk cover, A frequent name for a prospector, a cow riggin', custom-mades, flag at half loafer or bum. mast, fried shirt, full war-paint, fuma- diddle, hair case, hard-boiled hat, John coffee grinding B., Levis, lid, low-necked clothes, mail- The incorrect way of taking dallies. order catalog on foot, mule-ears, nickel- It means that the rope is wound clock- plated, peewees, pots, slick up, spraddled wise on the saddle horn instead of coun- out, Stetson, stove-pipes, Sunday-go-to- terclockwise. See dally. meetin' clothes, teguas, totin' stars on his duds, unshucked, visiting harness, war coffin bonnet, wipes, woolsey. The cowboy's name for a trunk. clothesline coffin varnish slang name for rope. A A slang name for whiskey. cloud-hunter coil A horse which rears wildly, vaults up- Another name for rope. ward, and paws frantically with his fore- feet. cold blazer cloudin' the trail To bluff. Hindering one in his endeavor to ac- cold-blooded stock complish something, deceiving. Cattle or horses without pure or hot coaster blood, not thoroughbreds. One of the longhorned cattle from the cold brand coast country of Texas. A hair brand. See hair brand. coasting on the spurs cold deck Riding with the spurs locked in the To take unfair advantage. cinch or under the horse's shoulders. cold-footed cocinero (coh-the-nay'roh) Cowardly. With the Westerner's con- The Spanish word for cook, shortened tempt for cowardice, one cowhand of the to coosie by the American cowboy. See desert country informed a group of na- coosie. tives who had proved their meekness cock-a-doodle-doo that they "shore had cold feet for such a hot country." A humorous name for the foreman of a ranch. cold jawed cocklebur outfit Said of a hard-mouthed horse. A small ranch, a "one-hoss" outfit, a cold trail "seedy" outfit. Vernacular for old markings in fol- cocktail guard lowing a trail.

The last watch before daylight. It is collar and hames

the one despised by all herders because Aside from being a part of harness, it it is at time a when men most love to is a slang term for a stiff collar and a sleep. Before the watch is over, it is necktie. morning, the cattle are beginning to move, and the other cowboys are eating comb their breakfast and getting hot coffee. To spur a horse to make him pitch.

37 Western Words comb his hair complex spin To hit one over the head with the A roping term which signifies the barrel of a gun. After one had had his spinning of two nooses, one horizontal "hair parted" in this manner, he was, and the other vertical, or both alike, op- in the language of one cowman, apt to erated separately, one in each hand. "sleep as gentle as a dead calf." compressed hay combings Humorous name for dried cow chips The final cattle driven in from the used for fuel. circle on roundup. concha (con'chah) come along A shell-shaped ornament of metal. Literally the Spanish word means a shell. A rope halter made so that it will In the language of the it tighten if the horse refuses to follow, but cowboy means a small, semi-flat, circular disk, will loosen if the animal obeys. metal usually made of silver. It is used for come apart decorative purposes, attached to chaps, Said when a horse starts bucking. saddle skirt, brow band of the bridle, belt, or hatband. come a-smokin' Confused To come shooting. See buffaloed, got his spurs tangled up. comeback conk cover A ready retort. Many cowmen have a genius for repartee. Cowboy slang for hat. come out a-stoopin' connected brand Said when a cow comes out of a corral One which combines two or more let- ters or figures so that they run together. in a crouching run. come undone contest saddle Same as Committee saddle. To buck. Come Upon contract buster A man who makes his living by his See jump. ability to sit a bucking horse. He does comin' grass most of his work at so much per head Approaching spring. A philosophy of and finds employment on the smaller ranches which are unable to maintain the range land is, "No matter how hard a the winter, spring always comes." first-class rider throughout the year. He travels through the country from ranch Committee saddle to ranch, breaking horses as he goes, and Another name for the Association sad- will ride anything that wears hair. dle adopted by modern rodeo officials. conversation fluid See Association saddle. Whiskey. Some Westerners drink only community loop enough to "gather a talkin' load," but " A slang expression to convey the idea there are others who can't stop 'til they that the roper threw an extra-large loop get floored or frenzied." or noose. converter compadre (com-pah'dray) A preacher. A Spanish term, meaning close friend, cookie partner, companion, or protector. Fre- If ever there was an uncrowned king, quently used by cowboys in the southern it is the old-time range cook. country. He had to be good to qualify as a wagon cook be- Complain cause he had to be both versatile and re- See kick like a bay steer. sourceful. He was the most important in-

38 ;

CORN FREIGHT dividual in camp, and even the boss paid cookie pusher him homage. He was conscious of his A waitress in a restaurant. autocratic powers, and his crankiness is still traditional. cooking mutton The present-day range cook follows Setting a sheep range afire to destroy this tradition. He can absolutely be de- sheep, as was occasionally done in range pended upon to have three hot meals a wars between sheep men and cowmen. day, rain or shine, cold or hot, that are good to eat and in sufficient quantity COOK that, no matter how much company drops See bean-master, belly cheater, biscuit in, there will be plenty to go round. roller, biscuit shooter, cocinero, cookie, Through necessity his equipment is lim- cook's louse, coosie, dinero, dough-belly, ited; yet this does not seem to hinder dough-boxer, dough-puncher, dough- his speed. One day he may be trying to roller, dough-wrangler, flunky, greasy cook in the rain with a scant supply belly, grub spoiler, grub worm, gut- of wet wood; on another he may have robber, old woman, pothooks, pot rust- difficulty keeping the wind from scat- ler, Sallie, sheffi, sop an' 'taters, sour- tering his fire, blowing the heat away dough, swamper. from his pots or sand in his food, yet he works without discouragement. The out- cook shack fit must be fed on time. The kitchen, especially when a sepa-

He has many duties to perform. He is rate building. stakeholder when bets are made, arbiter Cook's Implements to settle quarrels, and doctor for both See cook's louse, Dutch oven, flunky, man and beast, concocting some sort of gouch hook, lizard scorcher, pothook, dosage from his assortment of bottles. He round pan, squirrel can, swamper, wreck acts as father-confessor and listens to pan. complaints; he is banker for those who have loose change that might slip out cook's louse of their pockets during rough cow work. The cook's helper. He may do a little laundry work so that one of "his boys" might call on a near-by cook stove "nester gal," or help another mend a A slang name for the branding iron. torn garment. If he keeps the coffee on a bed of hot coals so that any hand can cool your saddle help himself at all times, his shortcom- Dismount and rest from riding. ings, if any, are overlooked. He has to coon-footed be a good packer in order to stow things in his wagon so that they stay tied down Said of a horse with long and very he has to be able to repair his wagon low pasterns. to keep it rolling; and he is the first to coosie grab a shovel in case of a tragedy. Borrowing from the Spanish, the Though the boys kid him and cuss Southwest cow country called the cook his crankiness, they certainly will not cocinero, and from this came the com- concede this privilege to an outsider. If mon nickname coosie. he is clean, they will tolerate the poor quality of his bread. copper Almost any cook likes to talk, and In faro, betting a card to lose by plac- while the boys eat, he squats against the ing upon one's stake a small copper disk rear wheel of the wagon and entertains provided by the dealer. The word came himself and them by discussing every- to mean to bet against, to nullify a rival's thing from the weather and women to flan by instituting an offosite and op- politics and poker. If he is a good cook, posing action. the boys do not interrupt him. (John M. Hendrix, Editorial, Cattleman, XX, No. corn freight 12 [May, 1934], 5-) Goods shipped by mule teams; so

39 Western Words

called because corn had to be carried to Corrals feed the mules. This reduced carrying See Arizona trigger, belly-buster, space and thus increased cost, but the blind trap, breaking pen, corral, crowd- method was much speedier than bullteam ing pen, op'ra house, road house, rope freight. Customers requiring speed de- corral, round-pen, snubbin' post, squeez- manded that goods come by corn freight. er, trap corral, water trap, wing fence. See grass freight. corrida (cor-ree'dah) corona (co-ro'nah) The Spanish use this word to mean Spanish, meaning crown. The cowman exfert, artful. The cattleman uses it to uses it to mean a shaped pad placed under mean a cow crowd, an outfit of cow- the skirt of the saddle. hands. It is from the verb correr, which corpse and cartridge occasion means to run, thus to the cowman, an expert at running cattle. A gun battle. The aftermath of some of the early western gun battles, as one corriente (cor-re-en'tay) cowman said, "looked like beef day at To run. From the Spanish, literally an Injun agency." it means current and is adopted by the southwestern cowboy to signify inferior- corral (cor-rahl') ity, when referring to the quality of Spanish, meaning yard or enclosure-, cattle (Harold W. Bentley, Dictionary commonly kr-rall' pronounced by the of Spanish Terms in English [New York, cowman. As a noun, it means an enclos- Columbia University Press, 1932], 129). ure or pen, a circular pen built of stout, horizontal wooden rails which are sup- corus ported by posts set firmly in the ground. The covering of a saddle, at first made The rails are lashed to the posts with of two pieces of leather stitched together green rawhide, which contracts when through the middle, with a hole cut for dry, thus making the entire structure as the fork and a slit for the cantle. It was

strong as iron. The corral is circular so worked and shaped to fit the tree, and, that the animals can not dodge into cor- after the rigging was in place, was ners or injure themselves by crowding slipped down over the saddle and buckled

into them. Used as a verb it means to or laced in front of the horn. drive stock into a corral. cotton-patch loop corral boss An extra-large loop. The man in charge of the stock and Cottonwood blossom corrals on a dude ranch. It is his duty to Said of a man hanging from the limb assign horses to dudes. of a tree. corral branding couldn't drive nails in a snow Branding calves in a corral may not bank be so picturesque as branding in the open, Said of an ignorant person. but it is easier on men, cattle, and horses. Having no herd to hold, every man can couldn't find his saddle seat with take part in the branding. The actual a forked stick work is done in the same manner as branding in the open, but before reach- Said of one riding in an extremely ing the pens, the steers and dry cows are rough country. worked out. When the pens are reached, couldn't ride nothin' wilder'n a the mother cows are cut back outside, wheel-chair where they bawl until the calves are turned out to relieve their anxiety and Said of one with no riding ability. receive their sympathy. couldn't teach a settin' hen to corral dust cluck Lies, windies. Said of an ignorant person.

40 COWBOY could outhold a warehouse covered his back with his belly- Said of a lucky person, especially a Said when one was forced to sleep in winner at gambling. the open without blankets. Such a situ- ation is also spoken of as, "usin' his back coulee for a mattress and his belly for a blan- A dry creek. Used in the North as a ket." synonym for the Southwest's arroyo, it covered his dog is a French word for what an Easterner would call a ravine, and means a deep When the roundup captain has gath- cut in the earth's surface, its sloping ered all the cattle in a given region, he sides covered with brush. is said to have covered his dog. counterbrand covering Getting the drop. When a brand is superseded, by pur- chase or by discovery that the wrong Cowardly brand has been placed upon an animal See booger, buck fever, cold-footed, or that the brand has been put in the down in his boots, gunshy, his tail drag- wrong place, the custom is for the brand- gin'. er to burn a bar through the original brand, put his own brand above or below COW it, and also on that part of the animal The cowboy's generic term for every- where it properly belongs, if the correct thing from a sucking calf to a ten-vear- mark is differently situated. Later in the old bull. cattle industry, counterbranding was done by repeating the undesired brand cowboy and placing the new one upon the ani- This word seems to have originated in mal where it belonged ; and the use of the Revolutionary days when a group of bar through the discarded brand was dis- Tory guerillas roamed the region be- continued. (Philip A. Rollins, The Cow- tween the lines in Westchester County, boy [New York, Charles Scribner's New York, and called themselves by this Sons, 1936], 240.) See vent brand. title. I have never been able to discover why they gave themselves this title since county brand they had nothing to do with cows. A brand, used only in Texas, consist- The next men we find calling them- ing of a letter or group of letters for selves by this name are a bunch of wild- each Texas county, and unlike other riding, reckless Texans under the leader- brands, always placed upon the animal's ship of Ewen Cameron, who spent their neck (Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy time chasing longhorns and Mexicans [New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, soon after Texas became a republic. To J 936]) 240). This brand was intended the Mexicans they became the symbol of to make stealing more difficult, as the calamity. rustler would now have to see that his Then came the real cowboy as we doctored brand was recorded in the coun- know him today—a man who followed ty of the county brand or alter that brand the cows. A generation ago the East also. knew him as a bloody demon of disaster, reckless and rowdy, weighted down with Courage weapons, and ever ready to use them. See gravel in his gizzard, gritty as fish Today he is known as the hero of a eggs rolled in sand, knows how to die wild west story, as the eternally hard- standin' up, more guts than you could riding movie actor, as the "guitar pick- hang on a fence, sand. in' " yodeler, or the gayly bedecked ro- deo follower. Courting The West, who knows him best, knows See cut a rusty, dropped his rope on that he has always been "just a plain, her, gallin', ride herd on a woman, rot- everyday bow-legged human," carefree ten loggin', settin' the bag. and courageous, fun-loving and loyal,

4 1 Western Words

uncomplaining and doing- his best to live buster, corrida, cowboy, cowboy of the up to a tradition of which he is proud. Pecos, cow crowd, cowhand, cow nurse, He has been called everything from a cow poke, cow prod, cowpuncher, cut- cow poke to a dude wrangler, but never ter, dally man, drag rider, flanker, flank a coward. He is still with us today and rider, flat-heeled peeler, floating outfit, will always be as long as the West raises gate horse, grub-line rider, gunnysack- cows, changing, perhaps, with the times, er, hand, heel squatter, hillbilly cow- but always witty, friendly, and fearless. boy, hold-up man, horseman, jinete, knothead, lead men, leather pounder, cowboy change light rider, limb skinner, line rider, lone In the early West paper money was ranger, mail-order cowboy, makin' a unknown, gold and silver coins being hand, mavericker, miller, mill rider, the only money used. A silver fifty-cent nursey, outrider, outside man, peeler, piece was the smallest coin in circulation, pliersman, point rider, pothole rider, but it was sometimes necessary to make pumpkin roller, puncher, ranahan, ranch- change to the value of dimes and quar- man, range bum, ranny, rawhider, rene- ters. For this the standard sizes of cart- gade rider, rep, rough-string rider, sad- ridges were used, and they became known dle slicker, saddle stiff, saddle tramp, as cowboy change. saddle warmer, saint, scissor-bill, sheep- dipper, skim-milk cowboy, snubber, cowboy of the Pecos Sooners, stray man, swing rider, tail the old the saying, In days "He's a rider, tally hand, tally man, three-up of the Pecos," a broad mean- cowboy had screws, trail hand, tullies, twister, va- ing. The Pecos River drained a wild quero, waddy, white-water bucko, wind- empire. There was no law west of it. miller, windmill monkey. Its brackish waters were shunned by the buffalo and even the coyotes. The coun- cow bunny try was hot, birdless, and infested with Wife or sweetheart of a ranchman. snakes. The was fought in the territory drained by it, cow camp and its name became a symbol for tough- Cowboy's headquarters on a roundup, ness Frank Dobie, Vaquero of the (J. a place where a group of cowmen have Brush Country [Dallas, Southwest Press, gathered to work cattle. 1929], 292). In one sense cowboy the Pecos of cow chips might mean that the one spoken of was Dried droppings. popular fuel exceptionally expert as a cowboy and cow A in the early days on the plains, where rider; in another, it might mean he was timber was scarce. It was hard to get a a rustler. But in either sense, he was sure fire started with them, but when dry, to be salty and efficient. There is an old this "prairie coal" made a hot one. How- saying that "When a badman dies, he ever, it soon burned out and required either goes to hell or to the Pecos." An- replenishing. It also made as much bulk other saying is, "Once a cowboy has wat- in ashes as there was in fuel, and the ered on the salty Pecos, he'll always re- turn." ashes had to be carried out as often as the fuel was put in the stove. In cold Cowboys weather it was claimed that the constant See bill-show cowboy, bog rider, boot- exercise of carrying in fuel and carrying black cowpuncher, bronc breaker, bronc out ashes was what kept the fire-tender buster, bronc fighter, bronc peeler, bronc warm, rather than the heat from the fire. scratcher, bronc snapper, bronc squeezer, Many of the old-time cooks in the bronc stomper, bronc twister, brush bust- early days had nothing else to cook with, er, brush hand, brush popper, brush and although this fuel gave off a peculiar roper, brush thumper, brush whacker, odor when burning, it did not affect the buckaroo, bucket man, bull-bat, bull food. When cow chips were damp, it nurse, buster, caballero, carnival hand, was hard to make a fire with them, and chuck-line rider, circle rider, contract a certain old range cook claimed that in

42 COWPUNCHER

one season he "wore out three good hats formance of his work if need be. He is tryin' to get the damned things to burn." well adapted to his place, tough, and cow crowd inured to the hardships of his life. His lightness of foot and quickness of mo- outfit or unit of cowboys. An tion fit him for the work better than any cow folks other type of horse. He soon learns his rider, and they work Old-timers in the cow business, or together. Of necessity he is sure-footed persons who have been raised to it. and always has an eye for the trail. He cow geography must have good feet, good limbs, heart, and lungs, so that he might have endur- Scratching in the sand with a stick to ance; and above all, he must have give directions to another for reaching a good sense. certain section of the range or other des- tination. cow hunt When two friendly riders meet on the The primitive forerunner of the trail, they stop and sooner or later swing roundup ; also called a cow work, work, off their horses to loosen the cinches and and cow drive. give their bronc's backs some air. Then, squatting on their bootheels, they will cowman fish around for a cowboy fountain pen One who raises cattle. and paper, which are a broomweed stalk and plenty of loose dirt to draw in. Jesse cow nurse

Evans used to say, "A cowhand kin jes' One whose duty it is to look after sick talk better when he's a-scratchin' in the or crippled cattle, which are kept in a sand like a hen in a dung heap." They separate herd. can always make a picture of some brand, and show how one brand could be worked cowpen herd into another. Perhaps some nester with The cowboy's name for the small herd a pretty daughter has squatted in a cer- of the "little feller." tain valley, and directions will be drawn cow poke for getting there. Then with a swipe of the hand the cowboy can have a clean A slang name for the cowboy. slate and start another lesson in cow COW pony- geography. Occasionally a Westerner uses this cow grease term in speaking of his horse, but it is A slang name for butter. used mostly by Easterners and writers who have never lived in the West. The cowhand cowman usually calls him a hoss, and One working with cattle. On the range cow hoss is the universal term for him, this is the most common term used by not cow fony. the cowboy himself when referring to cow prod one of his profession. Usually the one the word hand, is used. Another slang name for cowboy. cow-hocked cowpuncher A horse whose hind legs almost touch A more recent title of the cowboy, at the hocks, and spread at the pastern derived from the metal-pointed prod- joints, like those of a cow. pole employed to urge cattle into stock- cars. While -punching is thus the accepted cow horse term for herding livestock, it ordinarily A good cow horse has to possess is restricted to cattle, the term herding strength and intelligence, both well being used in connection with horses. A trained. He has a natural instinct for cowpuncher might funch or herd cattle, sensing direction and detecting danger, but colloquial English makes him herd both day and night. He is game and horses and will not let him funch them. brave and will drop dead in the per- The term is usually shortened to funcher.

43 Western Words

(Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy [New ning down the back, sometimes into the York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936], tail, and often marking the legs. 40.) coyotin' 'round cow riggin' Sneaking. Clothes, or costume, worn by the cow- coyotin' man when working-. As one cowboy said, 'round the rim "Y'u'd have to be some persuader to get Touching a subject on the edges, as a puncher to shed his cow riggin' for any in a conversation or speech. of that gearin' of the shorthorn." crawfish cow savvy Said when a horse pitches backward. Knowledge of cattle and the cattle crawl your hump business. To start a bodily attack upon you. cow skinner crease A frequent name for a severe winter One method used in capturing wild storm. horses. The act consists of shooting with cow talk a rifle so that the bullet grazes only the Said when two or more cowmen get cords in the top of the animal's neck just in front together and talk about cattle. Jack Pot- of the withers, about an inch ter once started a letter to me on a cer- or so deep, close to the spinal col- umn. This causes a tain date, but when I finally received it, wound which tem- his excuse for the delay was that a friend porarily paralyzes a nerve center con- came by his house and "started talkin' nected with the spinal cord and the brain cow and I followed him off." and knocks the horse down. He is thus stunned long enough for the hunter to cow town tie him down before he recovers. Suc- In the early days, a town at the end cess with this method calls for expert of the trail, from which cattle were marksmanship and an abundance of luck. shipped; later applied to towns in the From talks with old horse hunters and cattle country which depended upon the through other records, I find that this cowman and his trade for their existence. method was very rarely successful, and Many an old-time cowboy had to leave that for every horse captured in this way, one of those trail towns in a hurry, as fifty were killed. one said, "without waitin' to kiss the credit Mayor good-bye." A notch carved upon a gun to com- cow whip memorate the killing of a victim. Out- A long whip used more to pop than laws and gunmen of the who to lash cattle. killed for the sake of brag followed cow this custom, but no man of principle wood wanted to remember the men he had Dried cow chips. killed. coyote (co-yo'tay) Credit Pronounced by the Westerner ki'yote. See jawbone, on tick. A prairie wolf much smaller than the timber wolf. It is very shy and has never cremello been known to attack man unless mad A type of albino horse with cream- or suffering with rabies. The word is colored coat, pink skin, and blue, also used for a man who has the sneaking "china," eyes. and skulking characteristics of the ani- mal. cribber A horse that has the habit of gnawing coyote dun on wood such as hitch racks or stall par- A dun horse with a dark stripe run- titions.

44 CUNA cricket crow bait

A little roller inserted in the bit to Anything poor, but usually refers to make a chirping noise, giving the horse a horse. something with which to amuse himself with his tongue and creating a music crowding pen the cowboy loves to hear. A small corral used for branding grown cattle. critter By this word the cowboy means co

of, it is designated as "she stuff," or if tense of bucking. an individual is pointed out, the sex is crown piece designated as "that two-year-old heifer" or "that line-backed steer." The top part of the bridle, a strap passing over the top of the horse's head. crock-head castle An unintelligent horse. crumb A slang name for the chuck wagon. crop An earmark made by cutting one-half crumb incubator of the ear off smoothly straight from the Slang name for the cowboy's bed. upper side. crying room crop-eared Headquarters of a rodeo. The office A term applied to any animal with where alibis are offered and disappoint- ears shortened by freezing or by sunburn. ments aired. croppy cuidado (coo-e-dah'do) A bad outlaw horse with his ears A Spanish shout of warning sometimes cropped for identification as such. used in place of the English look out or cross-buck take care. A packsaddle, named this from its cuitan (coo-e-tan') similarity to the woodcutter's cross-buck An Indian pony. The first coastal In- sawhorse. It consists of two short, par- dian tribe to see a horse called him an allel planks connected at each end by a e-cu-i-ton, and the later trade jargon short wooden cross. Of necessity it has or Chinook named him qui-tan, and from two cinches and is used to carry equip- this the present word is derived. ment or freight. cull cross canyon A scrubby animal. A canyon bisecting another canyon. cultus cross draw Mean, worthless; from the Indian. Made with a gun carried at the hip but hanging butt forward, on the oppo- cufia (coo'nyah) site side from the hand making the draw. Spanish, meaning cradle. This is a cross hobble green hide stretched to the running gear of the wagon. head and forelegs To hobble one front foot to the hind The are lashed toward the front of the wagon, one on the opposite side. This method the sides to the sides of the bed, and the is dangerous to a nervous horse because hind legs to the rear axle. It is tied low- it throws him into a panic. If this hap- er behind to it easier of access, and pens, he will fight the hobbles, throw make drying, the is filled with himself, and be injured. while whole rock or something heavy to make it bag crossing down, thus increasing its carrying ca- The ford or crossing of a river. pacity. It is used to carry wood or other

45 "

Western Words

fuel and is called the coonie, fossum cut-back belly, or bitch. One of cattle rejected on roundup for curb bit any reason, a cull. One with an upward curve, or port, cut-bank in the center of the mouthpiece. One of A precipitous hillside or jump-off. the most widely used bits in the cattle Cut-banks constituted one of the dangers country. in the path of herders trailing longhorns curled him up up from Texas. They are caused by the wind's whipping around some point and Denoting that the one spoken of was eroding the soil until precipitous banks, killed. sometimes yards high, have been formed. curled his tail There is no way of detecting them in the dark, and more than once the mangled A slang expression meaning to get bodies of a man and a horse have been either man or animal on the run. found at the bottom of one after a stam- Curly-Bill spin pede. gun spin, more A commonly known cut 'er loose as road agent's sfin. In some localities A bronc rider's signal to release his it takes this name because Curly Bill Gra- mount, given when he is ready to start ham used it to kill Marshal Fred White his ride. when the latter attempted to arrest him in Tombstone, Arizona. See road agent's cut for sign sfin. To examine the ground for tracks or curly wolf droppings, the two signs. A tough character. cut his picket-pin and drifted Said of one who left for parts un- curry him out known of his own free will and not under To rake a horse across his sides with compulsion. spurs. cut his suspenders the curry kinks out Said of one who leaves one place for To break a horse, to take the mean- another, to leave the country. ness out. cut his wolf loose Cussest' Said of a man drinking, shooting, or See airing the lungs, private cuss on any other kind of a "tear." One of words. the favorite stunts of the old-time cow- custom-mades boy was riding his horse into a saloon. A story used to be told in New Mexi- Made-to-order boots. co about the time three or four young cut punchers rode their horses into a saloon when one of those overdressed eastern A group of cattle separated from the drummers happened to be at the bar par- main herd for any definite purpose, as taking of his after-dinner refreshment. for shipping or for branding. Being considerably jostled by one of the cut a big gut horses, he complained bitterly to the bar- tender. To make one's self ridiculous. This bar-dog, an old stove-up former cut a rusty cowpuncher, glared at him a minute and To do one's best, to do something came back in characteristic style with, clever, to court a girl. "What the hell y'u doin' in here afoot anyhow ? cut a shine Perhaps he didn't appreciate all that To perform an antic. livestock in the saloon, but he appreci-

46 CUTTING THE HERD

ated even less complaints coming from tension by a man sitting on top of the an outsider. fence. It is used like the switch of a railroad track to shunt cattle into one of cut horse several pens which it serves. Short for cutting horse. cutting horse cut in A horse highly trained for cutting out To drive stragglers or wandering cat- cattle. A good cutting horse is the top- tle back into the herd from which they ranking and most talked-of horse in had strayed. cattle work. This coveted title comes only after years of training and experi- cut of cows with calves ence, and the rider who can boast of such This cut is made on roundup by seg- a horse is the envy of his comrades and all cows with calves in a sepa- regating the pride of the entire outfit. rate preparatory to branding. cut When a good cutting horse begins his cut straw and molasses work, he is made to understand which animal is to be cut. He works quietly Poor food. until the animal is urged to the edge of cutter the herd. Naturally the cow tries to re- main with her companions, here is A slang name for the pistol, one en- and where the cutting horse gaged in cutting out cattle, a good cut- proves his worth. ting horse; also the man who cuts ear- A good cutter is both mentally and marks during branding. physically alert, possesses speed and ac- tion, and knows how to use them. He cutter herds must spin and turn faster than the cow; Bunches of cattle held about a hun- and it takes an expert rider to stay on, dred miles apart along the trail by cow- for he must anticipate the horse's turn- boys hired, as in roundup season, to cut ings to keep from getting spilled. All trail herds for several different ranch- the work must be done in such a manner men. as to excite the herd as little as possible. While the horse needs no assistance cut the bed from his rider, an unskilled rider will To share one's bed with another. certainly hinder the work of the horse. cut the deck deeper The work of a good cutter under an equally good rider is a joy to watch. A request to explain more fully or more clearly. cutting out cut the trail The act of riding into a herd of cattle, The act of halting a herd of cattle for selecting the animal to be cut, and keep- an inspection. The trail-cutter causes the ing it on the move away from the herd herd to be driven past him in a thin line and toward the cut being formed. It is so that he might identify any animal hard and exciting work, but it gives both which does not properly belong to this horse and rider the opportunity to prove particular herd. their worth. cutting gate cutting the herd A wide, swinging gate so arranged Inspecting a trail herd for cattle which that it can be operated with a long ex- do not properly belong in it.

47 Western Words D

"You never know the luck of a lousy calf" dab axle of the spur rowel (Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy [New York, Charles Scrib- A slang word used in speaking of rop- ner's Sons, 116), whose sole func- ing, as "dabbed his rope on." 1936], tion is to make music that the cowboy dabble in gore loves to hear; also called jinglebobs. Said of one becoming entangled in Daniel Boones shooting scrapes. A contemptuous title given the long- dally haired pseudo scouts and would-be bad- To take a half-hitch around the saddle men. horn with a rope after a catch is made, the loose end being held in the roper's dashboards hand so that he can let it slip in case What the cowboy sometimes derisively of an emergency, or take it up shorter. calls another's feet. Most cowboys take Also called by the slang names of doled, great pride in the smallness of their feet. vuelted, dale vuelted, and dolly welter, If you want to "get a rise" out of one, each derived from the Spanish phrase just tell him that his feet "look like load- dar la vuelta (dar-lay-voo-el'tah), ing chutes" or accuse him of carrying which means to take a turn or twist with most of his weight "on the spur end." a rofe. daunsy The American cowboy uses the near- est English sound, dolly welter, and this Moody, downcast. One of the West's philosophies is, his brings to mind a story told by S. Omar "The man who wears Barker of a tenderfoot roper who made chin on his instep never sees the hori- a lucky catch and was immediately ad- zon." vised from all sides to "take your dolly day herd welter," but he retorted that he "didn't stand guard over cattle in the day- even know the gal." Later the expression To time while they graze. was shortened to dally, which is now the most common term. daylightin' dally man Riding so that daylight can be seen One who uses a dally in roping. He between the rider's seat and the saddle. makes his catch with a free rope and deacon takes his turns around the saddle horn. small, runty calf. He needs a longer rope than the tie titan, A one who ties his rope to the saddle horn, deadfall because he can't throw it all out, but has A drinking or gambling establishment to have some left to make his turns. of bad repute, an obstruction, especially dally your tongue of fallen timber. A command to stop talking. deadline Dance The dividing line between a neutral hostile See baile, heifer brand, hoe-dig, shak- and or prohibited area. Used often in keeping sheep off certain in' a hoof, shindig, stomp. cow ranges. In early days the Nueces River danglers in Texas was called the Sheriff's Dead- Little, inch-long, pear-shaped pend- line because the numerous outlaws would

ants loosely hanging from the end of the not let a sheriff cross west of it.

48 DEWLAP deadman the ruse was rarely successful since the rustler was suspicious and as smart as Made by twisting a half-dozen strands the rancher. of into a cable which is passed around the top of the post of a decoy herd fence and then around a large rock sunk A small herd of cattle used in snaring deeply into the ground. wilder animals. It is also used in starting dead man's hand a cut of cattle. Throughout the West the combination Defeat of aces and eights is known as the dead, See holler calf rope, put a spoke In man's hand. This superstition was hand- his wheel, took the slack out of his rope. ed down from the time Jack McCall killed in Deadwood, dehorn South Dakota, while he sat in a poker To remove horns from cattle (as game holding this hand. verb) j a hard drinker, especially one in- dead mouthed clined to fight when drunk (as noun). Said of a horse's mouth which has democrat pasture become insensitive to the bit. The closing of a gap across a rimrock deadwood or canyon to form a pasture. To get the drop on an enemy, to gain democrat wagon advantage over someone, control over, A light spring wagon used on a great as to have the deadwood on one. many ranches. deal from the bottom derringer To cheat. A small, short-barreled pistol with a dealing brace large bore, capable of delivering a heavy blow at short range. This weapon was Using crooked faro boxes or manipu- popular as a hide-out weapon from the lating cards so that the dealer is sure to early 1870's to the close of the century, win. These sure-shot games are practiced especially among gamblers and bunco by the lowest class of gamblers. men. See hide-out gun. Death desert canary See big jump, buck out, cash in, The West's name for a burro. curled him up, die-up, empty saddle, fried gent, gone over the range, got a desert rat halo gratis, grass is wavin' over him, A veteran prospector of the desert hung up his saddle, kicked into a fu- country, usually without a mine or any neral procession, land in a shallow grave, other property. last roundup, lay 'em down, long trail, misty beyond, no breakfast forever, pass Determined in his chips, sacked his saddle, sawdust See hell in his neck. in his beard, shakin' hands with St. dew-claws Peter, stiff, take the big jump. The small, horny projections just Deceive above the back side of the hoof on cloven- See cloudin' the trail, throw dust. footed animals. decorate a cottonwood dewey Said of a hanging. A slang name for a six-shooter. decoy brand dewlap A small brand placed on an animal's A mark of ownership made on the un- belly, used by some ranchers to trap derside of the neck or brisket of an ani- rustlers. Choice animals would be other- mal by pinching up a quantity of skin wise unbranded to tempt the thief, but and cutting it loose, but not entirely off.

49 Western Words

When the wound is healed, it leaves a Digging hanging flap skin. marks are of Some See gophering. slashed up and called dewlafs up, others are slashed down and called deivlafs dig out the bedroll and drift down. A command which informs one that dew wrangler he has been fired. One who herds horses in the morning. dig up the tomahawk To declare war, to start trouble. When diamond hitch a cowboy "pulls his hat to a fightin' A method of roping a pack on a pack angle," it is a warning of things to come. animal. Wherever pack animals are used to carry loads, the diamond hitch is in dinero (di-nay'ro) common use. It produces upon the top Spanish, meaning coin or money. Used of the pack, when completed, the figure in this sense by the cowman, but also of a diamond. An ordinary knot is tied, as a name for the cook. but a diamond hitch is always spoken of as "throwed," because a rope of forty or dinner plate fifty feet is thrown back and forth across A humorous name for the old broad-

the animal as the hitch is made. horned Spanish saddle, which, in the cowboy's language, had a horn "big diarrhea of the jawbone 'nough to play a game of seven-up on." Said of one talking too much, running off at the mouth. dip Strong antiseptic to kill ticks, lice, dice-house or scab on cattle or sheep, the cowboy's A slang name for the bunkhouse. name for pudding sauce.

didn't have a tail-feather left dirtied his shirt Said of one cleaned at a gambling Said of a rider thrown from a horse. table or otherwise completely broke. Disadvantage didn't keep his twine on the tree See clipped his horns, cold deck, ham- A phrase meaning that the one spoken string, his leg tied up, horns sawed off, of was a rustler and did not keep his rope put a spoke in his wheel, shorten his on the saddle horn where it belonged. stake rope, took the slack out of his rope. die in a horse's nightcap Disgusted To be hanged. See lookin' for a dog to kick. die-up dish The wholesale death of cattle during Seat of the saddle, and according blizzards and droughts over a wide range to its depth it is spoken of as being "shallow of territory. These die-ups are dreaded dished" or "deep dished." by all cattlemen, but welcomed by skin- ners who own no cattle. Ambitious skin- Distance ners, not satisfied with the natural death See two whoops and a holler. of cattle, began, during the now-famous die-up in Texas, killing them for their district attorney hides, and this led to "skinning wars" Another name for the son-of-a-bitch (J. Frank Dobie, Vaquero of the Brush stew. When the law began its westward Country [Dallas, Southwest Press, 1929], march and started to question and clamp 24). down on the cowboy government of the diggers happy, carefree days, the blame for this A slang name for spurs. cramping of liberties was placed upon lawyers. This caused the riders of the diggin' his for blue lightnin' range to feel somewhat resentful toward The act of drawing a gun. the law, and soon they began calling

50 DOGIE

this dish district attorney. The implica- dog-house tion is obvious. See son-of-a-bitch stew. Another slang name for the bunk- house. ditch rider An irrigation patrolman who turns dog-house stirrups water into laterals and watches for breaks A slang name for the old, wide, wood- in ditch banks. en stirrups of the early range. It was claimed that they had enough lumber in ditty them to build a dog-house. A new tool, or contrivance, or prac- tically anything unfamiliar to the cow- dogger boy is called a ditty. One who bulldogs. dive dogie Another slang name for the bunk- A scrubby calf that has not wintered house; also a low saloon. I think it was well and is anaemic from the scant food Charlie Russell who said of such a sa- of the cold months ; also spelled dogy or loon that it "would make all the other dobie. It is, in the language of the cow- dives in the West look like a ladies' boy, "a calf that has lost its mammy and finishin' school," and I heard another whose daddy has run off with another cowman speak of one as a place "where cow." Although the word is used com- a rattlesnake would be ashamed to meet monly in the West and is understood by his mother." all cattlemen, there has, in recent years, been some controversy over its origin. 'dobe wall One version is that, during trail days, A wall made of adobe, or sun-dried when it was discovered that the northern

brick (as ; noun) to stand one against range was good cow country, especially an adobe wall execute and by shooting for fattening beef, there arose a demand (as verb). Llano Pierce once spoke of a for young animals. It became the usage friend in Mexico being " 'dobe walled to call these dogies, especially yearling into Kingdom Come." steers, to distinguish them from steers that doctor were fat enough for market. Another ver- sion is that the term originated in the cut the To knee tendon of a wild eighties after a very severe winter had longhorn so that he can walk but can killed off a great many mother cows and not run. left a number of orphan calves. Grass and Doctor water were too heavy a ration for these little orphans, and their bellies very much See pill roller, saddlebag doctor, saw- resembled a batch of sourdough carried bones. in a sack. Having no mother whose brand dofunnies would establish ownership, and carrying no brand themselves by which they might The cowboy's name for the useless be identified, these orphans were put into little trinkets he carries in his war-bag. the maverick class. The first to claim them was recognized as the owner, no matter dog fall where they were found. One day on Throwing an animal with its feet roundup a certain cowman who was try- under it. ing to build up a herd, drove a bunch in from along the river. dog fight "Boys, there's five of them dough-guts The name cowboys give to a fist fight. in that drive and I claim ever' damn The early cowman felt that such com- one of 'em ! " he yelled excitedly. bats were beneath his dignity. As one During that roundup all orphans be- said, "If the Lord had intended me to came known as dough-guts, and later fight like a dog, He'd a-give me longer the term was shortened to dogie and has teeth and claws." been used ever since throughout cattle-

51 Western Words

land to refer to a pot-gutted orphan calf. double over-bit This term has recently become popular An earmark made by cutting two tri- through western songs, yet too great a angular pieces in the upper part of the percentage of singers call it doggie, as if animal's ear. they were singing of a pup. The word is sometimes used by the cowboy to mean double roll laced shoes. Accomplished by spinning two guns dogieman forward, one on each trigger finger, cocking and releasing the hammer as it small rancher or nester gets A who comes under the web or lower part of his cattle from outside farm districts. the thumb. It is more of a stunt than a doll-babies practice. The wooden pegs used in making hair double-shuffle ropes. A sudden shift in the gait of a pitching don't know sic 'em horse. Ignorant. I have heard many unique double under-bit references ignorance such as, "He's to Same as double over-bit except that no sense than a little nigger got more the cuts are made on the lower side of with a big navel," "He don't know the ear. 'nough to pack guts to a bear," "He don't know dung from wild- honey," double-wintered and many others. Ted Logan referred to Said of cattle held in the North for a man with, "His head's so holler he's two winters to mature them into prime got to talk with his hands to git away beef. from the echo." dough-belly don't travel like a colt no more A slang name for the cook. getting old and stove up. Said of one dough-boxer door knob Another slang name for the cook. A title sometimes given a small boy. doughgods One who, in cowboy lingo, still "had the growin' itch." A slang name for biscuits. dotting irons dough-puncher Primitive forerunners of the stamp Still another name for the cook. branding irons. Unlike the stamp iron, dough-roller which is applied with one application, Yet another name for the cook. the dotting irons are made in three sepa- rate parts, one a bar, one a small half- dough-wrangler circle, and the other a large half-circle, Another slang name for the cook. so that by using various combinations a number of different brands can be made downed (J. Evetts Haley, Charles Goodnight, Killed. Cowman and Plainsman [Boston, Hough- downer ton Mifflin Company, 1936], 18). A cow, which, after a drought or a double barrelled hard winter, is too weak from under- A two-cinched saddle; also called nourishment to stand. Every time she at- temps to move faster than a she double fire and double rigged. walk falls and has to be tailed up again. double hobble John Hendrix tells this story concern- A short strap with leather cuffs at each ing downers: end, fitted so that the cuffs can be buckled "There was an old cowman down in about the two forelegs to keep a horse the Brady country a good many years from straying. ago, who got all his 'downers' up one

52 DREAM BOOK

frosty morning, and, while they were to spit," and Curly Hicks said of another steadying down, rode over the hill to that he "didn't do nothin' but set 'round skin one he felt pretty sure had died all day on his one-spot." during the night. after he rode Just drag brand over the hill he heard gun shots back in the direction of the cattle he had just One with a bottom projection which degree. left. Loping back, he saw three friends angles downward to some from town hunting blue quail around his draggin' her rope stack yards. Said of a woman who is trying to catch ' "For God's sake don't shoot around a husband. Jack Davis used to say such here, fellers,' he cried, riding up to them. a woman "might have a short rope, but " 'Why, Lige, you told us last fall we she shore throwed a wide loop." were welcome to hunt out here whenever we wanted to. Besides, we're not going draggin' his navel in the sand to shoot any of your cattle.' Leaving in a hurry. Bill Keith, in de- " 'I know you're not, fellers,' replied scribing to me a friend running on foot, the cowman. 'That's not the idea, but said, "He was hobbled with a pair o' when you shot awhile ago fifty-five head hairy chaps, but he couldn't have made of my old 'Nellies' tried to run and fell better time if he'd been stripped to the down, and I'm too danged weak in the buff." back to tail 'em many more times to- day.'" (John M. Hendrix, "Feedin'," drag it West Texas Today [March, 1937], 7.) To leave. Usually used with reference to going under compulsion. down in his boots Said when one becomes frightened, a drag rider

coward, a person, in cowboy parlance, One whose duty it is to follow the "as yeller as mustard without the bite." drags. This is the most disagreeable job cattle driving because one has to ride down in the Skillet of in the dust kicked up by the entire herd, A reference to the Panhandle country and contend with the weak and lazy of Texas. critters until his patience is sorely tried. down steer While the other riders may be singing in the pure air ahead, there is no Reference to an animal off its feet in up a loaded stockcar. music in the soul of the drag rider, and he is using his vocal powers to cuss be- down to his last chip neath the neckerchief he keeps tied over Said of one financially broke. his nose and mouth. He is also often called down to the blanket the tail rider. Said of one almost "cleaned out." draw drag A shallow drain for rainfall ; also the withdrawal of a gun, as in the phrase The rear of a column of cattle on the "quick on the draw." trail. It holds the footsore, the weak, the young calves, the weary, and the lazy; Drawing a gun also called tail. The cattle themselves See border draw, border shift, case of are called drags, and this is also term slow, covering, cross draw, Curly-Bill sometimes applied to lazy humans. The spin, diggin' for his blue lightnin', average cowhand has little use for a double roll, draw, fill your hand, hip lazy person, his of and descriptions one draw, leather slapping, reach, road are rather high-flavored. I heard Hunk agent's spin, shoulder draw, single roll, Bouden speak of' one with, hardest "The skins his gun, throw down. work he ever done was take a long squint at the sun and a quick squat in the shade." dream book Wishbone Wilson spoke of a man being An occasional name for a book of ciga- so lazy "he had to lean ag'in' a buildin' rette papers.

53 Western Words dream sack usin' his rope arm to h'ist a glass, walkin' A sleeping bag. whiskey vat, wearin' calluses on his elbows. Dress drive See advertisin' a leather shop, full war The moving of cattle on foot from one paint, fumadiddle, low-necked clothes, location to another (as noun) ; the act Some deck is shy a joker., spraddled of moving cattle (as verb). out, spread the mustard, Sunday-go-to- meetin' clothes, swallow-forkin'. Drive dressed in a hemp four-in-hand See haze. Said of one being hanged. droop-eyed drift Said of a calf when a rustler cut the muscles which supported its eyelids so The marching of cattle in large num- that it could not see to follow its mother. bers away from a particular locality, either to avoid the local conditions or droop-horn to seek better conditions elsewhere. The An animal with drooping horns. term is more commonly used when cattle wander aimlessly before a winter storm, dropped his rope on her though a drift might occur in summer Said when a man married. as the consequence of a stampede or the result of a lack of water or grass because drop stirrup of a drought. Drifts usually happen only A heavy, leather strap below the stir- with cattle, for horses have enough sense rup to enable the rider to mount more to avoid them, and to find shelter for easily. Used by women riders. themselves. (Philip A. Rollins, The Cow- dry camp boy [New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936], 209.) To camp without water. drift fence dry drive A fence built by ranchmen to keep To drive without water for the cattle. cattle from drifting too far away from dry gulch their home range. These fences ran east To kill, to ambush, to assassinate. and west for indefinite distances to turn the drift when cattle drifted south by dry-lander the thousands with the blizzards coming A farmer of irrigated land. from the north. The drift fence on the open range was dry stock unlawful because the land was govern- Denotes, regardless of age or sex, such ment land and public range, but the cow- bovines as are giving no milk. man felt that such a fence was a matter dry storm of necessity. Yet in severe winters it A sandstorm. often proved to be a death trap for cattle. Drinking dude A person who comes west for enjoy- See alkalied, belly up, bending an el- ment, thrills, and rest. bow, booze blind, cut his wolf loose, dehorn, educated thirst, freightin' his dude chaps crop, gypped, hear the owl hoot, high Fancy chaps, as are worn by dudes lonesome, h'ist one, kept the double doors and actors, in which a real cowboy swingin', lay the dust, lookin' down the would not be seen. neck of a bottle, paintin' his nose, paint the tonsils, ridin' out of town with dude ranch nothin' but a head, roostered, rust the A ranch, which, as in recent years, has boiler, somebody stole his rudder, stay been converted into a place of recreation out with the dry cattle, talkin' load, for Easterners for a profit.

54 EAR-HEAD

Dudes dulce (dool'thay) See dude, dudette, dudine, dudolo, Spanish for sweet, honeyed. In the dude ranch, dude wrangler, S. A. cow- Southwest, it is common to hear a young boy, swivel dude. man refer to his sweetheart, "girl," or dudette or dudine "lady friend" as his dulce. A female dude described by the cow- dump boy as a young lady who comes west to Another slang name for the bunkhouse. marry a cowboy. dude wrangler dumped expression being thrown from A man who serves as a guide to the An for guests at a dude ranch, usually some a horse. former cowboy out of a riding job. dust dudolo To throw dust into the eyes of a A rare type of Westerner who lives charging steer or cow, to go; also short by the art of sponging off dudes and for gold dust, meaning money. dudines. dusted duffer Thrown from a horse. A codger, a useless fellow. dugout dutch oven A very thick, three-footed skillet with A rectangular pit dug into the ground, a heavy lid. It is used for cooking much usually on a hillside, covered with a of the cowboy's food, but especially bis- framework of timber and turf elevated cuit. It is placed over hot coals with three or four feet above the ground. more coals put on the lid, thus browning Dugouts were very common in the early the food on both sides. West as first and temporary residences. As the old saying goes, "It's a dwelling dying with throat trouble whose front yard took in considerable Said of a hanging. It is hard to get a territory." range man to talk of a hanging, nor will dugway he admit having had anything to do A place on the steep bank of a stream with one. It is a stern and solemn matter which has been graded down to let cattle and not subject to jests nor popular men- and wagons enter or leave a stream. tion. duke dynamite A nickname for a bull. A common name for cheap whiskey. E

"Man's the only animal that can be skinned moreen once" eagle-bill times the man doing the earing will catch the tip of the ear that is above his hand A slang name for a tapadero, leather with his teeth. This will cause the horse stirrup covering, taking this name from to stand very still to avoid pain. its shape. ear down ear-head The act of distracting a horse's at- A headstall made in two pieces, with tention by holding his head down by a loop for the right ear, one buckle on the ears while the rider mounts. Some- the left cheek, and no nose-band, throat-

55 Western Words

latch, or brow-band. The bit ties in with felt that he was being crowded if a buckskin strings. This type of headstall neighbor settled within fifty miles of him,

is used only on broken horses. and he complained of not having "elbow room." early bouten empty saddle An occasional name for a greenhorn. A horse showing up at the ranch car- earmark rying an empty saddle has a great sig- Certain ownership cuts made in the nificance in the cattle country. There is

ears of cattle (as noun) ; the act of mak- much anxiety concerning the rider be- ing these cuts (as verb). cause it signifies he is either dead, hurt, Earmarks or left afoot, perhaps far from home, which in itself might also mean tragedy. See buds, crop, crop-eared, dewlap, As Will James said, "To range folks, double over-bit, double under-bit, ear- such a sight [a horse coming home with mark, full ear, grub, jingle-bob, jug an empty saddle] hints to a serious hap- handle, mark, marker, over-bit, over- pening." (Will James, All in a Day's hack, over-half-crop, over-round, over- Riding [New York, Charles Scribner's seven slope, over-split, seven over-bit, Sons, 1933], 216.) under-bit, sharp, slick-ear, split, steeple- fork, swallow-fork, swallow-tail, under- entitled to a warm corner bit, under-hack, under-half-crop, under- Said of one who has faithfully per- round, under-slope, under-split, wattle. formed his duties and has grown old in service. easy on the trigger Excitable, quick to anger. epizootic The cowboy's name for distemper, a eatin' drag dust catarrhal disease common among horses. Said of one riding in the drag dust equalizer of a trail herd ; also used in the sense of being humiliated. A slang name for a pistol. It is a com- mon saying of the West that "a Colt Eating makes all men equal." See entries under chuck. Escape eatin' gravel See leg bail, Mexican standoff. Being thrown from a horse. Sometimes said to be "eatin' gravel without stoop- ewe-necked in'." This term applies to a horse with a long, thin neck resembling that of a ewe. educated thirst Said of a man who drinks champagne exalted and fancy mixed drinks. Very few of the Hanged. Almost any cowman is, in early western saloons carried stocks of the words of one, "too proud of his fancy liquors. In his drinking the cow- Adam's apple to want to be exalted." man did not belong to the "garden va- excuse-me-ma'am riety." When he got drunk, he wanted A bump in the road. everybody to know it, and all usually did if they were in the same town. The Experience liquor served in the average frontier bar See hair off the dog, wrinkles on his in the words of one cowman, would, horns. "draw a blood-blister on a rawhide

boot" ; and Zeb Fisher declared that the Explain bartender of a certain saloon "served a See chew it finer, cut the deck deeper, free snake with ever' drink." ride over that trail again. elbow room eyeballer The old-time, open-range cowman A meddler.

56 FEEDERS F

"The man that always straddles the fence usually has a sore crotch"

Failure and releases the hammer. Fanning is done See busted cinch, busted flush, caught mostly in western fiction, although in his own loop, hard wintered, His there are men who can use this method of shooting. fan saddle is slippin'., Like a steer, I can try. Ordinarily a man might for practice and pastime, but he seldom fair ground resorts to it when his life is at stake. The To rope an animal, throw the rope trick is interesting in theory but is of over its back while still running, then doubtful practical value. When a large- throw the animal violently to the ground, caliber gun is shot, the recoil after each where it usually lies long enough to be shot causes it to buck up into the air. hog-tied. Though it is possible to work an unload- ed gun very rapidly in this way, in ac- fall back tual shooting the gun will not stay still When a bucking horse attempts to to be slapped, at least not long enough stand erect on its hind feet, looses its for accuracy. balance, and falls backward; also called fannin' on her fat a.' rear back. Slapping a horse's side with a hat. fallen hide fan-tail The hide of a dead cow or steer whose wild horse, a horse with a long death is from natural causes. A bushy tail. fall roundup Farmers Synonymous with beef roundup, oc- See churn-twister, dogieman, dry- curring in the fall of the year. lander, fodder forker, fool hoe-man, falls out of bed granger, hay shoveler, hay slayer, home- Said of a horse which pulls back on sucker, juniper, kaffir-corner, lint-back, the halter rope. mover, nester, nesting, plow chaser, sod- buster, soddy, squat, squatter, sunpecked fancy fluff-duffs jay, two-buckle boy. Anything fancy from food to finery. father the herd At some of the range dances the ranch women would make doughnuts, bake To get a herd bedded down for the night. pies, and other fluff-duffs "jes' to let the boys know they wasn't eatin' at the feather-headed wagon." Light-headed, with no brains. fanning Feed This word in used in two senses in See post hay, stack, stack yard, staked the West. To fan with the hat means to a fill, standin' feed. waving it or slapping it against a horse's sides while riding a bucker. Using the feed-bag hat in this manner serves as a balance A morral, a slang name for the mess- such as the pole of a tightrope walker. house. When a rider loses his hat, he is usually not long in following it to the ground. feeders To fan with a gun, the person fanning Cattle which are shipped or driven to grips it in one hand and with rapid the corn belt for fattening before mar- passes with his other hand knocks back keting; also men who feed these cattle.

57 Western Words feeding off his range ters, and a coil of stay wire. With these he can repair any he finds. Said of a meddler. According to the damage (John Hendrix, Rider," western code no one questions a stranger. M. "The Fence Cattle- man, ii [April, If he rides for the aimless pleasure of XX, No. 1934], 5.) going places and seeing things, that is Fences his business. If he chooses to ex- own See belly-buster, cutting gate, dead- plain his reason for traveling, the cow- man, drift fence, fence cutter, fence man will listen, but if his reason is one rider, fence stretcher, fence wagon, fur- which he dares not tell, that still is his row fence, silk, Texas gate, wing fence. business. fence stretcher feed lot A tool for pulling the fence wire tight- feeding cattle. A small enclosure for ly from post to post. A roll of wire may feed-rack be attached to a wagon which stretches the wire by its progression. A rack built for hay or other food- stuffs; also a slang name for the mess- fence wagon house. A wagon to haul tools and material for feed-trough the building and repairing of fences. Another slang name for the eating fence wormin' house. Said when a horse bucks fence cor- nered. See corner. fence corner fence A style of bucking in which the horse fenders zigzags much as the frontier rail fence. The heavy leather shields sewn to the stirrup leathers. fence crawler fiador (fee-ah-dore') An animal which can not be kept in a fenced pasture. From the Spanish verb fiar, meaning to answer for or go surety for. It is a fence cutter looped cord ordinarily made of braided One of the men, who, during fence- horsehair, passing from the front of the cutting wars of the cattle country, cut bosal upward and over the top of the fences; usually nesters and small ranch- horse's head; sometimes, in corrupted ers fighting the larger ranch owners. form, called theodore (Philip A. Rollins, fence lifter The Cowboy [New York, Charles Scrib- ner's Sons, 1936], 151). A very hard rain, when, as Peewee Deewees used to say, "The weather gets fiddle plumb wholesale." A slang name for a horse's head. The rider strives to keep a bronc from fence rider putting "his fiddle between his feet." A later-day cowboy who keeps barbed- fiddle foot wire fences in repair ; also called a fencer. He rides leisurely along the fence, fol- Said when a horse prances around; lowing a narrow, ever-deepening trail also when a person drifts or has "itching that has been cut by many preceding feet." trips. During his journey he watches for Fighting broken or loose wires, fallen posts, miss- See buying chips, clean his plow, comb ing staples, water gaps that may have his hair, crawl your hump, dig up the washed deep enough for cattle to use in tomahawk, dog fiehts, fighting wages, getting under the fence, open or tam- fort up, hang up his hide, lock horns, pered-with gates, and all other things pistol whip, powder burnin' contest, which affect the security of the fence. pull in his horns, sharpen his hoe. He carries a pouch, usually a boot- top sewn at the bottom, full of staples, fightin' the bits

a hammer or hatchet, a pair of wire cut- Said of a horse which throws its head

58 FISH

around when reined; also used with fire out reference to an impatient or restless per- This term is sometimes used instead son. of vent, but it means the same process of fightin' wages barring out a brand. See vent brand and counterbrand. Money drawn for work where there is fighting to be done, such as range wars Fires or organized rustler troubles. Under See backfire, fireguard, fried gent, such conditions the pay is much higher hell stick, no breakfast forever. than ordinary cowboy wages. figure eight fire-water Indian term for whiskey. Derived A loop thrown so as to catch the fore- from the custom of traders in demonstrat- legs of an animal in the lower part of the ing the alcoholic content by throwing a 8 while his head is caught in the upper little of the liquid on the fire to let it part. This is done by throwing the burn. Unless this was done, the Indian straight overhead loop at an animal pass- did not trade, fearing to be cheated. (W. ing to the left, so that the honda will S. Campbell [Stanley Vestal] to R.F.A.) hit him just behind the left ear, the loop going out in front and dropping over first rattle out of the box his head. The sudden stopping of the An expression denoting prompt ac- loop when it hits the animal at the honda tion. causes the loop to fold across, and it is then up to the animal to get his forefeet fish into the lower part of the loop. (W. M. The yellow oilskin slicker that all old- French, "Ropes and Roping," Cattleman, time cowboys kept neatly rolled and tied XXVI, No. 12 [May, 1940], 17-30.) behind the cantles of their saddles took this name from the picture of its trade- fill a blanket mark, a fish. The cowboy might carry To roll a cigarette. it until he wore it out and never need it, filly but let him leave it at the wagon for half A young female horse, a slang name a day and he was certain to get soaked for an unmarried woman. to the hide. According to cowman philos- ophy, "A wise cowhand'll have somethin' fill your hand besides a slicker for a rainy day," but To draw a gun. few of them did. final horses If the cowboy is riding a bronc that pile him, is riding slick- In rodeo contests the hardest ones to might and he a fork, he will tie this slicker behind the ride and used for the final decisions on championships. fork of his saddle for a bucking-roll to help wedge him in. Some riders, when Fired riding a spooky horse which they are in- See dig out the bedroll and drift, put terested in. training, tie the slicker behind his saddle in the wagon, set down. the cantle so that it nearly touches the fireguard ground on the left side. Of course the horse tries to kick it to ribbons, but he Made by plowing two parallel sets of soon gets used to it and quits trying to furrows about fifty yards apart with four stampede. Through this training the furrows in each set. The grass between horse gets so that he does not spook at the sets is purposely burned by men who other boogers that are just as harmless. are trailed by water-laden wagons. To (Will James, All in a Day's Riding [New a cowman a burned-out range is a sad York, Charles Scribner's Sons, sight and truly, as one said, "looks like 1933]) 14.) hell with the folks moved out." The cowboy also uses his slicker for a fireman pack cover. If he has something he wants The man who attends the branding to keep dry when swimming a river, he fires and keeps the irons hot. rolls it up in the slicker tied on his sad-

59 Western Words

die. It is also a handy place to carry flank food or a bottle if he is traveling a dis- This word used as a verb means that tance and ranches are far apart. the one doing the flanking catches the It is made to turn water, but is not rope with his left hand just against the good for keeping out cold. I know one neck of the calf to be flanked, or against rider who was caught in a sudden north- the ear on the opposite side of him, then er without a coat. He came back to the slaps his hand into the flank on the cor- ranch wearing his slicker as an emer- responding side. By a jerk upward and gency covering, but by the time he had a pressure of the knees against the calf's put his horse up and reached the house, side when it makes the next jump, the he was as "blue as a whetstone." Loud cowboy sends the calf's feet outward, and in his condemnation of slickers as over- it comes down on its side (J. Evetts Ha- coats, he finished by saying, "If I'd had ley, XIT Ranch [Chicago, Lakeside two of the damned things on, I'd a-froze Press, 1929], 158). This is practiced in plumb to death." branding the smaller calves and in calf- five beans in the wheel roping contests. No Westerner carries more than five flanker cartridges in the cylinder his gun. The of One engaged in flanking; usually is always an empty hammer down on flankers work in pairs. chamber. He does this for safety, be- cause of the hair-trigger adjustment. flank girth Men who know guns have too much re- Always pronounced girt, meaning in spect for them to take unnecessary Texas the hind cinch. chances, and a man who carries six flank rider cartridges in his gun is looked upon as A rider, in trail work, who stays about a rank pilgrim. As the cowman says, "If one-third of the distance of the length y'u can't do the job in five shots, it's of the column of cattle behind the swing time to git to hell out o' there and hunt riders, and two-thirds of the distance be- a place to hole up." hind the point riders. five-eighths rig flank riggin' saddle with the cinch between the A A flank strap from the rear of the center-fire. Neither three-quarters and the saddle, going far back on the flank of the five-eighths nor the seven-eighths are the horse. This device makes a horse used. commonly buck, and, though most horses used in fixin' for high ridin' bucking contests buck without it, the flank rigging makes them "turn the Preparing to leave the country in a works loose." See scratcher cinch. hurry, and when a man does so, "He don't stop for no kissin'." Also said of flannel mouth one doing something which will get him A person who talks much, a person into trouble. who talks nonsense, a braggart. Doc fizzy Strawn used to tell of a braggart who "had more lip than a muley cow" and A range horse with a bushy tail, a invariably "bragged himself out of a variant of fuzzy or fuzz-tail. place to lean ag'in' the bar." Strong flag at half-mast men never talk freely of what is in their This is said of a cowboy when his hearts. There is no need; they under- shirttail is out, and he wouldn't be a stand. cowboy if he didn't work with it out flash rider half the time. A bronc buster who takes the first flag his kite rough edges off unbroken horses. To leave in a hurry. flat-heeled peeler flame thrower An amateur cowboy, a farmer turned A slang name for a six-gun. cowboy.

60 FORGING flea-bag fodder-forker Slang for sleeping bag. What the cowboy calls a hay hand or farmer. flea bitten

Said of a white horse which is covered fogging with small brown freckles. Traveling at speed. flea-trap fold up A slang name for the cowboy's bedroll. Said when a horse starts bucking. Flesh folks on his mother's side wore See beef plumb to the hocks, get rid of moccasins his leaf-lard, put on tallow, shore had Meaning that the one spoken of is a tallow. half blood. Often said of the offspring fling-line of the squaw men. A rope used as a lasso. Following flip-cock See campin' on his trail, ridin' into his To fan a gun. dust, trailing. floating outfit following the tongue

Five or six men and a cook kept by During trail days drovers set their the larger ranches riding the range in direction by the North Star. At night, the winter months to brand late calves after locating this star, the wagon and ones which had escaped the roundup. tongue was pointed in the direction to be traveled the next day. This was called flower rowel following the tongue. The rowel of a spur shaped like the petals of a daisy. Food fluidy mustard See entries under chuck. The enigmatical name given by the fool brand cowboy to an odd-looking brand, One too complicated to be described brought into the district from the out- with a brief name. side, and having no numerals, letters, or familiar figures by which it might be fool hoe-man called. A contemptuous name for a farmer. flung him away forefooting An expression meaning thrown from Roping an animal by the forefeet. The a horse. One cowhand described a friend's roper approaches the critter from the left being thrown with, "He went sailin' off, side, and a medium-sized noose is thrown his hind legs kickin' 'round in the air over the animal's right shoulder and a like a migratin' bullfrog in full flight." little ahead, in position to receive one or flunky both feet as they reach the ground. The noose is given an inward twist as it is The cook's helper. thrown which causes the upper side of fly the noose to flip backward against the animal's knees, ready for the catch. A sheet which is stretched at the end of the chuck wagon to make shade and foreman shelter for the cook. A man hired by the ranch owner to flying brand manage the detailed affairs of the ranch. One whose letter or figure has wings. forging flying mount Said when a horse strikes his front Leaping from the ground into the sad- shoes with the toes of his hind ones. See dle without the use of the stirrups. anvil.

61 Western Words fork freno (fray'no) The front part of the saddletree which This term means most often a bit, but

supports the horn (as noun) ; to mount it can mean the whole bridle, with the a horse (as verb). bit included. forked brand fresh horse One with a V-shaped prong attached A horse which has had a few month's to any part of a letter or figure. rest and has gained a good amount of flesh and sometimes a very "bad heart" form-fitter since last ridden (James H. Cook, Fifty high horn a A saddle with a and Years on the Old Frontier [New Haven, cantle made to fit a man's form. Yale University Press, 1923], 37). fort up fried chicken barricade one's self for a siege. To A sarcastic name for bacon which has forty-five been rolled in flour and fried. A common name for a .45-caliber gun. fried gent forty-four A man caught in a prairie fire. A .44-caliber gun. fried shirt forty-niner A stiff-bosomed one. A title given any man who went to the Friend California of 1849. See amigo, compadre. fourflusher frijoles (free-ho'lays) A bluffer, an incompetent person pos- Dried Mexican beans, a staple in the ing as competent. diet of the range country. four-up driver frog walk A driver of four teams or spans of horses. Said of a horse using straight, easy hops. fox-fire A phosphorus light seen on the horns from who laid the chunk and ears of cattle during electrical storms. Action or quality of superlative de- gree. A common expression of speed is, fraid-hole "He burned the breeze from who laid cyclone cellar. A wind cave or the chunk." freak from soda to hock The cowboy's name for a grumbler or In faro soda is the first card exposed unwilling worker; also a saddle of un- face up before bets are made. The last usual pattern. card in the box is said to be in hock. In free grass the West the expression from soda to

The open range of the early days ; also hock became common as meaning from called free range. beginning to end or the whole thing as the East uses from soup to nuts. free ranger A man, who, during the early days of front jockey the barbed wire fence, was opposed to The leather on the top of the skirt of those wire barriers. Such opposition the saddle, fitting closely around the started wire-cutting wars on many ranges. horn. Freighting frothy See corn freight, grass freight. Angry. freighting his crop fryin' size

Said of a man eating or drinking Said of a youth ; also of a man of short heavily. stature. I once asked a "shorty" of the

62 FUZZY

range why he was so continuously in a used in the West since the early trappers good humor. Nothing seemed to anger and scouts. No authority on record seems him. His answer was, "I can't afford to to know their origin. Fofaraw is prob- get mad. My size won't let me whip no- ably from fanfaron, meaning showy body." trifles, gaudy finery, and other gewgaws. Faradiddle and fumadiddle are perhaps Fuel corrupted variants. See chip box, compressed hay, cow chips, cow wood, lump oil, prairie coal, fumble prairie pancakes, squaw wood, surface To bungle an attempt at drawing a coal. gun. As one cowhand said, "He reached and fumbled, and it was a fatal weak- full-ear ness." An unbranded calf or yearling with no earmark. furrow fence A furrow plowed around one's hold- full grown in body only ings. Kansas recognized this as constitut- Said of a simple-minded or foolish ing a fence and passed trespass laws to person. prosecute anyone crossing these furrows. full-rigged Also during the late trail days furrows were plowed on each side of the cattle A saddle whose tree is entirely covered trails to keep drovers within certain with leather. bounds. full-seat fuste (foos'tay ) When the seat of the saddle is entirely A saddletree, a Mexican saddle, a covered with leather. packsaddle. In Spanish the word means full-stamp wood or a saddletree. American cowboys A saddle covered with fancy stamped frequently use the word to distinguish designs. These hand-tooled saddles are the Mexican saddle from the American not merely to satisfy a rider's ego. The cowboy saddle. The Mexican uses less rough indentations cause a friction be- leather on his saddle than the American, tween the leather and the rider's smooth therefore the American looks upon the trouser legs, allowing him to sit tight in Mexican saddle as being made principal- the saddle without the tiresome cramping ly of wood. The fuste has a flat horn of his legs that would result from riding and a low cantle and is noted for its abil- a fractious horse with a smooth saddle. ity to make a horse's back sore, there- fore it is not tolerated by the American. full war-paint (Harold W. Bentley, Dictionary of The cowboy's best "Sunday-go-to- Sfanish Terms in English [New York, meetin' clothes." Columbia University Press, 1932], 137— fumadiddle 38.) A western term for fancy dress. Far- fuzzy adiddle and fofaraw are also used in this Range horse;, sometimes called fuzz sense. These unusual words have been tail.

63 Western Words G

"Yolishirt your pants on saddle leather donH make you a rider" gaboon gelding A spittoon in a , made A horse which has been castrated. of a plug-tobacco box filled with sand or sawdust. gelding smacker A slang name for a saddle. gad Slang name for a spur. general work A term sometimes used in referring to gaff a roundup. To spur a horse. gentler gallin' An animal used to neck to a wilder Courting a girl. It is told of one cow- one to subdue the latter until he becomes hand on the Pitchfork ranch that when more tractable; also a term sometimes he went gallin', her "old man had to used for a horsebreaker. See necking. pour water on the porch steps to keep 'im from settin' there all night." gentling Breaking and taming unbroken horses. gal-leg A spur with a shank in the shape of get a rise from a girl's leg. To make a person angry. galves get-away money

Slang name for spurs. What a rodeo contestant is lucky to gambler's gun have after the show to make his way to the next one. A derringer, a .41 -caliber gun carry- ing a blunt-nosed bullet; called this be- get down to cases cause of its popularity with early-day To confine one's activities to the mat- gamblers. ter in hand.

Gambling get his back up See both ends against the middle, buck- To get into a fighting mood. ing the tiger, close to the blanket, copper, could outhold a warehouse, dealing get his bristles up brace, dead man's hand, didn't have a Another expression for the above. tail feather left, from soda to hock, guns on the table, in the door, ivories, keep- get his hog back ing cases, keno, lay 'em down, layin' Recovering something that has been down his character, open a snap, pass taken from one (William MacLeod the buck, piker, saddle-blanket gambler, Raine to R.F.A.). sweatin' a game, There's a one-eyed man get rid of his leaf lard in the game., tinhorn. To reduce in flesh. gate horse get the bacon A cowboy stationed at the corral gate for any purpose. To succeed in one's efforts. gather get the bulge on Cattle brought together by the round- To get the drop or advantage with a up. gun.

64 GOIN OVER THE WITHERS get the drop Giving directions To get one at a disadvantage before See cow geography. he can draw his own weapon. glory rider Getting the drop One who rides an outlaw for the satis- See covering, deadwood, get the bulge, faction of trying to conquer the beast. get the drop. goat getting the horses up A bucking term for half-hearted pitch- Driving the saddle horses from the ing. range or pasture to camp or headquar- ters. Go See amble, andale, anti-godlin, brindle, ghost cord buy a trunk, chassed, cut his picket pin "A thin string tied about the horse's and drifted, cut his suspenders, draggin'

tongue and gums, and thence passed be- his navel in the sand, drag it, dust, fixin' low the lower jaw and up to the rider's for high riding, flag his kite, fogging, hand" (Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy high-tail, hit the breeze, hit the trail, [New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, hive off, humped his tail at the shore end, J 936]> 152). It can be an instrument of Jingle your spurs!, keep your moccasins extreme torture, and is used by some greased, lean forward and shove, leavin' busters to inflict punishment for buck- Cheyenne, leg bail, light a shuck, look- ing. Ghost cords are of many forms. see, made a nine in his tail, makin' far Some men have a secret style all their apart tracks, pasear, pull stakes, punch own and guard its nature jealously. Most the breeze, rattle his hocks, roll his tail, ranchers frown upon the breaker who roll the cotton, roll your wheels, slope, uses a ghost cord, as it has a tendency tail out, take to the tall timbers, take to to make an outlaw of the horse. the tules, throw dust, vamoose. gig go-devil To cheat, to swindle, to use the spurs. A taut wire which stretches from the giggle talk top of the bank of a stream to an anchor- age in mid-stream and carries a traveling Foolish speech. bucket for the water supply. gimlet go-easter To ride so that the horse's back be- A carpetbag, bought at a store for a comes sore. trip. gin around goin' down the rope To chase around, to chase cattle un- When a roper approaches his catch necessarily. holding the taut rope as he goes, he is girth said to be goin' down the rope.

The Texan's name for a cinch ; always goin' like the heel flies are after pronounced girt. him git-up end Traveling with great and sudden What the cowboy humorously calls speed. This phrase originated from the the rear end of a horse. It is this end upon fact that cattle, when attacked by heel which he lays the quirt when he wants flies, run frantically to get into a bog or him to go. water. Give-away goin' over the withers See tip his hole card. A roping term which requires the Give 'im air! roper, rope tied to saddle horn, to ride A cry given by the rider of a bad up close abreast of the animal to be horse to his helpers when he is ready caught, lean over the animal's back, and to start his ride. throw the loop about the forefeet. The

65 Western Words

catch being made, he spurs his horse given in the words of J. Everts Haley: square away from the victim, tripping it "One of his [Goodnight's] most talked- and completely turning it on its back. of discoveries was made on the Good- night Trail in 1867. When being trailed gold colic or worked, stock cattle have a tendency A desire to find gold, desire to make to get in heat, and upon starting with a money. herd of cows, Goodnight always put in gone over the range a number of bulls. The trail is doubly hard on them, and after their testicles A reference to death, deceased. had been banged and bruised between gone to Texas their legs for several hundred miles, they sometimes died. He lost two on the Pecos An old saying dating back to the days drive, and another, a big dun bull from when Texas developed the reputation for South Texas, had swelled and was about producing and harboring outlaws and is to die. Goodnight roped and threw him used as a synonym for at outs with the him, thinking he law. and got down to cut might recover. As he got out his knife, Many men left their real names behind and thought how he could hardly spare when they crossed Red River. Names another bull, an idea struck him. were not important in the early West, called to a hand to bring him and most cowboys were known only by "He a piece of grass rope, then quite rare, a nickname. As one cowman said, "The from the wagon. He pushed the dun's West don't care by what you call your- seeds up against his belly, and cut off self. It's what you call others that lets the entire bag. He unraveled a piece of you stay healthy." the rope, and having no needle, took his Many of the early cowboys, if they knife, punched holes in the skin, and saw a stranger approaching the ranch, sewed up the wound like an old tow sack. would ride up a draw out of sight until Within a week, instead of being dead, they made sure that the rider did not that bull was in the lead of the herd giv- stop for a visit. The more "sheriff-look- ing everything trouble, and his voice was ing" the visitor the more stimulating the as coarse as ever. Thereafter Goodnight effect on the cowboy's rate of speed. practiced the operation generally upon While attending a rodeo in Las Vegas, his old bulls on the range, almost dou- New Mexico, I heard an old former bling, he believed, their period of use. sheriff telling one of his cronies about a as he said: 'It does not make certain man who had "been out of Texas Of course, a young bull of an old one, but it does long 'nough to tell his right name." enable the old one to do a great deal of good comeback work.' " A quick and efficient retort. Throughout the Southwestern range country this operation is known as Good- good enoughs nighting. (J. Evetts Haley, Charles Horseshoes purchased by the keg in Goodnight, Cowman and Plainsman various sizes ready to put on the horse's [Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, feet cold. These are used where there is 1936], 446.) no blacksmith to make a perfect fit for each individual. good whittler A good cutting horse. good Indian The frontier held every live Indian to goose be a bad one, so that when one spoke of To spur. a good Indian, he meant a dead one. goose drownder good lay A cloudburst, a very heavy rain. A well-managed ranch. goose hair Goodnighting The cowboy's name for feather- A definition of this term can best be stuffed pillows.

66 GRAVEL IN HIS GIZZARD gooseneck grade up A spur with a long shank shaped like To improve the breed in cattle. a goose's neck, the rowels fitting in its grain fed mouth. Said of a horse regularly fed on grain. gophering Grain feeding makes for harder muscles Digging for something. I once heard and greater endurance than grass feed- a cowman characterize a certain old pros- ing; consequently, work horses doing pector by saying he'd "been gopherin' heavy work are usually grain fed. in them hills as far back as an Injun granger could remember." Farmer. This term is used principally got a halo gratis in the Northwest, the Southwest's term Sometimes said of one killed. being nester. got callouses from pattin' his grapevine telegraph own back The mysterious way news traveled on the frontier. Said of a braggart. grapplin' irons gotch ear A slang name for spurs. Where ticks have undermined the sup- porting cartilages of an animal's ear, Grass causing it to droop. See comin' grass, green up, prairie got his spurs tangled up wool, standin' feed. Said of one confused or mixed up. grass-bellied gouch-hook Pot-gutted. A pot-hook used by the cook for lift- grass-bellied with spot cash ing the heavy lids of his cooking utensils. Rich, to have plenty. gouge grassed him To cheat, to swindle. Said when a horse has thrown his rider. Go 'way 'round 'em, Shep. grass freight This phrase is used as a warning of Goods shipped by bull team, called this danger, or of something to be avoided. because the motive power could eat their If the danger is great, there is often way to and from market. Grass freight added the phrase, "There's seven black was much slower, but much cheaper than ones and a coulee." The sheep man freight hauled by mule teams. See corn judges the size of his flock by the num- freight. ber of black sheep in it. Seven black grass huntin' ones indicate a large flock, and any Westerner knows the dangers of riding Being thrown from a horse. off the rim of a coulee. grass is wavin 'over him grabbin' the apple Said of a dead person. Catching the saddle horn while riding. grass money grabbin' the brandin' iron by Money paid Indians for grazing rights on Indian land (W. S. Campbell [Stan- the hot end ley Vestal] to R.F.A.). Taking a chance, getting the worst of something. grass train Ox trains of the early freighters, called grabbin' the nubbin' this because oxen could live on grass, Catching the saddle horn. when horses and mules had to have grain. grabbin' the post gravel in his gizzard Another term for the same act. Courage. Said of a brave man.

67 Western Words grave patch his ways. Chuck Evans spoke of a cer- tain one's being A slang- name for a cemetery. "so obstinate he wouldn't move camp for a prairie fire." graveyard shift gritty as fish eggs rolled in sand The midnight to two A.M. shift of night herding. Said of one possessing courage. grazin' bit grizzlies A small bit with a curb in the mouth- The name sometimes given chaps made piece. It is a good all-round light-weight of bear skin with the hair left on. bit, does not punish a horse, and is used groanin' cart now in most states east of the Rockies. A term sometimes used in speaking of grazing permit a heavily loaded chuck wagon. A permit issued by the government to stockmen, allowing them an allotted grounding number of cattle or sheep to be grazed Cowboy term for letting the bridle on a specified area at a fixed price per rein touch the ground; the horse then head. stands without tying. greaser grout A Mexican, particularly one of low A solid wall of mortar and gravel. caste. The American uses it as a term of disrespect or insult. growler A slang name for the chuck wagon. greaser madhouse An occasional name for the intricate grown stuff brands of the Mexican. Full-grown cattle. greasy belly grub Another slang name for the cook. A cruel earmark, made by cutting off the entire ear smooth with the head, greasy-sack outfit sometimes resorted to by rustlers to de- small outfit carries its A ranch which stroy the original earmark; also food. commissary pack in a sack on a mule in lieu of a chuck wagon. grubber An animal which noses about the greasy-sack ride roots of the loco weed to eat them is called this a of riders When group are sent, with- and said to be grubbin' loco. out a chuck wagon, to scour the rough country for cattle, they carry their food grub house in small cotton bags, and these trips are A slang name for the cook shack. known as greasy-sack rides. grub-line rider seizer great Synonymous with chuck-line rider; A humorous name for a sheriff. sometimes shortened to grub-liner. Visit- greener ing from one ranch to another is one way a man can live in the winter. Some cow- tenderfoot; also called A greenhorn. boys chose this way to spend the winter green pea for the sake of variety, and if such riders were not too plentiful, they were wel- Another name for a tenderfoot. come. People who had been shut in all green up winter were glad to see new faces, and Said of spring when the grass begins these riders brought news from the out- to get green. side. grissel-heel grub-pile

An old-timer, especially one "sot" in A meal ; often the call to meals.

68 GUNS

grub spoiler pulls the trigger once. By "taking his time" is meant only that split-fraction Another slang name for the cook. of a second that makes the difference be- grubstake tween deadly accuracy and a miss. The muscles are fast, but there is a mental To furnish provisions (as verb) 5 pro- visions (as noun). When one grubstakes deliberation. another, it is usually with the understand- gunman ing that he is to share in the profits of A man specially trained in the use of the outcome of whatever enterprise the the pistol, and one ever ready to demon- recipient embarks upon (Philip A. Rol- strate this skill in blazing gunplay. The lins, The Cowboy [New York, Charles word soon became so pliant as to take Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936], 34). into account the character of the man grub worm under discussion and became synonymous with killer. Another slang name for the cook. gunman's sidewalk grulla (grooriyah) The middle of the street, so that he A mouse-colored horse. From the could see from all sides and not run into Spanish grulla, meaning a crane. A blu- an ambush. ish-gray animal. In the Southwest the term is often used in referring to horses Gunmen of this color. Such a horse is produced See cat-eyed, gun fanner, gunman, from a mixture of liver chestnut, ma- gunman's sidewalk, gunny, gun shark, hogany bay, and blacks. some These gun tipper, gun wise, hell on wheels, horses are also called smokey and mouse leather slapper, lookin' for someone, duns. Mexicans don't count, packs his gun loose, quick-draw artist, short-trigger guest of honor at a string party man, thumber, trigger is delicate, trig- A man who has been hanged. Chick ger itch, two-gun man, wore 'em low. Coleman spoke of one whose "neck was too damned short and they took 'im out gunnin' for someone to stretch it." Said of one seeking an enemy to shoot. gullet gunny The curved portion of the underside A gunman who has for hire his serv- of the fork of the saddle. ices as a killer. gully-washer gunnysacker A very hard rain. After such a rain, During some the sheep men in cowboy parlance, it was usually "wet called the cowman by this name because 'nough to bog a snipe." he raided their sheep camps wearing a gun gunnysack over his head.

The name for a pistol. The rifle, with gun-shark the exception of the buffalo gun was One expert in the use of a gun. never called a gun, but Winchester, rifle, Guns .30-.30, from the caliber of the gun, or the slang name Worcestershire (Philip A. See artillery, belly-gun, big Fifty, Rollins, The Cowboy [New York, black-eyed susan, blow-pipe, blue light- nin', buffalo gun, cutter, derringer, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936], 57). dew- ey, equalizer, five beans in the wheel, gun-fanner flame thrower, flip-cock, forty-five, One who fans- his gun when shooting. forty-four, gambler's gun, gun, hair- The real fighter has nothing but con- trigger, hardware, Henry, hideout gun, tempt for the gun-fanner, and the fan- hog-leg, iron, lead chucker, lead pusher, ner has small chance to live when pitted long Tom, man-stopper, meat in the against the man who takes his time and pot, needle-gun, no beans in the wheel,

69 Western Words

old cedar, Old Reliable, one-eyed scribe, gut shot parlor gun, parrot-bill, peacemaker, per- Said of one shot in the stomach. suader, plow-handle, saddle scabbard, scatter-gun, Sharps, shootin' iron, six- gut shrunk gun, sleeve-gun, slip gun, smoke wagon, Having been without food for a con- stingy gun, talkin' iron, thumb buster, siderable time. Walker pistol, Worchestershire. gut-twister gunshy A bucking horse of ability. Cowardly. I heard one cowboy say, gut-warmer "When I see a coward with a gun I git A slang name for whiskey. plumb skeered." Charlie Russell in Trails Plowed Under spoke of another's being gypped "as gunshy as a female institute." In more settled communities when one gun slinging hears the term gyffed used, it calls to mind a time when one had, in the past, Slang for the act of shooting. been talked out of some hard-earned guns on the table money by a stock salesman or a confi- dence man. To the cowboy the term has Fair play. an entirely different meaning. Many of gun-tipper the creeks and rivers running through One who shoots through the end of his the country in which he works are heav- holster without drawing his weapon. The ily impregnated with gypsum, or other holster works on a swivel. alkaline salts. Drunk in moderate quantities, if it is gun-wadding bread fairly cool, the water causes no ill ef- The cowboy's name for light bread. fects, but drunk in large quantities dur- ing the summer months when it is tepid gun wise and the drinker is hot from the branding Said of one with a thorough knowl- pen or dusty roundup, the water produces edge of guns. the effect similar to that suffered by the small boy who has eaten freely of green gurglin' on a rope apples, only much worse. No matter how Said of one hanged. old the old-timer, or how much of the gut-hooks water he has consumed in the past, he is never immune to gypping. He knows A slang name for spurs. it, but if thirsty enough, will drink water gut lancers wherever it is found, regardless of min- Another slang name for spurs. eral or other content, even though it has the effect of the famed croton oil. (John gut-robber M. Hendrix, "Cow Camp Sanitation," Just another of the cook's many nick- Cattleman, XXI, No. n [April, 1935], 5-6.)

70 HALFBREED BIT H

"It's the man that's the cowhand, not the outfit he wears"

hacienda (ah-the-en'dah) hair in the butter A Spanish noun meaning a landed A delicate situation. estate, usually the homestead of the own- hair er, devoted to stock raising. lifter A frontier name for an Indian on the hackamore warpath; also a dangerous and exciting A halter. Corrupted from the Spanish incident.

jdquima (hah' ke-mah) . The American cowboy pronounces his Spanish "by ear." hair off the dog When he first heard the word jdquima, Said when a man has gained experi- he pronounced it hackamer, as it sound- ence. ed. Gradually it became hackamore, as hair over it is found in the dictionary today. (S. Omar Barker, "Sagebrush Spanish," Said of a brand when the hair grows New Mexican Magazine, XX, No. 12 back over it. [December, 1942], 19.) hair pants It is usually an ordinary halter having reins instead of a leading rope. More A general classification of chaps with the hair on. commonly it consists of a headpiece some- thing like a bridle with a bosal in place hairpin of a bit, and a brow-band about three Used as a verb, it means to mount a inches wide that can be slid down the horse. cheeks to cover the horse's eyes, but it has no throat-latch. hair pounder A nickname for a teamster. had a bilious look

Said of anything not in first-class con- hair rope dition. A rope made of horsehair. This rope is never used as a reata. It kinks too eas- had his hair raised ily and is too light to throw. Hair ropes Said of one scalped by Indians. are used for hackamore tie-ropes, and used in this way are called mecates. See had his pony plated mecate. The cowboy often uses this expression to signify that he had his horse shod. hair-trigger

A gun is said to have a hair-trigger hair brand when its mechanism has been filed to A brand made by holding the brand- produce an explosion with the slightest ing iron against the animal just long touch upon the trigger. enough to burn the hair, and not the hide (as noun). The hair grows out, ef- hairy-dick facing the signs of the brand, and the Unbranded animal, especially a calf. rustler can then put his own brand on halfbreed bit the animal. To brand in this manner (as A bit that has a narrow wicket-shaped verb). (J. Eveits Haley, XIT Ranch [Chicago, Lakeside Press, 1929], 126.) hump in the middle of the mouth-bar, within which a "roller," or vertical hair case wheel with a broad and corrugated rim,

The cowboy's slang name for a hat. is fixed (Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy V Western Words

[New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, Hanging 1936], 148). See California collar, cottonwood half-pint size blossom, decorate a cottonwood, die in dressed in a Something' small. a horse's nightcap, hemp four-in-hand, dying with throat trouble, half-rigged saddle exalted, guest of honor at a string party, One with a triangle of leather tacked gurglin' on a rope, hemp committee, on for a seat. hemp fever, human fruit, hung up to dry, lookin' through cottonwood leaves, halter broke lookin' up a limb, lynchin' bee, mid-air Said of a horse trained to run with dance, necktie social, playin' cat's cradle the remuda; broke to lead. with his neck, ridin' under a cottonwood halter puller limb, rope croup, rope meat, stiff rope and a short drop, strangulation jig, A horse with the habit of pulling back string up, telegraph him home, Texas on the halter rope. cakewalk, use him to trim a tree. hammerhead his An unintelligent horse. hang up hide To put one out of commission. hamstring The severing of the Achilles tendon of hankerin' to sniff Gulf breeze an animal, thereby rendering it helpless Said of a "wanted" man "rollin' his to control its leg. Wolves often bring tail south," and making for the Mexican down their victims by hamstringing border. them. Also used figuratively as to foil one's plans, or place one at a disadvan- Happy tage. See singin' with his tail up, tail over hand the dashboard. A measurement used in speaking of happy hunting ground the height of a horse. A hand is four The white man's term for the Indian's inches. Thus a fifteen hand horse is sixty hereafter. inches, the measurement being taken from the ground to the top of his withers. hard-boiled hat Also the most common term in the cow The cowboy's name for a derby, some- country for a cowboy, shortened from thing he could not always resist using cowhand. for a target. hand-and-spit laundry hard money What the cowboy calls a laundry run Coin, the only kind of money seen in by a Chinaman who "sprays a feller's the early West. best Sunday shirt with his mouth for a sprinklin' can." hard-mouthed handbill roundup Said of a horse that does not respond to the bit. In the early eighties the Wyoming Stock Growers' Association took in such hard-tail a vast territory that it sent out notices A mule. of dates for the start of the roundups by handbills. From this the cowboy dubbed hard to sit them handbill roundups. Said of a good bucker. handle hardware Sometimes used in speaking of the sad- common name for a gun. I heard dle horn. A one cowhand speak of a heavily armed hang and rattle man with, "He's packin' 'nough hard- To stick to the finish. ware to give 'im kidney sores."

72 HEADLIGHT TO A SNOW STORM hard-winter bunch hay slayer Men whose favorite pastime is talking A hay hand. of the particularly hard winters through which they have passed. haywire Crazy, muddled, twisted up. When a hard wintered Westerner removes baling wire from hay, The range man often uses this term he twists it into crazy shapes before

when referring to anyone who seems to throwing it away, thus keeping stock as, be in hard circumstances, "He musta from becoming entangled in it. From hard wintered some by the looks of his this practice the expression originated. outfit." hassayampa haywire outfit An inefficient outfit or ranch. A liar, or one incapable of telling the truth. The name is derived from the old haze legend that anyone drinking from the To drive slowly. Hassayampa River in Arizona could never again tell the truth. hazer hasta la vista (ahs'tah lah A man who assists the buster in break- ing horses. His duty, especially when the vees'tah) horse is broken outside the corral, is to A Spanish term, frequently used in the keep the animal turned so that his buck- cattle country where Spanish is spoken, ing will not take him too far away. as a friendly parting equivalent to I'll see you later. haze the talk hatajo (ah-tay'ho) To lead or turn a conversation into certain channels. From the Spanish hatajar, to divide into flocks or small herds. A train of head and heel pack animals, commonly mules, used in The event at rodeos where one roper transporting merchandise, especially in catches the steer by the head and another mountainous regions where other modes ropes the hind feet, both putting the ani- of transportation are impossible. mal down against time. Hats head-and-tail string See bonnet strings, conk cover, hair A practice of mule packers on the trail case, hard-boiled hat, John B., lid, pots, of tying the halter rope of each animal Stetson, war bonnet, woolsey. to the tail of the animal preceding it to haul hell out of its shuck keep the train in single file. Said of a good bucker; also of a per- head catch son raising a disturbance. The act of roping an animal by the haul in your neck head instead of by the feet. A command to cease your aggressive- ness. head 'em up hay burner To put a leader, a steer which leads the others, in the direction the drover slang name for a horse, usually one A wishes the herd to go. kept up and fed hay and grain instead of being turned out to pasture. head for the settin' sun hay crib Synonymous with on the dodge. In early days every lawbreaker headed west Log walls without a roof enclosing for the unsettled frontier where there was hay stacks. a longer distance between sheriffs. hay shoveler One who feeds cattle from hay stacks headlight to a snow storm in winter; a farmer. Said of a very black Negro.

73 Western Words headquarters tender part of the heel, driving them frantically to water or bog holes to es- The house of the ranch owner, the cape punishment. business office of the ranch. headstall heel-fly time The headgear of a horse, that part A dreaded season in the cattle country, the of the bridle which encompasses the head. from the middle of February to middle of April, when the insects are at head taster their worst. The ranch manager. heel squatter heart-and-hand woman The cowboy is sometimes called thus wife obtained through a matri- A because it is a common practice for him monial agency. The name originated to rest by squatting upon his heels. This from the old magazine, The Heart and is not a comfortable seat for the lay- published a matrimonial bu- Hand, by man, but the cowboy will squat comfort- reau. cowboy's simple soul believed The ably on his boot-heels to eat his meals the descriptions. Hell, wasn't it print- all when out on the range, to spin his yarns, ed? and, in fact, he is always ready "to take a bachelor cowboy started his Often comfort in a frog squat." "letter courtship" out of curiosity, through desire to receive news from the hefty outside, or just for a joke. In time he Said of anything large. I heard one very often discovered he had committed cowhand say, in describing a large man, himself driving a himself and found "For weight and size he'd take first prize buckboard fifty miles to meet a lady- at a bull show." Another conveyed the intended love whom he had never really same thought with, "He's as wide as a she to see in his home corral. When barn door and long as a wagon track." stepped off the train, he sometimes dis- covered that his little joke had backfired heifer brand because "the photograph she'd sent didn't To tie a handkerchief around a man's show up all the blemishes." Many a wo- arm to designate that he is to play the man of this kind was a widow of the part of a female at a dance where there grass variety, but, as the cowboy would are "not 'nough ladies to go 'round." say, "She didn't let none of it grow under He is then said to dance "lady fashion," her feet." and his reward is being allowed to "set hear the owl hoot with the ladies" between dances. This privilege, however, quite often makes To have many and varied experiences, him feel "as out o' place as a cow on to get drunk. a front porch." heating his axles Sometimes a playful puncher ignores Said of one running swiftly on foot. the white emblem of womanhood and Ranicky Reynolds described such a run- gets pretty rough, but these volunteer ner as "shore heatin' his axles and doin' "females" can take it and pay back with his best to keep step with a rabbit." interest. heavy cow hell bent for trouble A cow carrying an unborn calf. Seeking fights or making oneself other- heel wise obnoxious. To rope an animal by the hind feet. he'll do to ride the river with

Never used on horses. This expression is about the highest heeled compliment that can be paid a cowman. It originated back in the old trail days Armed. when brave men had to swim herds heel fly across swollen, treacherous rivers. The A small fly which stings cattle on the act required level-headed courage, and

74 HIDE WITH A STOVEPIPE HOLE

as time passed, this phrase meant that spoken of as being "given a chance to the one spo'ken of was loyal, dependable, look at the sky." trustworthy, and had plenty of sand. hen-fruit stir hell-for-leather Pancakes. In great haste. Henry hell in his neck An early repeating breech-loading, Said of a determined man. lever-action rifle first used by the Union Army in the Civil War. This type of hellin' 'round town rifle never became popular as a military Going from place to place in town weapon, but was used to some extent seeking trouble. This was done mostly upon the frontier. by the younger men. Older and more settled ones held the theory that "pullin' hen-skin its don't up the town to look at roots Comfort stuffed with feathers. help its growth none," and that "only a fool spends his time makin' the town hen wrangler smoky." A name given a chore boy when one is employed upon a ranch. hell on wheels This expression originated during the herd building of the Union Pacific Railway A bunch of cattle (as noun) ; to bunch in 1867. As the rails were laid westward, cattle or horses and keep them bunched the honkytonks, gambling hells, and har- (as verb). lots were loaded on flat cars and moved to the new terminal. All the deserted herd broke town's hell was then on wheels to "pull Said of cattle when they become ac- their freight." The term was also some- customed to traveling in a herd. times used in speaking of the old-time gun fighters. Clee Taggart described Herding them as "them longhairs who done their See all hands and the cook, bedding damndest to fertilize the cow country's down, bed-ground, bob-tail guard, close reputation for bein' wild and woolly." herd, cocktail guard, day herd, father the herd, graveyard shift, herd, herd hell stick broke, killpecker guard, locate, loose What the cowman sometimes called herd, night guard, night herd, night the sulphur match so common on the herder, off herd, parada, relief, rustle, range in the early days, because when singin' to 'em, standing night guard, struck it really gave him a "whiff of wastin' 'em. hell." herrar (er-rar') hell wind A Spanish verb meaning to brand or A tornado. mark with an iron. hell with the hide off hide-out Extremely troublesome. A shoulder holster. hemp hide-out gun A slang name for rope. An auxiliary weapon, usually short barreled, so that it could be hidden upon hemp committee one's person. A name sometimes given to vigilantes, a group of self-appointed law enforcers hide with a stovepipe hole bent upon a hanging. A hide with the brand cut out, much resembling a tent canvas with a stove- hemp fever pipe hole cut through it. This ruse is A hanging. The victim was sometimes resorted to by rustlers and meat thieves

75 Western Words

to hinder identification of the animal by- hill rat its owner. A prospector of the hill country. There was a certain outfit whom Old Man Barnes, of the Booger F, suspected Hinder of beefing his cattle. He was always See cloudin' the trail. complaining about their "half-solin' their insides with his beef." I happened nip draw

to be with him one day when we rode When the gun is worn on the hip, into their camp just after supper. usually slanting forward with the butt "See there," said Barnes to me, "ever' turned to the rear, and is unlimbered damn one of 'em settin' there pickin' with a swift down and up movement. Booger F gristle out of his teeth right now." hippin's Underbedding. Hiding See cache. hip shooting Firing a gun without raising it above high heel the level of the waist. When firing at A cowboy expression meaning that close range, accuracy is not needed, sights the one spoken of is forced to walk. are unnecessary, and the gun is shot by instinctively pointing it at an adversary high-heeled time and firing as soon as it clears the holster. A common expression to convey the cowboy's idea of a good time with fun hired killer and frolic. A gunman who leases his services to a less courageous man to remove an enemy. high-line rider Outlaw. He usually rides the high His calves don't suck the right country to keep a lookout for any sher- cows. iffs or posses. Said of a rustler. high lonesome His cinch is gettin' frayed. A big drunk. Said of one who has worn out his high-low welcome. An unwanted person might be A trick-roping term meaning a body described as being "welcome as a pole- spin which repeatedly raises and lowers cat at a picnic," "welcome as a rattler the noose from the ground to the limit in a dogtown," "pop'lar as a tax collec- of the operator's reach above his head. tor," or "folks go 'round 'im like he was a swamp." high-roller His cows have twins. A horse which leaps high into the air when bucking; also called a high-foler. Said of one suspected of stealing cattle. This horse, while not quite so fast as his leg tied up others, is extremely rough and goes after Said of one at a disadvantage. The ex- his rider with a cool and deliberate aim pression originated from the custom of that seldom fails to disqualify him. Also, tying up the leg of a green bronc to shoe in rodeo work, this type of horse pleases or saddle him. Shoeing some of the west- the customers, for he puts on a great ern horses is a ticklish experience. After show, and his actions are easily followed. completing such a job, Jake Wheeler, of high-tail the Horsecollar, declared that he "tacked To depart suddenly and uncermon- iron on ever'thing that flew past." I re- iously. member one cowhand, kidding another from away back in the hill country, hillbilly cowboy telling us that they "had to tie his leg up One working for an outfit which to give 'im a haircut" when he came to ranges pretty well in to the sticks. town.

7 6 HOG-TIE

His saddle is slippin'. of anchorage during bucking, but are held in contempt by the real rider, and Said of one losing his efficiency, said barred at rodeos. Though hobbled stir- of one telling a tall tale. rups practically tie a rider into the saddle, his tail draggin' they are extremely dangerous, for if the

Said of a coward ; also of one discour- horse falls, the rider has no chance to aged. free himself quickly. In the cow country a man who rides with hobbled stirrups thinker is puny. His is considered "plumb loco," and is cer- Said of a weak-minded person. Such tainly not a top hand. a person is said to be "off his mental reservation." Hobbles See chain hobble, clogs, cross hobble, h'ist one hobble, hobbled stirrups, Scotch hobble, To take a drink. sideline. hitchin' bar hobble your lip hitchrack. A Advice to quit talking so much. hit the breeze hoe-dig To travel, to depart. A dance; also called hoe down. Any hit the daylight old-timer will tell you that "Dancin' in Said when the horse ridden in a con- them days wasn't jes' wigglin' 'round test comes out of the chute. and shakin' yore rump." hit the trail hogback To leave, to travel. Said of a horse with roached back, the opposite of swayback; a narrow ridge hive off with steep sides leading from a high to Another expression meaning to leave a lower level. (William MacLeod Raine to R.F.A.). hoggin' rope hobble A short rope used in hog-tying; also leather cuff to buckle about each A called a hoggin' string and figgin' of the forelegs of a horse above the pas- string. tern joints, the two cuffs being connected with a short swivel chain (as noun). hog-leg Most men get the same result with a wide A popular name for the Bisley model band of cowhide, or a diagonally cut single-action Colt, but later slangily ap- half of gunnysack. The act of applying plied to any big pistol of the frontier these cuffs to horses (as verb). They are type. only applied, however, at a camp, for at hog skin the ranch, if the horse is not placed in a corral, he is turned loose (Philip A. What the cowboy sometimes calls the Rollins, The Cowboy [New York, small eastern riding saddle. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936], 141—42). hog-tie When a rider camps at night, he wants Rendering an animal helpless after it to be able to find his horse in the morn- is thrown by tying its two hind legs and ing. With hobbles on, the horse can move a front one together with a short piece about with a certain amount of freedom of rope. ties are made with half and find grazing, but he will be unable The hitches and the rope used is a small soft to get very far because he can travel only one about three feet long. one end at a slow walk. On is a loop which the man doing the tying hobbled stirrups slips on the foreleg of the down animal. Stirrups connected with a strap or rope Standing behind the animal, with one

passing under the horse's belly. They knee on it to help hold it down, he then have the advantage of furnishing a form sticks his foot under and behind the hocks

77 Western Words

and boosts the hind legs forward, at the honest pitcher same time drawing the hoggin' string A horse which starts pitching as soon under and around both hind feet. This as mounted and tries by every device to puts the two hind feet on top, pointing unseat its rider. Some horses will make forward, and the forefoot below, point- no effort to pitch until they get their three turns ing back. With two or and riders off guard, then before the riders half-hitches the is thoroughly- two animal are aware of the horses' evil intentions, hog-tied. tied. Horses are never they find themselves on the ground. hokey-pokey These latter horses are not classed as honest pitchers. Putting carbon disulphide ("high- life") on an animal. It puts the brute honda (on'dah) into a frenzy. A knotted or spliced eyelet at the busi- holding spot ness end of a rope for making a loop; sometimes a metal ring is used, though The location selected for stopping and some men claim that metal objects might working a herd on roundup. possibly blind an animal, and they will hold of the jerk-line not "set" to keep the struggling brute To be in control. from freeing itself. Hondas tied in the hold the high card rope itself should be protected with a piece of slick leather sewed about the To have the advantage over another. upper end of the loop so that the rope hold-up man will not burn through it. (W. M. French, "Ropes and Roping," Cattleman, XXVI, A robber; also a man stationed at No. 12 [May, The term crossroads, on a hill, or at critical points 1940], 17—30.) is Spanish, meaning eye, and originally to keep a herd from leaving the trail. had reference to the receptacle in a sling hole up for holding a stone or other article to be To keep indoors in bad weather; also thrown. used in the sense of an outlaw hiding out, honkytonk yet prepared to defend his liberty. A low saloon, dance hall, or other holler calf rope place of amusement. To give up, to surrender, to acknowl- honkytonk town edge defeat, to declare one has had The towns at the end of the old cattle enough. trails came under this classification, as hombre (om'bray) their business districts were composed Man. Generally applied by Americans largely of saloons and honkytonks. Such to one of low character, or in conjunc- towns were "tough" and, as the cowman tion with such adjectives as bad, tough, would say, a "bad place to have your etc. gun stick." homeless as a poker chip hood Said of a restless person, one with a The man who drives the hoodlum wanderlust, one who never remained long wagon, most generally the night-hawk. in one locality. hooden home range A cabin where bachelor cowboys some- The territory with which certain cat- times sleep during bad weather. tle are acquainted and where they belong. hoodlum wagon homestead A slang name for the bed-wagon. A claim (as noun) ; to live and prove hoofed locusts up this claim (as verb). The cowboy's occasional name for home-sucker sheep, because it is claimed that their The cowman's name for the home- sharp hoofs kill the grass down to the seeker who came west to farm. roots.

78 HORNSWOGGLING hoof-shaper in such a manner as to knock the steer down without having to resort to twist- A slang name for a blacksmith, or ing him down with a wrestling hold. horseshoer. This practice is barred at practically all Hook 'em cow! recognized rodeos. Also to throw a big The war cry of the branding corral time in town—to paint the town red. and a phrase of encouragement at every hoosgow rodeo. The cowboy's name for jail, now used hooks throughout the country. From the Span- ish juzgado (hooth-gah'oo), meaning A slang name for spurs. tribunal or court of justice. The Spanish hook up j is always pronounced like the English To harness horses to a wagon or h and a d. between vowels is breathed buggy. The verb harness is never used in rather than pronounced. the cow country. hooter hooley-ann Short for hoot owl. A roping term. This throw can be hop for mama made either from the ground or on horse- To buck. back. The roper carries the loop in his hand, and when the chance presents it- hoppin' dog holes self, he swings one quick whirl around Said of a cowhand riding in the

in . front of him toward the right, up prairie dog country. over his head, and releases the loop and hop-skip rope in the direction of the target. As it comes over, it is turned in a way to Hopping into and out of a vertical cause it to flatten out before it reaches noose while keeping it spinning. the head of the animal to be roped. It horn lands straight down and so has a fair- That part of the saddle above the fork. sized opening. Its technical name, fommel, is never It is a fast loop and is strictly a head used by the cowman. catch, being especially used to catch horses in a corral. It is thrown with a horned jack rabbit rather small loop and has the additional A name sometimes given the longhorn virtue of landing with the honda sliding by the old-time cowmen because it was down the rope, taking up the slack as it all horn and speed. goes. (W. M. French, "Ropes and Rop- ing," Cattleman, XXVI, No. 12 [May, hornin' in 1940], 17—30; Duff Green to R.F.A.) Meddling, intruding. One of the cow- The rope has not been slung over the man's codes is, "Never interfere with horse's head, for to sling it so would nothin' that don't bother you." cause even the steadiest old horse to be- horning the brush come excited. Using the hooley-ann, half Angry, or displaying aggressiveness. a dozen men can rope mounts at the same time without exciting the horses. (John horns sawed off M. Hendrix, "Roping," Cattleman, Said of one rendered helpless, to take XXII, No. 1 [June, 1935], 16, 17.) the fight out of one. hooligan wagon horn string A wagon used on short drives to carry A leather or buckskin string, fastened fuel and water in a country where these to the horn of the saddle and used for

commodities are "scarce. securing a rope to it. hoolihaning hornswoggling The act of leaping forward and alight- The dodging and wriggling move- ing on the horns of a steer in bulldogging ments of a roped steer, by means of

79 Western Words

which he throws off the rope. The steer quitter, buttermilk horse, buzzard-bait, thus hornswoggles the cowboy from buzzard-head, caballado, caballo, calf whom he escapes. horse, California sorrel, camp-staller, caponera, carry the news to Mary, carv- horn-tossin' mood in' horse, cavvy, cavvy-broke, cayuse, Angry. choosin' match, chopping horse, churn- Horse Colors head, chute crazy, circle horse, clear- footed, close-to-the-ground bucker, cold See albino, baldfaced, bay, bayo coy- jawed, coon-footed, cow-hocked, cow- buckskin, calico, ote, blaze, blood bay, horse, cow pony, coyote dun, crease, cremello, chestnut, chin spot, claybank, cremello, cribber, crock-head, croppy, flea bitten, grulla, Indian pony, moros, crow bait, cuitan, cut horse, cutter, cut- nigger horse, overo, paint, palomilla, ting horse, dead mouthed, ear down, palomino, piebald, pinto, race, roan, sa- epizootic, ewe-necked, fall back, falls out bino, skewbald, snip, sock, sorrel, star, of bed, fan-tail, fiddle, fiddle foot, fight- star strip, stew ball, stocking, tobiano, in' the bits, filly, final horses, fizzy, forg- trigueno, zebra dun. ing, fresh horse, frog walk, fuzzy, get- ting up the horses, git-up end, good horse jewelry whittler, gotch ear, grain fed, grounding, Fancy riding paraphernalia. grubber, gut twister, had his pony plated, halter broke, halter puller, hammerhead, horse man / hay burner, high-roller, hog back, hokey- One who raises horses. pokey, huntin' a horse, Indian broke, In- horseman dian pony, individual, jerked down, jerk-line string, jigger, jiggle, jughead, mounted person, or one skilled in A killer, knothead, last year's bronc, lead horsemanship. span, loco, loggin', long horse, manada, Horsemen man-killer, mesteno, mockey, moon-eyed, mount, mule-hipped horse, mustang, See horse man, horseman. navvy, neck-reiner, nicking, nigger horse pestler brand, nigger-heeled, nigger horse, night horse, night mare, notch in his tail, off The herder of the saddle horses, side, oily bronc, one-man horse, Oregon wrangler. puddin' foot, owlhead, pack train, peck- horseplay er-neck, peg pony, pestle-tail, pie-biter, plug, pole team, potros, puddin' foot, Tricks, pranks, and practical jokes by puller, pumpkin skins, quarter horse, which the cowboy displays his peculiar range horses, rat-tailed horse, raw one, and rough sense of humor. remuda, remudera, ridge runner, rockin' Horse Rigging chair horse, rope horse, rope shy, rough See bridle, come along, corona, fiador, string, runaway bucker, sabinos, saddle ghost cord, hackamore, headstall, horse band, saddler, salado, salty bronc, scala- jewelry, jerk line, martingale, morral, wag bunch, seraglios, set back, set fast, nose-bag, ribbons, sacking, saddle, saddle shavetail, short horse, shotgun cavvy, blanket, surcingle, tapaderos. show bucker, smokes his pipe, smooth, smooth mouth, snake eyes, snatch team, horse rustler snorter, snorty, snub horse, sobre paso, Another title for the wrangler. soft, sop and 'raters, spoiled horse, spooky, squaw horse, stampeder, steer horse, stick Horses horse, stock horses, strays, string, stud See anvil, appaloosa, apron-faced bunch, stump sucker, sugar eater, suicide horse, band, bangtail, barefooted, bell horse, stock horse, strays, string, stud mare, bone-yard, bottom, breaking age, swimming horse, swing team, tail pulling, break range, bridle wise, bronco, broom- tender, toothing, turn a wildcat, turned tail, brush horse, bucker, buck the sad- the cat, twitch, walkin' down, walkin' dle, bull-windy, bunch grasser, bunch sticks, wall-eyed, wassup, watermelon

80 HUNG UP HIS SADDLE

under the saddle, weedy, wet stock, hot stick wheel horse, whey-belly, whittler, wild A charged rod used in stockyards to bunch, willow tail, winter horses, prod cattle. witches' bridle, work horses, wring-tail, yakima. hot stuff A slang name for heated branding Horseshoes irons j also a slang expression for some- See bar shoe, boot, bull shoes, good thing good or extraordinary. enoughs, had his pony plated, hoof- shaper, Indian shod, shoe, slipper. Houses See adobe, big house, bull's manse, horse-thief's special bunkhouse, casa grande, cook shack, for a dish made The cowboy's name dice-house, dive, dog-house, dump, feed- of boiled rice and raisins. bag, feed-rack, feed-trough, grub house, horse wrangler headquarters, hooden, jacal, Jones' place, mess house, nose-bag, parlor house, ram See wrangler. pasture, shack, swallow - and - get - out hospital cattle trough, white house. Weak stock that have not wintered hubbing well. Driving a wagon so that the hubs will hot blood strike gateposts or other objects. A thoroughbred. huckydummy hot foot Baking powder bread with raisins. To burn a calf between the toes with huggin' rawhide a hot iron as done by some rustlers to keep the calf from following its mother. Sticking to the saddle. hothouse stock hull A contemptuous name given by old- A slang name for the saddle. timers to the newly introduced Hereford fruit cattle. human The body of a man hanging from a Hot iron! tree after a lynching. The call of the brander when he wants a freshly heated iron. humped his tail at the shore end Said of man or animal leaving in a hot lead hurry. Bullets fired from a gun. hundred-and-elevens hot rock Spur marks on a horse's sides. A slang name for a biscuit. hundred-and-sixty hot-roll A homestead, commonly of 1 60 acres. The cowboy's bedroll. Hunger hot rope See gut shrunk, narrow at the equator, One that slips through one's hands un- Spanish supper. til it burns the flesh. hungry loop hot shot When one throws a rope intent on a An electrical charge used to make the catch. tamest horse buck when ridden by an amateur. The points of the charge are hung up his saddle supposed to hit the horse on the shoul- Said of one who had retired from the ders. Hot shots are also used in rodeo cattle business, or one too old to ride; chutes. also a reference to death.

8l Western Words hung up to dry find 'er a-settin' on the sofa," grinned the old jerking his head Said of one hanged. man, toward the front door. That horse-hunter didn't hunker fool him. He had been young once him-

To sit, or squat upon one's heels. The self.

cowboy rarely used a chair ; he saved it "for company." hunting leather Catching hold of the saddle horn dur- huntin' a horse ing a ride. A common excuse for one's presence or absence not easily explained; also a hymns frequent alibi for being on another's What the cowboy calls the songs he range (Agnes Morley Cleaveland, No sings to cattle. They are usually religious Life for a Lady [Boston, Houghton Mif- tunes accompanied with profane words flin Company, 1941], 6y). Old man and as "hymns" would surely shock the Johnson had a pretty daughter and a clergy. certain Mill Iron puncher used to drop All cowboys are not good singers. by when he thought the old man was There are many who "couldn't pack a not at home. One day he was surprised tune in a corked jug" and sound as if to find the old man sitting on the front they are "gargHn' their throats with axle porch. grease, or givin' the death rattle." An "Have y'u seen a little sorrel mare with old cowhand I knew only as Cut-bank our brand 'round here?" stammered the used to say, "They lost their voices ex- surprised cowhand with this threadbare plainin' to so many different judges how excuse. they'd come to have their brands on "Go right on into the parlor; y'u'll somebody else's cows."

I

"Success is the size 0' the hole a man leaves after he dies'''

Idaho brain storm phrase became a common expression in the West as a threat. A twister, a cylindrical sandstorm. Ignorance immigrant butter See couldn't drive nails in a snow Gravy made from bacon grease, flour, bank, couldn't teach a settin' hen to and water. cluck, don't know sic 'em, full grown in body only, needs a wet nurse. Indian bread This was a tasty strip of fatty matter I'll shoot through the water starting from the shoulder blade and ex- barrel and drown you tending backward along the backbone of During the old Kansas cow-town days a buffalo. When scalded in hot grease to

full water barrels were placed at con- seal it, then smoked, it became a tidbit venient places along the street for use the buffalo hunter used as bread. When in case of fire. In those wild times gun eaten with lean or dried meat it made battles were plentiful and an excellent sandwich. and innocent bystanders alike ducked be- hind these water barrels for safety. More Indian broke than one man got a good wetting by Said of a horse trained to allow the having a bullet come through the barrel rider to mount from the right, or off he was hiding behind. From this the side, instead of the left, or nigh side.

82 —

IN THE GATE

Indian haircut Indian up Said of a scalping. This was one hair- To approach without noise. Common- cut the cowman tried to avoid. In his ly used with reference to sneaking. own words, "It calls for a certain amount of hide, and no puncher wants to see his Indian whiskey hair danglin' from an Injun's belt." A cheap whiskey used by early Indian When the government tried to make traders. Teddy Blue, who claims it was farmers of the Indians, Charlie Russell invented by Missouri River traders, used to offer the criticism that "an In- gives the following recipe for making jun never raised nothin' but hell an' it: "Take one barrel of Missouri River hair." water, and two gallons of alcohol. Then you add two ounces of strychnine to Indian pony make them crazy—because strychnine is What the old-timers of the Southwest the greatest stimulant in the world—and called a paint or pinto horse. He was a three plugs of tobacco to make them sick favorite with the Indian because of the —because an Indian wouldn't figure it savage's love of color. was whiskey unless it made him sick Indian shod five bars of soap to give it a bead, and half-pound of red pepper, and then you Done by cutting a piece of rawhide put in some sage brush and boil it until and covering the entire hoof with it, its brown. Strain this into a barrel and fastening it on with thongs. When dry, you've got your Indian whiskey." (E. C. it formed to the foot and made a tough, Abbott and Helena Huntington Smith, lasting foot protection. We Pointed Them North [New York, Indians and Indian Terms Farrar & Rinehart, 1939], 14.5.) See beef issue, cuitan, fire-water, folks individual on his mother's side wore moccasins, good Indian, grass money, had his hair The cowboy's privately owned horse. raised, hair lifter, happy hunting ground, inner circle Indian bread, Indian haircut, Indian The shorter, or inside, circle on round- pony, Indian side of a horse, Indian up, usually ridden by men whose horses sign, Indian signboard, Indian up, In- had not yet become hardened to cow dian whiskey, lost his hair, lost his top- work. knot, muck-a-muck, navvy, off the reser- vation, powwow, send up a smoke, si- Insects wash, skookum, skull cracker, smoke See buffalo mange, cattle grubs, grubs, signal, Supaway John, teepee, voucher, heel fly, no-see-ums, pants rats, seam wickiup, wigwam, yakima. squirrels, warbles, wolf. Indian side of a horse in the brush The right side, because the Indian On the dodge. Early lawbreakers kept mounts from that side, while the white many a sheriff "ridin' the hocks off his man mounts from the left. hoss." Frequently they got close enough Indian sign together to "swap lead and then have Indication that Indians had been in another hoss race." the neighborhood. To put the Indian in the gate sign on someone meant to hex or curse A term used in monte. After the shuffle him with some kind of witchcraft ; also and cut, the dealer holds the pack face to get him where you want him (W. S. downward, draws off the two bottom Campbell [Stanley Vestal] to R.F.A.). cards and places them face up on the Indian signboard table. This is called the bottom layout. The bleached shoulder bone of a Then from the top he draws two cards buffalo commonly seen upon the plains from the top layout. The pack is then in the early days. The Indians painted turned face upward and the card exposed messages on these bones. is the gate.

83 Western Words in the shade of the wagon snuffy and riders were being thrown in all directions, one cowhand quietly ob- Said of one taking life easy. served that these riders were "fallin' off iron like wormy apples in a high wind." My Short for a branding iron; also slang observations of the cowboy are that no for a gun. matter what the circumstances, he always has a comparison both witty and fitting. ironing him out iron-man Taking the rough edges off a bucking The man handling the branding irons horse. at branding time. ironing out the humps iron-tender Another expression for the above. This The man who heats and tends to the became the routine duty on roundup branding irons. when fresh horses were saddled, espe- cially in cool weather. On one particular ivories roundup when the horses were unusually Poker chips.

J

"The wilder the colt, the better the hoss"

jacal (hah-cahr) javalina (hav-ah-leen'ah) A hut, a rude habitation, a hovel. A musk hog, native of the brush coun- try, said to "look like a ball of hair with jack--knifing a butcher-knife run through it." A horse's clipping together of his front and hind legs, sometimes as a part of a jawbone "straight buck." Credit. A cowhand who lives on his Jack-Mormon credit until next payday is said to "live A man who lives among the Mormons, on his jawbone." follows their way of life, but never joins their church. jaw cracker A traveling dentist who goes from jackpot place to place over the range to relieve An expression signifying either a gen- cowboys of their pain, teeth, and money. eral smash-up or a perplexing situation (Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy [New jerked down York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936], When a roped steer pulls the horse to 79)- the ground. jamboree jerk line This word might mean anything from "A single, continuous rein, starting a dance or a drinking party to a gun from its fastening at the top of the brake fight or a stampede (Philip A. Rollins, handle, extended to and through the The Cowboy [New York, Charles Scrib- hand of the driver, who either was astride ner's Sons, 1936], 77). the wheel horse (the near one, if two) jamoka or was seated on the wagon's front. The An occasional name for coffee made line continued thence along the long by combining Java and Mocha. file of horses' backs and to the left side

84 JUGHEAD

of the 'lead animal's' bit, without touch- of the most hideous ever devised. This ing the bit of any intermediate brute. mark was made famous by John Chisum, A single, steady pull on the line guided a pioneer rancher of Lincoln County, this lead animal to the left. Two or more New Mexico. Also the little pear-shaped short jerks turned it to the right." pendants hanging loosely from the axle (Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy [New of a spur rowel, whose usefulness is re- York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936], stricted solely to making a music the I95-) cowboy loves to hear. jerk-line string Jingle your spurs! A string of horses or mules harnessed Get a move on, hurry up! in single file or in a series of spans, and Job's comforter following a well-trained leader con- The cowman's name for a boil. trolled by a jerk-line (Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy [New York, Charles John B. Scribner's Sons, 1936], 195). Cowboy's hat, named thus after its jerky maker, John B. Stetson. The cowman takes pride in the age of his Stetson. As Dried beef. From the Mexican Indian one writer said, "A Stetson will take on word charqui (char'kee). The Spanish weight with age and get to the point and the Indians first dried buffalo meat where you can smell it across the room, by cutting it thin and drying it in the but you can't wear it out." The big Stet- sun. When dry, it could be ground up son is just as much a part of the cowboy like meal. When cooked in a soup, it as his hands and feet. swelled to considerable proportions and served as a nourishing food. Later the John Chinaman white man followed their example, and What the cowboy calls boiled rice. jerky became staple a food. jewelry chest What the cowboy calls his signature. An outside box on the front of the He never signs a document, but puts his for storing chuck wagon hobbles, extra John Henry to it. cartridges, and anything else that might be needed in a hurry in case of an emer- John Law gency. The frontier name for any law officer. jigger Johnny-come-lately To overrun a horse. A tenderfoot, one new to the country. jiggle Jones' place The ordinary gait of a cow horse, The cowboy's reference to a line- also in averaging about five miles per hour, to camp ; a privy; sometimes used ride at this gait. reference to a honkytonk. steer jinete ( he-nay'tay) Judas One used at slaughterhouses and so Modern Spanish, meaning a rider or trained that he leads other cattle to a horseman. Used in the cattle country in slaughter. He is then returned to lead referring to a bronc buster, or a man others. who is an excellent rider. jingler jug handle of ownership by cutting Another name for the horse wrangler. A mark made a long slash in the skin of the brisket, not jingling cutting out at either end, a mark which, Rounding up' the horse herd. when healed, looks similar to the handle jingle-bob of a jug.

An earmark, a deep slit that leaves the jughead lower half of the ear flapping down, one A horse which lacks intelligence and

85 Western Words

has to be pulled around considerably be- sembly, or a council, and used by the fore he is made to understand what is cowman in referring to a business meet- wanted of him. ing. juggling just a ball of hair A trick-roping term, being a body spin Said of a very thin cow or calf. which repeatedly raises lowers the and Justin's noose from the ground to the limit of the Any cowman knows that this word is operator's reach above his head. synonymous with good cowboy boots. jump From the day in 1879 when Joe Justin settled at Old Spanish Fort on the Texas To come upon suddenly, as, "He side of Red River and made his first pair jumped a brand burner at the edge of the of boots, down through the years to the range"; to take possession unlawfully, present modern factory in Fort Worth, as, "to jump a claim." Texas, run by his three sons, Justin's has juniper set the style in cowboy boots. A few men have left their names to enrich perma- The western equivalent of hayseed,. nently the vocabulary of the Westerner Junin' 'round through the excellence and popularity of Restless. a necessary product. Among these are Colt, Stetson, Levi, and Justin. Even junta (hoon'tah) Easterners by now know what these Spanish, meaning a congress, an as- names represent. K

"Kickm' never gets you nowhere, Hess'n you're a mule"

kack ing in such a way as not to impede the A slang name for a saddle. progress of any others, seeing that the rear of the column was no wider than kaffir-corner the swing—that part between the lead- A settler who raises kaffir corn, a ers and the drags—or the cattle would farmer, any settler or nester. become overheated, and seeing that the herd did not become spaced so that the Kansas City fish marching column became too long. Fried salt pork. keep your moccasins greased Kansas neck-blister This expression originated with the A bowie knife. trappers and hunters and meant to step keeping cases softly when stalking game. Later it was adopted the in An expression used in faro. It means by cowman and used the keeping a record of the cards as they sense of to go easy. are drawn from the faro box. The term Kelly's soon became synonymous with the word watch. Therefore, to keep cases on any- This name is known throughout the cattle one is to watch him. country for hand-forged bits and spurs made by P. M. Kelly & Sons, of El keeping up the corners Paso, Texas. As a school boy at Childress, In the old trail days this meant keep- Texas, the elder Kelly spent his spare ing the stronger cattle in the herd mov- time at ranch headquarters listening to

86 KIP PILE

the cowboys' criticisms of the bits and grief, because in spurring too high, he spurs then in vogue, and determined to loses his knee grip. make some which would be "just right." kicked into a funeral procession With limited tools and the aid of a killed kicking horse. younger sister, he began making these Said of one by a riding tools by hand, selling them direct Kicking to the cowboys as fast as he could make See kick like a bay steer, kicked into them. From this start his business grew a funeral procession, let out. until his name became synonymous with good bits and spurs throughout cattle kick like a bay steer land. A common Texas saying meaning to keno kick vigorously or to complain bitterly. The cowhand rarely complains, for it is This word came from the gambling his philosophy that "kickin' never gets game, keno, and the cowman uses it to you nowhere, 'less'n you're a mule." mean everything is all right. The con- clusion of any act might evoke the ex- kick the frost out clamation, "Keno!" To unlimber a horse. kept his branding iron smooth kick the lid off Said of a rustler when he worked To start bucking, to start any violent overtime. A branding iron must be action. smooth and free from rust and scale to give satisfaction. kidney pad The contemptuous name the cowboy kept the double-doors swingin' gave the little riding saddle used by an Said of an habitue of the saloons. Easterner. Also called kidney flaster. ketch dog kidney shot A dog trained and used to catch cattle To shoot an animal in the region of by the nose and hold or throw them until the kidneys. they can be tied, or to worry a steer until Kill a puncher gets there with his rope. See bed him down, beefing, bit the ketch hand dust, blow out his lamp, buck out, buck

One whose duty it is to rope calves for out in smoke, bushwhack, case of slow, branding. credits, curled him up, dabble in gore, 'dobe wall, downed, dry gulch, hang Ketch my saddle! up his hide, hired killer, land in a shal- The sure cry of a cowboy who has been low grave, made wolf meat, man for thrown and whose mount is running breakfast, Mexicans don't count, Pecos, away with his saddle. The horse belongs put windows in his skull, sawdust in his to the company, but the saddle is his own beard, slow elk, stand, strapped on his private and highly prized property. horse, toes down. ketch rope killer What the cowboy calls his lariat to A vicious horse; also a badman. Most distinguish it from other ropes. of the professional gunmen were looked upon as killers because their guns were kettling for hire. Synonymous with bucking. killpecker guard kettle-bellied The period of herding from sundown Pot-gutted. until 8 p.m. is called this in some sec- kick-back rider tions. One, who, in riding a bucking horse, kip pile spurs high behind. He often comes to Buffalo skinners sorted and graded

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hides into different piles, the bulls in one Knives pile, the cows in another, and the young- See Arkansas toothpick, Kansas neck- as the er animals into a third known blister, skinning knife. kif file. knobhead kissed the ground ' A nickname for a mule. Said of one thrown from a bucking knothead horse. A cowboy who never attains skill in knee grip his work ; also an unintelligent horse. The clamping of a rider's knees Knots against a horse when riding. This is an See basket hitch, diamond hitch, Mor- important asset in riding a bad horse, mon tangle, squaw hitch. but he can not be ridden by knee grip Knowledge alone. The feet should be braced for- ward, and out against the stirrups, to See cow savvy, no medicine, quien catch the rider's weight when the horse sabe, savvy. lands, thus enabling him to balance for knows how to die standin' up the next jump. Said of one with courage, one unafraid kneeing in a fight. Splitting the hide on a wild steer about kyack an inch and a half between the knee and Packsaddle. Kyacks might be described .ankle on one foreleg and cutting a small as hollow containers, one on each side tendon or leader. When the steer is turned of the horse, each of sufficient capacity loose, he can walk, but his running days to hold the equal of two five-gallon oil are over. cans placed side by side. L

'A loose boss is always lookvrt for new pastures"

laced his tree up lady broke

An expression sometimes used when Said of a horse when he is thoroughly the cowboy speaks of saddling. I re- gentle. member Octillo Crane's telling me of his lamb licker trying to ride a particularly vicious horse. He described the attempt in this The cowboy's contemptuous name for a sheepherder, taken from the ewe's manner : "I had trouble gettin' my wood on 'im, and when I did get my tree laced habit of licking a new-born lamb.

it good, 'cause up, didn't do me much lamp oil I didn't get settled 'fore I goes sailin' off, A slang name for whiskey. flyin' low and usin' my face for a rough- lock till I'd lost 'nough hide to make a landed leggin's." pair o' Thrown from a horse. ladinos (lah-dee'nos) landed fork end up Outlaw cattle of the brush country. Thrown from a horse head first. The Spanish word means crafty or saga- his cious. The term is often applied to any landed on sombrero vicious animal. Thrown from a horse head first.

88 LAYIN DOWN HIS CHARACTER land in a shallow grave lasso To be killed and buried without cere- A long line, usually made of hide, mony, to be killed out on the plains far with a running noose. Mexicans intro- from any settlement where graves can duced this name to the cow range, al- be dug properly. Many cowboys were though the word is not of Spanish origin, buried thus when death resulted from but comes from the Portuguese laco, stampedes, lightning, drowning, gun which has a meaning equivalent to snare. fights, and falling horses. As in the case of lariat, it is used as a verb, meaning to lasso. The word is rare- laneing ly used by cowmen, the term rofe being A term expressive of the action of an preferred. Stockmen of the Pacific coast untrained helper. Through inexperience are the only ones using lasso to any ex- he will get on the side of the cattle oppo- tent. site you to assist you in turning them. However, the two of you then form a lass rope lane which keeps the animals from turn- A slang name for rope. ing. man of experience comes up from A last roundup behind and on the same side as the person A reference to death. he is assisting. (Duff Green to R.F.A.). last year's bronc Large A horse in his second season of work. See hefty, slew. latigo (lah'te-go) lariat Spanish, meaning the end of every Originally a rope used in picketing strap which must be fassed through a animals, especially when made of horse- buckle. A long leather strap, used to hair. Sometimes a lariat is made of grass, fasten the saddle on, which is passed suc- and of course is often used for any pur- cessively through the cinch ring and the pose for which a rope is needed. The rigging ring and tied much in the man- term is often used in the Southwest, but ner of a four-in-hand tie. the word is used in the Northwest. rofe lawdog The name is a contraction of the Spanish f la reata (lah-ray-ah tah) , the literal A sheriff or deputy. meaning of which may be expressed as law wrangler the tie back. The rope may also be called Frequently used title for a lawyer. a reata or a riata. Lariat may be used as The average cowman has little use for a verb, as to fasten or to catch with a lawyers although he admires their learn- lariat, but reata is never used as a verb. ing. One cowhand referred to a certain Californians do not like the word lariat attorney as "the smartest law-giver since they use either reata or lass rofe. — Moses." larrup lay Another for molasses; also (as name A chance throw with a rope, the cow- verb) to strike, to thrash. boy's bed, the name sometimes given a larrupin' truck ranch or outfit. "Great stuff." lay 'em down Said when a cowman dies; also when lasher a player lays his cards on the table in a A man who helps the driver of a poker game. string team by using the whip, handling the brakes, and helping with the swear- lay for ing. To lie in wait for, to ambush. lash rope layin' down his character A rope used to fasten packs on a pack- Said of one playing a deuce-spot in a saddle. card game. I heard one cowhand telling

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another of a game which he quit as a lead rope loser, and he finished by saying, "I tried A short rope used to lead a horse. all night to get somethin' higher than a two-spot." Another loser said that when lead span " he started the game he had 'nough The lead team of a vehicle drawn by money to be called 'Mister,' but the more than one team. trouble was I was jes' called—too many times." lead steer layout A steer, who, by his aggressiveness and stamina, takes his place at the head A frequently used name for a ranch, of the trail herd and retains his leader- its employees, and equipment; also one's ship to the end of the trail. He is invalu- personal equipment. able to the drover and, as an individual, layover is always honored with a name. There have been many stories written about fa- A voluntary stopping, during a drive, mous lead steers; for example, those at ranches or in town. written by J. Frank Dobie, J. Evetts lay the dust Haley, Jack Potter, and others ; and these To take a drink; also used in describ- stories always move the heart of a real ing a light sprinkle of rain. cowman. To him these steers are more than mere bovines. lay-up A compulsory stopping of a drive. leaky mouth Said of one who talks too much. When lazy brand two such men get together, Dick Blocker One in which a letter or figure is lying said they "jes' jabber at each other like on its side. a couple o' honkers on a new feed lead chucker ground." A slang name for a gun. leaned against a bullet goin' past lead drive men An expression denoting that the one spoken of was shot. Men, chosen for their knowledge of the country, to make the circle drive on lean forward and shove roundup. While other riders drop off at To get out of the way in a hurry. intervals to comb a given territory for cattle, the lead men ride on to complete leather pounder the circle and drive in the cattle from A slang name for the cowboy. the farthest edges. lead man leather slapper A gunman. Point rider of a trail herd. At the ex- treme forward tip of the moving column leather slapping rode the two lead men, one on each side, The act of drawing a gun and shoot- called the point. This was the honored ing. post of the cattle drive and the station of greatest responsibility, since it was these leavin' Cheyenne men who must determine the exact direc- Going away. This expression is taken tion to be taken. See foint riders. from the cowboy song "Goodbye, Old lead plum Paint, Pm Leavin' Cheyenne," a song usually used as a finale at dance, A bullet. a much in the way that "Home Sweet Home" is lead poisoned used in other sections of the country. Said of one who has been shot. leg bail

lead pusher When a prisoner escapes from jail, he Another of the many names for a gun. is said to take leg bail.

90 LINE-BACK leggin' case light a shuck The punishment, imposed by a cow- To leave in a hurry, a quick depart- boy's kangaroo court, consisting of a ure. "In the early days, corn was carried lashing with a pair of leggin's or chaps. as the principal food for man and beast. It was carried unshucked in the wagon leggin's beds. Selected shucks were placed at con- What the Southwest Texan calls chaps. venient places by all fires. On leaving He rarely uses the latter word. one campfire to go to another, a man was usually blinded by the light of the leg jockey fire he was just leaving. On turning his The flat leather plate or flap over- back to the fire, he found the surround- lying the stirrup leather where the stir- ing woods pitch dark. To penetrate this rup leather issues from the side of the blackness and give his eyes a chance to

saddle. See seat jockey. accustom themselves to it, so as not to fall over dead limbs, brush, and briars, lent the departing guest would light the tip green hand. A of one of the whole corn shucks in the fire leppy and lift it high above his head. The bright blaze would last for a matter of only a Orphan calf. minute or so, just enough time to get well let out beyond the blinding light of the fire. Consequently, when a departing To kick. When a horse kicks, he is said guest lit his shuck, he had to leave in- to. let out. stantly or its light would be wasted. So, let the hammer down 'he lit a shuck and left'." (Frank Ryan, "On the Jefferson Road," Texian Stomp- To take the rough edges off a horse. ing Ground [Austin, Texas, Folklore Levis (Lee-vies') Publications, No. XVII, 1941], 9—10.) Overalls. This is perhaps the best- light rider known first name of a man in the West. One of those men who keep in balance Only a "greener" would have to be told upon and with the horse and can ride that Levis are overalls, called this from long distances without retightening the the name of Levi Strauss, of San Francis- cinches or galling the horse's back, no co, the pioneer overall manufacturer of matter how much their weight. the West. Since their introduction in 1850, practically all cowboys have worn Like a steer, I can try. them because they are stout and comfort- This cowboy saying is applicable to able. They are not to be confused with many forms of conduct. It originated the bib overalls that farmers wear. A from the fact that the steer, like an old cowhand would not be caught in a pair man, no matter how impotent, never of these. Levis are made just like a pair loses his interest in the female ; and when of pants except that they have many cop- steers are brought together they will try per rivets to reinforce seams and pockets. to mount, or "ride," each other, no mat- The cowboy wears them with turned- ter how fruitless their efforts. (J. Frank up cuffs, and when shoeing his horse, Dobie, The Longhorns [Boston, Little, these cuffs serve as a handy repository Brown, 1941], 181.) for extra horseshoe nails. limb skinner lick An appropriate name for a brush hand, The cowboy's name for molasses. but his limbs are the ones that get skinned.

lid line Hat. A slang name for rope. light line-back To dismount. An animal with a stripe of a different

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color from the rest of its body running lint-back down its back. The cowboy's name for a cotton picker. line breeding little feller The breeding of cattle of the same A cattleman with small holdings. strain. line-camp Little Mary A nickname the old-time trail man An outpost cabin or dugout, upon a frequently gave to the drivers of the calf large ranch, to house line riders. See wagon. boar's nest. line rider live dictionary school teacher, a talkative woman. A man who patrols a prescribed boun- A One who, as Jeter would say, "was dary to look after the interests of his Jug shore in the lead when tongues was give employer. It is a hard, monotonous job, out." did not have much use for yet more interesting than fence riding, Jug women, and he got his because it for he can ride a new route each day. name was said that he "never to While the fence rider looks primarily went town till his needed fillin'." for breaks in the fence, the line rider jug looks for everything, including the con- livin' lightnin' dition of the watering places and the Said of a bucking horse of ability. grazing lands. He pushes strays of his brand back on the range and drives off lizard of it those which do not belong. The A sled made of the fork of a tree sup- worse the weather the more he has to ported by standards. ride. Drifting cattle have to be thrown lizard scorcher back into the brakes, holes have to be camp stove. chopped in frozen watering places, and A weak stock have to be tended. lizzy It is a lonely job, and the line rider A slang name for the horn of the works long hours. does his cook- He own saddle. ing and has no one to talk to except his horses. He has no cheerful campfire to llano (lyah'no) get up by on cold mornings, and he will Prairie, a flat, open plain without smell no appetizing odors of fried meat trees. and coffee until he builds fire on the a load cold ashes of his little cookstove and deceive by tall tales, to lie. cooks for himself. Sometimes two men To are placed in camp, and although they load of hay on his skull spend the day riding in opposite direc- Said of a long-haired man. tions, the job is not so lonely because they can keep each other company at Loafing night. See calf 'round, in the shade of the Perhaps the thing uppermost in the wagon, on the drift, pirooting, shadin',

thoughts of this rider is the day when soakin'. he can return to headquarters and hear lobo a real cook yell, "Come an' get it." (J. A gray wolf, sometimes called a loafer. Frank Dobie, Vaquero of the Brush- Country [Dallas, Southwest Press, 1929], lobo stripe 149—50; John M. Hendrix, "Batchin' The white, yellow, or brown stripe Camp," Cattleman, XX, No. 2 [July 2, running down the back, from neck to x 934]> 5; Philip A. Rollins, The Cow- tail, of a line-back animal, a character- boy [New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, istic of many Spanish cattle. 1936], 206.) locate lining his flue To herd cattle on new range until they Said of one eating-. feel at home.

92 LOOKIN AT A MULE S TAIL locked spurs long-eared chuck wagon Spurs whose rowels have been fastened A humorous name for the mules which with a string or horsehair so that they pack the provisions when these animals will not move. When these spurs are held have to be used instead of wagons in firmly in the cinch, it is next to impos- rough country. sible for a horse to unseat its rider, and long-haired partner their use is barred at all rodeos. When not locked, spurs do not assist the rider What the cowman sometimes calls his in staying on; on the contrary, they act wife. in the manner of ball bearings to throw long-hairs him. A slang name for the men of the early lock horns West who wore their hair long. To engage in an argument or fight longhorn with another. Very commonly male ani- A name given early cattle of Texas, mals of the plains, during fights, get because of the enormous spread of their their horns locked together, and, being horns ; also the name for native men of unable to free themselves, remain in this Texas, the home of the longhorn cattle. state until they starve to death. The saga of the longhorn is interesting, loco and for a valuable and the only complete study of this historic bovine, I recom- In reference to stock, it means the re- mend The Longhorns, by an able re- sult of feeding upon the toxic loco weed. corder of the West, J. Frank Dobie (Bos- In reference to, humans, it means that the ton, Little, Brown, 1941). person called this is foolish, absurd, or crazy. The word is Spanish, meaning long horse mad,, crazy, or stupid. One which can travel great distances loggerin' at high speed. Riding out of the chute at a rodeo long-line skinner with the hand, or hands, gripping the A driver of two or more teams. saddle horn. long rider loggin' Another name for an outlaw. This Tying a horse to a log. Since a log will name was given because he often had to move, this method of staking allows the ride long distances, or spend long hours horse more freedom and eliminates the in the saddle, to escape capture. danger of entanglements from more rigid staking. long rope A slang name for a cattle thief. lone ranger long sweetenin' A nickname for an unmarried man. Slang name for molasses. lone-wolfing long Living alone, avoiding companionship Tom of others. What the buffalo hunter frequently called his long rifle. long-ear long trail To place a silk neckerchief on hard reference to death. ground and listen by putting the ear A upon it. Old plainsmen often followed long yearlin' this practice, and sounds otherwise in- A calf eighteen months old or older. audible are somehow magnified by this means. From this practice originated the lookin' at a mule's tail saying, "Keep your ear to the ground," Plowing. The cowhand despises any meaning to use caution, to go slowly, and work which can not be done on horseback. listen frequently. The sentiment of the whole tribe was ex-

93 Western Words

pressed by the one who said that he loose herd "wouldn't be caught on the blister end To let cattle scatter somewhat, yet of no damned shovel." herd them. lookin' down the neck of a bottle lost his hair Said of one drinking whiskey from Said of one scalped by Indians. a bottle. lost his hat and got off to look lookin' for a dog to kick for it

Disgusted. Often said when one is thrown from a horse. An alibi which, of course, no lookin' for someone one believes. An expression meaning that one is lost his horse seeking an enemy to down. Said when a rider is thrown. lookin' over his shoulder lost his topknot one the dodge. One cow- Said of on Scalped. man expressed his philosophy to me with, "A man that looks over his shoulder at low-necked clothes every piece o' straight road ain't leadin' The cowboy's very best garments, a straight life." Looking over one's which he wears on special occasions. shoulder is breaking a strict code of range Tonto Sutton described a cowboy who etiquette followed by honest men. When attended a dance as "all spraddled out two riders meet on the trail, speak, and in his low-necked clothes," and, "He pass on, it is a violation of this code for showed up public as a zebra, wearin' a either to look back. Such an act is inter- b'iled shirt and smellin' of bear grease preted as an expression of distrust, as and lavender-flavored soap, lookin' as though one feared a shot in the back. miserable as a razorback hog stroppin' hisself on a fencepost." lookin' cottonwood through Loyal leaves See he'll do to ride the river with, Said of one hanged. measured a full sixteen hands high, square, stand by. lookin' up a limb oil Another expression meaning hanged. lump Coal oil or kerosene. Look out, cowboy! lunger When this cry goes up in a corral full One suffering from tuberculosis who of burned cattle, it is no disgrace to run. came west in search of health. Smoky with, "His lungs look-see Saddler described one wasn't stronger than a hummin' bird's When a cowman goes on an inspection and he didn't have 'nough wind to blow tour or rides off to investigate anything, out a lamp." he refers to the act as going to take a look-see. The single word look is rarely lynchin' bee used. A hanging.

94 — M MAKIN HAIR BRIDLES

"A cow outfit's never better than its bosses"

Mac mail-order catalog on foot A male parasite who makes his living Said of a tenderfoot dressed in range pimping for some woman of the red- clothes in an exaggerated manner. light districts of the cow towns. mail-order cowboy machinery belting A tenderfoot, devoid of range experi- Tough beef. ence, in custom-made cowboy regalia. The average mail-order cowboy "looks made a nine in his tail like he was raised on the Brooklyn Said of man or beast leaving in a Bridge." hurry. When a cow runs from fright, she make medicine often lifts her tail in the shape of the To hold a conference, to plan some figure nine, or at least in the shape of action. the figure the cowman uses in most "nine" brands; hence the saying. makin' a hand

A man is said to be making a hand made of the same leather and this is a high compliment—when he Said of men having the same disposi- can live up to the exacting code of the tions, ideas, and tastes. According to one calling. This code calls for courage and cowhand, they are "close 'nough to use loyalty, uncomplaining cheerfulness and the same toothpick." laughter at dangers and hardships, lack made wolf meat of curiosity regarding another's past, and respect for womanhood. These, together An expression of the early trappers, with the embodiment of many other meaning to kill a man and leave him on codes, constitute a religion that the cow- the prairie for the wolves to eat; later boy lives up to if he makes a hand. adopted by the cowman. makin' far apart tracks mad scramble Running at speed on foot. A rodeo finale when fifteen or more makin' hair bridles Brahma bulls, steers, and mules, with cowboys astride each animal, rush into Synonymous with being in the peni- the arena in all directions from the chutes. tentiary. Most cowboys who were sent to prison spent their time making these maggots bridles because the work seemed to bring Cowboy's name for sheep. them closer to a horse. Some of them have turned out masterpieces. maguey (mah-gay' or McGay) In typical cowboy language, Charlie The century plant. The cowman uses Russell wrote a letter to a friend con- the word to mean a four-strand rope of cerning a mutual acquaintance, saying: a scant three-eighths inch in diameter "Charley Cugar quit punchin' and went made from the fiber of this plant. It is into the cow business for himself. His a hard rope that throws easily and holds start was a couple o' cows and a work a wide loop. This is the rope used by bull. Each cow had six to eight calves a trick ropers in making their fancy catches. year. People didn't say much till the bull In cow work it has its disadvantages, as got to havin' calves, and then they made it becomes very stiff in wet weather and it so disagreeable that Charley quit the

breaks easily when tied hard and fast. business and is now makin' hoss-hair It holds better when a dally is used. bridles. They say he hasn't changed much,

95 Western Words

but wears his hair very short and dresses ated in frontier days when there were awfully loud." (Charles M. Russell, so many killings at night in the tough Good Medicine [Garden City, Double- cow towns and mining camps that when day, Doran, 1930], 107.) the good citizens awoke the next morn- ing, they could see the body or bodies makin's of the victims laid out before breakfast. Cigarette material. The old-time cow- boy never smoked any cigarettes other mangana (man-gah'nah) than the ones he rolled himself from his A Spanish word meaning lasso, a makin's. If he ran out of makin's when sleeve, net, or trap. It is a throw which he was situated where he could not buy catches the animal by the forefeet and more, he asked another rider for them has come to mean forefooting. This and they were never refused, unless the throw is made by pointing the hand refusal was an intentional insult. downward, dragging the loop forward and swinging it out so that it practically makin' shavetails stands on edge. This throw stands a big An expression used by cowboys of the loop in front of the animal, so that all

Northwest for breaking horses. See he has to do is step into it. It is a loop shavetails and tail fulling. which needs perfect timing to be suc- makin' the town smoky cessful, as it will cause an animal to stop rather than hit it, if it is stood too far Said of one shooting up a town or ahead of him. The throw is reserved for raising hell generally. horses and seldom used on cattle. (W. maleta (mah-lay'tah) M. French, "Ropes and Roping," Cattle- man, XXVI, No. 12 [May, 17- A bag made of rawhide ; also a satchel. 1940], 30.) mal pais (mahl pah-ees') mangana de pie (man-gah'nah A Spanish term meaning bad country. The term is applied to the lava mesas of day pe-ay')

the Southwest. Pie means foot, hence this is a throw manada (mah-nah'dah) with the foot. Being a fancy throw, it is rarely used in actual work. It is made A Spanish feminine noun meaning a by putting a well-opened loop on the herd of mares, more especially brood ground with the toe beneath the honda, mares. The verb manar means to spring and as the animal to be roped goes by, from, to issue. (Don, "Vaquero Lingo," the loop is pitched straight forward with Western Horseman, II, No. [Septem- 5 the foot. ber—October, 1937], 11.) maniac den mafiana (mahn-yahn'ah) The cowboy's name for a sheep wagon Spanish for tomorrow ; sometime, per- or camp. The cowman feels that a sheep- haps never. The word is used freely by herder is more or less crazy or he would Americans along the Mexican border in not be herding sheep, and for the dis- association with a leisurely postpone- orderly arrangement of his camp, den is ment. (Harold W. Bentley, Dictionary a fitting word. of Spanish Terms in English [New York, Columbia University Press, 1932], 161.) Manila man at the pot A rope of Manila. Most of the ropes sold and used in the ranch country are If a man in camp, during meals, gets made of Manila fiber, of three-strand up to refill his cup with coffee and this construction, and laid extra hard for is yelled at him, he is duty-bound by strength and smoothness. camp etiquette to go around with the pot and fill all the cups that are held man-killer out to him. A vicious horse. man for breakfast man-stopper Said of a killing. This saying origin- A slang name for a gun.

96 MAVERICKER map of Mexico in charge of a Negro on the River about fifty miles south of San An- The American cowboy's name for the tonio, Texas. The Negro, being both intricate cattle brands of the Mexicans, ignorant of cattle and shiftless, failed to which usually are large and give no clue brand the increase of the herd and let to any name by which they can be called. them wander far and wide. In 1855 mark Maverick sold his entire outfit—brand, The cutting of an animal's ears or range, and all—to Toutant de Beaure- other parts of the skin. Each kind of gard, a neighbor stockman. According to

mark has a name and is registered along the terms of the deal, Beauregard, in with the owner's brand. Used both as a addition to the number of cattle present noun and a verb. and actually transferred in the trade, was to have all the others that he could marker find on Maverick's range, both branded An animal with distinct coloration or and unbranded. Beauregard, being a other marks easily distinguished and re- thrifty man, instituted a systematic membered by the owner and his riders. roundup, and whenever his riders found Such an animal has frequently been the an unbranded animal, they claimed it to downfall of the rustler. The word also be a Maverick, put Beauregard's brand

means a man who cuts the earmarks on on it, and drove it in. These riders took cattle at branding time. in so much territory, at a time when the Marriage prairies were full of unbranded cattle, that the news began to spread. From See draggin' her rope, dropped his these circumstances the term maverick rope on her, trap a squaw. was applied to unbranded range cattle. martingale The term spread over the entire cattle country and gained such common usage A strap from bridle to girth, passing that it found its way into the dictionary. between the horse's forelegs. It is in- (Prose and, Poetry of the Cattle Indus- tended to hold the horse's head down try [, 1905]; George M. Mav- and thus keep him from rearing. erick [son of Samuel A. Maverick], St. maverick Louis Refublic, November 16, 1889.) The term is also now used in speaking As a noun, it means an unbranded ani- of a human who does not mix with others, mal of unknown ownership; as a verb, or one who holds himself aloof from a it means to brand such an animal with crowd. one's own brand. Many and varied stories are told con- maverick brand cerning the origin of the use of this word An unrecorded brand. A thief can (See Frank Dobie, Longhorns J. The easily hold an animal on the range with [Boston, Little, Brown, 1941], 44—45). one of these unrecorded brands until he Some of the stories have even gone so is able to drive it off. In case suspicion far as to brand Mr. Maverick a thief, is aroused, there are no records to. con- and nothing could be farther from the nect him with the theft. truth. He was a useful, prominent, and honorable citizen, a lawyer and one of mavericker the signers of the Texas Declaration of A man who rode the ranges in the early Independence. He never made any claims days to hunt and brand mavericks. In to being a cattleman. In fact, his ignor- the beginning this practice of roping and ance regarding cattle was responsible branding any calf which was not at the for his leaving such a colorful addition time following its mother was not con-

to our language. Here is what is appar- sidered stealing, but legitimate thriftiness. ently the true story of the term. Calves of this kind were considered any- The term is derived from the name of one's cattle. Many ranchers, who would Samuel A. Maverick, who, as a lawyer, not condone theft in any form, sent their took over a bunch of cattle for a debt cowboys out "to do a little mavericking" before the Civil War and placed them at so much per head.

97 Western Words

When the cowboy saw how easy it medicine tongue was to build up a herd for his boss, he Fluent talk, wordiness. began wondering why it would not be just as legitimate and a lot more profit- medicine wolf able to himself to maverick on his own Slang name for a coyote. hook. Not until then did ranch owners decide it was stealing and caused laws Meeting to be passed against it. After this mav- ericker was but another name for a cow See junta, make medicine, powwow. thief. Men maverick factory (other than stockmen) See Arizona Said of the rustler's making mavericks tenor, arriero, badlander, badman, by killing the mother with her tell-tale batch, blacksmithing, blue-belly, bone brand. picker, breed, buckboard driver, buck- mavericking nun, buffalo skinner, buffalo soldier, bullwhacker, can't whistle, capper, The act of hunting and brand- down chuck-eater, claim jumper, coffee cooler, ing unbranded calves. It became a syn- converter, desert rat, ditch rider, duffer, onym for stealing. fence cutter, forty-niner, four-up driv- mealy nose er, freak, free ranger, great seizer, grissel-heel, gunman, hair pounder, A cow or steer of the longhorn type hard-winter bunch, headlight to a snow with lines and dots of a color lighter storm, hill rat, hombre, home-sucker, than the rest of its body around the eyes, hoof-shaper, Jack Mormon, jaw cracker, face, and nose. Such an animal is said John Law, lasher, lawdog, law wrangler, to be mealy nosed,. load of hay on his skull, long hairs, long- Mean line skinner, long rider, lunger, mac, See cultus, raised on sour milk, snake messenger, mover, mulero, mustanger, blood, snake eyes, snaky, tough lay, wool mustangler, pearl diver, phildoodle, in his teeth. pocket hunter, posse, raised on prunes and proverbs, redcoats, remittance man, measured a full sixteen hands river sniper, rolls his own hoop, roust- high about, saddler, sagebrusher, sagebrush The appraisement of a man's worth, philosopher, sage rat, sand cutter, savage, and a high compliment to his ability and sin-buster, skinner, sky-pilot, sloper, honesty. snow bird, squatter, squawman, star- toter, stiff man, stinker, swamper, swivel meat in the pot dude, tiger, tumbleweed, two-gun man, Slang name for a rifle, because this two-up driver, vigilantes, wagon herder, weapon is used by the hunter to secure wisdom bringer, wolfer, wood monkey, meat for the camp. wood sheller, yack. mecate (may-cah'tay) Mentally Weak Americanized to the familiar McCarty, See couldn't drive nails in a snow bank, meaning a hair, or maguey, rope used feather-headed, haywire, His thinker is as saddle reins with a hackamore, or as puny., needs a wet nurse, off his mental a tie or lead rope. Because a hair rope reservation, ought to be bored for the for this purpose has long been traditional, hollow horn, ought to be playing with a there has developed a tendency to call string of spools. all hair ropes mecates. A hair rope is never used as a reata. It kinks too easily merry-go-round and is too light to throw. A trick-roping term. The rope is spun Meddler with an independent noose around and See eyeballer, feedin' off his range, clear of the body, the roper using first hornin' in, Paul Pry, wedgers in. one hand and then the other.

98 MILLING merry-go-round in high water met his shadow on the ground The milling- of cattle in a stream. Al- Said of one thrown from a bucking

though it is highly desirable to get stam- horse. peding cattle to mill on land, when they Mexican do so in water the result is anything but desirable. When they get to swimming See chili, chili-eater, greaser, never- around in an ever-tightening circle in sweat, oiler, pelados, pepper-gut, scab water, they become hopelessly massed, herder, shuck, spic, sun-grinner. and the loss from drowning is enormous Mexican buckskin unless the herders are fortunate in break- What the northern cowboy sometimes ing up this mass in its early stages. To called a longhorn driven up the trail stop them is difficult and a dangerous from Texas. task, as the rider can not enter the center of the mass to break it up, and pushing Mexican iron from the outside causes it to become A slang name for rawhide, called this tighter. because it was used extensively by the mesa (may'sah) Mexicans and wore like iron. A flat-topped hill, an elevated plateau, Mexicans don't count a mountain shaped like a table. A boast of the gunman of the South- west who felt it beneath his dignity to mesquital (meth-kee'tahl) "count coup" on the Mexicans and In- A region covered with mesquite, clump dians he killed. Some gunmen kept a of mesquite shrubs. From the Spanish careful record of the white men they mezquital. killed by filing notches on their guns for their victims. mesquite (meth-kee'tay or ma-skeet') Mexican standoff Getting alive from any serious Spanish mezquite, probably of Mexi- away difficulty. The Mexican has never had can-Indian origin. A tree or shrub found the reputation, among the cowboys, for in the Southwest, especially in the flat being a sticker in a fight. They claim country. The wood is exceedingly hard that, if he does not win quickly in a gun and durable underground. The plant is battle or if he finds much opposition, he covered with thorns, and its fruit is a leaves in a hurry. pulpy bean full of grape-sugar upon which cattle feed when they can get noth- Mexican strawberries ing better. A slang name for dried beans. messenger mid-air dance A man, who, in the days of the stage- A hanging. coach, rode beside the driver to defend the company's or shipper's property with milk pitcher a sawed-off shotgun; also called a shot- A cow giving milk. gun messenger. miller mess house One who tends the windmills on a ranch. The cook shack. milling mess wagon The marching of cattle in a compact Another name for the chuck wagon. circle. This formation is resorted to in stopping stampedes. As the cattle mill in mestefio (mes-tay'nyo) a circle, they wind themselves up into a A horse, a mustang. From the Spanish narrowing mass which becomes tighter which really means an animal running and tighter until finally it is so tight they wild on the range. can no longer move. When the same ac-

99 Western Words

tion takes place with horses, it is spoken virtually obsolete now, but was frequent- of as rounding-up, the term milling be- ly used in the early days, especially in ing reserved strictly for cattle. California. The term was originally used Milling in days with reference to the mail pouches built into the skirts of See merry-go-round in high water, the saddle. milling. mocho (mo'cho) mill rider From the Spanish desmochar (des-

One whose duty it is to keep the wind- 1 mo-char ' ) , to decapitate or cut off ; also mills on the ranch in repair. cropped, dishonored. An animal which minin' for lead has lost part of its ear or tail is called a mocho ; also a gotched or droop-horned Probing for a bullet in a wounded animal. person. misty beyond mockey wild mare. A cowboy's reference to death, some- A thing he does not fully understand. Money mixed cattle See blow in, bonanza, cowboy change, Cattle of various grades, ages, and dinero, down to his last chip, dust, fight- sexes. in' wages, get-away money, gold colic, grass-bellied with spot cash, grass money, mixed herd hard money, out of the money, savin' A herd of mixed sexes. money for the bartender, short bit, time, wallow in velvet. mix the medicine Ability to cope with any situation. monkey nose moan A slang name for a tapadero, which takes this name from its shape—a short, Sometimes used as a bucking term. As turned-up front. a rider mounts a bronc, another cow- boy may give such useless warnings as monkey Style "Look out, he's goin' to moan with A riding term. In riding monkey style, you!" the rider seizes the horn of the saddle moccasin mail with one or both hands, pushes himself sideways out of the saddle, and standing During trapper days, when one party in one stirrup, with the knee on the out- preceded another, the leading party left side rigid, and his other leg, resting mid- messages of warning or reassurance by way between hip and knee, across the tying in a tree a moccasin in which the seat of the saddle. His flexed knee-joint message was placed. Later, when cow- and both hip-joints absorb the shock. men on the trail left similar messages in (Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy [New the sand or in trees, they still spoke of York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936], them by this name. 3 12 -) moccasin telegraph Monkey-Ward cowboy The grapevine system of information One wearing a mail-order outfit, and on the plains (W. S. Campbell [Stanley having little or no range experience. Vestal] to R.F.A.). mochila (mo-chee'lah) Montgomery Ward woman sent Spanish, meaning knapsack. A large west on approval piece of leather covering the saddle and A homely woman. The cowman has put on after the saddle is cinched on the his own unique expressions for this lack horse. It has a hole cut for the horn to of beauty. Roarin' Edens spoke of a wo- go through and a narrow slit to let the man he considered shy of beauty by say- cantle slip through. The contraption is ing, "She had a face built for a hacka-

IOO MOUNT

more." Dutch Roeder spoke of a certain Mormon brakes lady whose beauty he did not admire A tree tied behind a wagon to retard with the statement that "she ain't nothin' its speed downhill. This device was first for a drinkin' to look at." Another man used by Mormon pioneers in crossing the puncher, speaking of a of con- woman San Bernado Mountains in 1850. siderable heftiness, said that she "only needed four more pounds o' lard to git Mormon dog into a sideshow," while Rowdy Bibbs A tin can filled with rocks, used in spoke of another as being "uglier'n a place of dogs in some sections of the Mexican sheep." Northwest to scare cattle from their hid- ing place in the rough country. montura (mon-too'rah) Spanish, meaning horse intended, for Mormon tangle the saddle; also saddle, traffings, and A squaw hitch, a packer's knot. accoutrements of horses. The American moros occasionally uses it to mean his saddle. A horse of bluish color. moon-eyed morral (mor-rahr) Said of a horse with white, glassy eyes. Spanish for a food bag for horses. moonlight 'em This fiber bag is carried on the saddle horn when the rider is going on a trip To night ride for cattle. and is riding a grain-fed horse. The moonlight roping word is widely used in the cattle country, and the bag is also called a nose bag. Brush cattle lie out in the brush in daytime and come out to little clearings mossy-horn to feed at night. On moonlight nights A Texas longhorn steer, six or more the takes cowman advantage of this habit, years old, whose horns have become and his work is called moonlight roping. wrinkled and scaly; also called a moss moonshinin' . horn. The term sometimes is slangily applied to old cowmen. Working on roundup in a country so rough that packs have to be used in place Mother-Hubbard loop

of chuck wagons ; also a night drive and An extra-large loop. a dry camp. Mother-Hubbard saddle more guts than you could hang An early-day saddle, the first improve- on a fence ment upon the Mexican saddle, which Said of one with unusual courage. consisted of little more than a tree and stirrup leathers. The Mother-Hubbard more lip than a muley cow had a housing like the mochila, an al- Said of one who talks too much. most square piece of leather with a hole for the horn and a slit for the cantle, straw! More the whole being detachable. Later this The call of the branders for more was made a permanent part of the saddle, calves to be brought to the branding fire. and was designed to give more comfort more wrinkles on his horns to both horse and rider. Said of one who has become older mother up and wiser. This saying came from the Said when female stock claim their fact that the wild cattle of the brush young. and brakes were horn-wrinkled from old age reached through the freedom bought motte by wisdom. A clump of trees. Mormon blanket mount A quilt made from scraps of faded The number of horses assigned to a overalls and jumpers. rider for his personal use during his stay

IOI Western Words

at the ranch (as noun) ; to climb astride into it, too. Every cowhand finds some- a horse (as verb). The number of horses thing to do, or he is not a cowboy. Some assigned a rider depends largely upon harness the cook's teams while others help the size of the ranch and the kind of him pack and stow his pots and utensils. country to be worked. Seven to ten head When everything is ready, the cook is an average mount, and in this num- crawls upon his wagon seat and is handed ber is included one or two broncs which the lines by a thoughtful cowhand, who, the cowboy rides on circle to get them before he realizes the lines are out of his gradually used to cow work. The word hands, sees the cook herding his half raw mount is usually used in sections which broncs across the rough, roadless coun- employ the term remuda in speaking of try. The mess wagon is rattling and the band of saddle horses. In the north- swaying behind that running team until ern, or cavvy, country personal horses he wonders how the outfit holds together. are called the string. By the time the cowboys reach the new camp at noon, the will have camp mountain boomer cook set up and a hot meal waiting for them.

One of cattle of the hilly country ; also a species of large mountain lizard. movin' sheep When cowboys ran sheep over a cliff mountain oyster or off the range during a war between A testicle of a bull. Some find it a sheep and cattle factions. choice delicacy when roasted or fried. mozo (mo'tho) Mounting Spanish, meaning a young man, an as- See changing mounts, cheeking, fly- sistant. Americans usually use the word ing mount, fork, hairpin, Indian side of in speaking of the assistant of a pack a horse, light, mount, off side, pony ex- train. press mount, settin' on his arm, step across, take a run. muck-a-muck mouthy Cayuse Indian jargon for food. Some- times used by cowboys of the North- inclined to talk a great deal. One Such west. a person is not usually held in high re- pute by the cowman. "The bigger the mug mouth the better it looks when shut" is To bulldog a calf. cowman philosophy. mujer (moo-herr') mover A girl or young lady. The cowboy One habitually moving from one range uses this word for color and variety to another in a covered wagon, usually when speaking of his girl. a squatter. Very commonly squatters, as mulada (moo-lah'dah) one cowboy said, "had 'nough offspring A drove or herd of mules. Occasion- to start a public school." Another cow- ally used by Americans as a convenience, man of my acquaintance once referred since it is shorter than mule herd, or herd, to such an outfit with, "By the number mules. of descendants he's got he musta been a of Bishop in Utah." mule-ears moving camp Boots made with pull-on straps at the top; also a slang name for tapaderos, When a roundup camp is to be moved, taking this name from their shape. the wagon boss gives instructions which no one but a cowhand familiar with the mule-hipped horse country could understand. night- The One with hips that slope too much. hawk drives up the remuda early. Saddle horses are caught and saddled, and the mulero ( moo-lay 'ro) rest of the horses are left to graze near A mule driver; also called a mule by. The rope corral is coiled and put skinner—mules are always skinned, never into the wagon, beds are rolled and piled driven.

I02 NECK OIL

Mules music roots See Arizona nightingale, burro, desert A Westerner's name for sweet potatoes. canary, hard-tail, hatajo, head-and-tail string, knobhead, long-eared chuck mustang wagon, mulata, pack mule, prospector's A wild horse, restricted to the un- compass, Rocky Mountain canary. mixed variety (as noun). From the mule's breakfast Spanish mesteno, which comes from mesta, meaning a group of horse raisers. A straw bed. The sufEx eno means belonging to, and muley so the horses that escaped from the early A hornless cow. Being handicapped mestas and ran wild were mestenos, or in defending herself from other cattle, mustangs. To catch mustangs (as verb). she beds down at night on the outside edge of the herd away from the horned mustanger stuff. Coming thus under the cowboy's (Spanish, mestenero) A man engaged personal observation as he circles the in catching mustangs for a livelihood. herd, she is either "cussed" or called something endearing by him. The cow- mustangler hand does not like to drive muley cattle A herder of mustangs. because they jam together, suffer from the heat, and lose more weight than mustard the cattle horned cattle. Then, too, they cause him To stir them up and get them heated, to use the greatest patience. Evetts (J. or excited. Haley, XIT Ranch [Chicago, Lakeside Press, 1929], 192.) mutton puncher muley saddle Cowboy's humorous term to describe One without a horn. a sheepherder. N

"You can judge a man by the boss he rides'''

narrow at the equator or tied to a more tractable animal. This practice was especially resorted to in Hungry. I heard one puncher say that the days of the longhorn. After the two his "stomach was so shrunk it wouldn't animals had worn themselves out trying chamber a liver-pill," and another that to go in different directions at the same his "tapeworm was hollerin' for fodder." time, the wilder one was enough subdued navvy to move along in company of its fel-

A Indian pony, which is held lows. A good neck animal is valued to be about the poorest specimen of horse- highly by its owner. flesh on earth. neck meat or nothin' necking The cowboy's equivalent to whole hog This word, in range lingo, has a very or nothing (William MacLeod Raine to different meaning from that which is R.F.A.). used today in metropolitan circles. On the range, an unruly cow or one with neck oil roving disposition will often be necked Slang name for whiskey.

103 Western Words neck-reiner nicking A horse trained to turn at the slightest Another term the mustanger used in pressure of the reins on his neck. speaking of creasing a horse. See creas- ing. necktie social A lynching, a hanging. nigger brand A galled sore on a horse's back caused needle-gun by careless riding (as noun) ; to ride so A rifle used on the frontier and called as to cause such sores (as verb). this because of its long firing pin which detonated the powder by plunging nigger-catcher through the paper cartridge to strike the A small, slotted leather flap on one primer at the base of the bullet. or both sides of the saddle, usually at the base of the fork or cantle, if a two- needs a wet-nurse cinched saddle. Its purpose is to hold the Said of an irresponsible or ignorant long, free end of the latigo through the person. slit when cinched up. Nellie nigger-heeled An old skinny cow or steer. Said of a horse whose front toes turn out with the heels in. nester nigger horse A squatter who settles on state or gov- ernment land. This term is applied with One of black color. contempt by the cattleman of the South- nigger-in-a-blanket west to the early homesteaders who began cowboy dessert, usually made of tilling the soil in the range country. A raisins in dough. Viewed from some ridge, the early nest- er's home, as he cleared his little patch night drive of brush and stacked it in a circular form The trailing of cattle at night. to protect his first feed patch from range cattle, looked like a gigantic bird's nest. night guard The cowboy, ever quick to catch re- The watching of the cattle herd at semblances, mentioned it to the next man night. Each man in camp, except the he met, and the name spread and stuck cook and the wrangler, must serve his to every man that settled on the plains turn. Usually there were two men to each to till the soil. (John M. Hendrix, guard for the average herd. Upon reach- "Feedin'," West Texas Today [March, ing the bed-ground, they rode in opposite 1936], 6.) directions as they circled the herd. This nesting answered the double purpose of keeping the men separated and having a man Homesteading. looking each way so that no animal could never-sweat slip away unnoticed in the dark. Two punchers riding side by side and talking A slang name for the Mexican. are bound to neglect their job. If things new ground went smoothly, they kept this riding up until they were relieved. An occasional name for a tenderfoot. This was truly a job for a man "with nice kitty fur on his brisket" on stormy nights Occasional nickname for a skunk. when it was so dark "he couldn't find his nose with both hands." He had no nickel-plated stars to comfort him and could not even The cowboy's term for the best in strike a match. If the cattle were extreme- anything, from the nickel-plated decora- ly nervous, he had to be equally extreme-

tions upon his person and riding gear to ly cautious. As one cowhand put it, "You a well-dressed woman. had to ride a mile to spit." On pleasant

104 NOSE PAINT

nights the work was not so hard, but stantly caught for night use. A good even then the cowboy must stay in the night horse is of a special type, and in saddle all the time, and the hours seemed the days of the open range was one of long and lonesome. the most essential horses. He is selected When working with the roundup or for his sure-footedness, good eyesight, with a trail herd, the cowhand did not and sense of direction. He must not be get much sleep, and what he did get was high-strung, but must be gentle, unex- interrupted by his having to take his citable, and intelligent. He is never used turn at night guard. But after he was on except for night work, and during stam- the job a while, he rarely needed to be pedes much depends on him. He holds his wakened. Sleeping with his ear to the rider's life in his ability to see, run, ground, he could hear the rider coming dodge, and keep his footing. He will see off herd when he was still a great dis- an animal straying from the herd and tance away, and by the time he reached turn it back without guidance, and he camp, the new guard was ready to take can find his way back to camp on the his place. darkest night. Every cowman loves his night horse and prizes him beyond price. night--hawk A person who herds saddle horses at night mare night—one of those fellows who is said An humorous name for the night horse, to have "swapped his bed for a lantern." though it is never a mare. Though his duties, keeping the saddle horses from straying too far away, are no beans in the wheel identical with those of the day wrangler, An expression meaning that there are colloquial usage causes the day man to no cartridges in the cylinder of a gun. ivrangle horses, and the night-hawk to no breakfast forever herd them. (Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy [New York, Charles Scribner's Said of one caught in a prairie fire. Sons, 1936], 220.) no medicine Some outfits use only one wrangler No information upon a subject. and have no night-hawk. The job is a lonely one, and it is hard for the night- norther hawk to keep from dozing in the saddle, A driving gale from the north that because the sleep he gets in the daytime hurtles over the Southwest, and, coming at a noisy camp makes him long for a into collision with preceding warm, moist softer job. If the horses are quiet, and breezes from the Gulf of Mexico, causes he stands in with the cook, he may sneak a sudden and extreme drop in tempera- in and get a cup of coffee from the pot ture. What is called a blizzard in the which is kept on the coals for the night rest of the West is called a norther in herders shifts. when they change Texas and the Southwest. As one cow- If the night is dark, he is apt to lose hand at Amarillo, Texas, said, "They a few horses and will be late bringing jes' pour off the North Pole with nothin' the daylight. up remuda at Then he to stop 'em but a bob-wire fence and catches it from the boss, for no matter it's full o' knot-holes." how good his excuse, it has no room with the man in charge. nose-bag

A morral ; also slang name for an eat- night herd ing-house. To take charge of cattle on the bed- ground. no-see-ums What the Indian called the buffalo night herder gnats because they are so small, and the A cowhand whose immediate duty it cowboy adopted the name. is to herd cattle at night. nose paint night horse Slang name for whiskey. One cowhand A horse picketed so that he can be in- spoke of another at a bar "paintin' his

105 Western Words

nose with cow-swallers o' that stuff that nubbin' cures snake bites." Another slang name for the saddle horn. notch in his tail nursey Said of a horse which has killed a man. The name, given in ridicule, to the no time driver of the old-time calf wagon used on trail drives. What the driver answered If a contestant in a calf-roping or when called this was salty, but unprint- bulldogging contest fails within the al- able. lotted time, he is given no time. These sad words have wrecked many a contestant's nutcrackers hopes for a chance at final money. A slang name for teeth. O

"Another man's life don't make no soft pillow at night'''

ocean wave Oklahoma rain Trick roping, which consists in filip- A dust storm. ing a noose backward and forward in old cedar an undulating movement. A slang name for a gun; a gun with off herd a cedar stock. Not at the time on duty with the herd. old man off his feed The boss or owner of the outfit. Said of one who looks or feels bad. Old man him! off his mental reservation Throwing a looped rope over the neck or back of a wild bronc in a corner or Said of a weak-minded person. crowded enclosure, moving him over Officers and passing the free end of the rope See great seizer, John Law, lawdog, through the loop, thus roping him any- posse, redcoats, star-toter. where one sees fit, for greater control and security. off side old reliable The right side, because the horseman The cowman's pet name for his Sharps mounts from the left side. rifle, called this because it could always off the reservation be depended upon. This refers to Indians who had left old-timer their reservations for no good purpose; One who had lived in the country a also to anyone speaking or acting out of long time. Most old-timers had had to turn (W. S. Campbell [Stanley Vestal] fight many battles before the country to R.F.A.). became settled, and it could be said of oiler many: "His scars was a regular war A slang name for a Mexican. map." It was said of all good old-time Texans that they were "raised to vote oily bronc the Democratic ticket, to love good A bad horse. whiskey, and hate Mexicans."

1 06 ON THE PECK

Old-timer the hurry they're in, and he don't leave 'nough tracks to trip an ant." See alkalied, don't travel like a colt no more, entitled to a warm corner, On the Dodge forty-niner, grissel-heel, old-timer. See among the willows, belly through old woman the brush, fixin' for high ridin', gone to Affectionate name for the cook, but Texas, hankerin' to sniff Gulf breeze, said behind his back. head for the settin' sun, in the brush, lookin' over his shoulder, on the cuidado, on circle on the dodge, on the lookout, on the A term applied when cowboys leave scout, pull for the Rio Grande, ridin' camp in a bunch, with the foreman turn- the high-lines, running wild, summer ing off the riders at intervals to gather name, stampede to the wild bunch, travels cattle and drive them to a designated the lonesome places, two jumps ahead point, which is called the roundup of the sheriff, whippin' a tired pony out ground. The point will change each day of Texas. until the range is completely covered. on the drift one-eared bridle Looking for a job, aimlessly riding of a single strap One composed broad through the country. with a slit in it which fits over one ear to keep it in place. on the hoof one-eyed scribe Live cattle; also used in referring to cattle traveling trail under their Slang name for a six-gun. by own power as against going by rail. one foot in the stirrup their An expression meaning, according to on heads context, to do something half-heartedly, Cattle, when grazing, are said to be or to be ready for an emergency. standing on their heads.

one-horse outfit on the lift

A small outfit or ranch. Said of an animal which is down and not get without help. one-man horse can up A horse broken in such a way that he on the lookout would let one ride no him except the man Dodging the law. who had broken him. on the peck on the Black Hills Fighting mad. Jim Houston, in telling An early expression which meant the a yarn about being charged, while afoot driving of a man from his chosen range in a corral, by a cow on the peck, said: and attempting to push him so far north "There wasn't no love-light in that cow's that his final destination would be the eyes as she makes for me. I fogs it across Bad Lands of the Dakotas, a place com- the corral like I'm goin' to a dance and pared by the southern cowman with hell she's scratchin' the grease off my pants (C. L. Douglas, Cattle Kings of Texas at ever' jump. Seein' I can't make the [Dallas, Cecil Baugh Co., 1939], 40). fence in time, Brazos Gowdy j umps down on the cuidado and throws his hat in the old gal's face. Dodging the law; literally, on the Seein' a cowboy come apart in pieces lookout. like that makes her hesitate till I climbs the fence without losin' anything more'n on the dodge some confidence, a lot o' wind, and a Another phrase for hiding from the little dignity. Y'u can take it from me law. A man on the dodge is usually, that a cow with a fresh-branded calf as Dewlap Burdick said, "one o' them might be a mother, but she shore ain't fellers that keeps his hoss wonderin' at no lady."

107 Western Words on the prod ent of the other. Most cowhands prefer open reins because if the horse falls or Another phrase for on the feck. See the rider is thrown, the reins will fall on the feck. to the ground and the horse will step on on the scout them, giving the rider a chance to catch Synonymous with on the dodge. the horse. on the warpath open roundup Fighting mad. As one cowman said, A roundup where the final bunching of in the "mad as a bear with two cubs and a cattle is not within a corral, but sore tail." open. on tick open-shop pants On credit. Slang name for chaps. open a snap open stirrups or toe- To start a crooked gambling layout. Stirrups without tapaderos, fenders. open brand open-toed holster One not boxed with framing lines. One with an open end, usually swung open-faced cattle with a rivet. White-faced Herefords. open winter open heifer A mild winter with no blizzards and One not spayed. storms. open range Opportunity still open. Range not fenced. See while the gate's open-range branding op'ra of horse, branding. The branding of calves or cattle on The riding a wild the open range away from corrals. This op'ra house is done by the larger outfits, or in two The top rail of the corral fence where other instances. First, it is sometimes done one can watch the riding of a bucking by rightful owners when they come across horse. It is also a time-honored confer- a calf that has been overlooked in the ence place for all true range men where regular branding. To avoid a long drive they talk over things in true range style back to headquarters, the cowboy will —using laconic phrases that state their rope the calf, tie it down, build a fire, meaning without frills or mental reserva- and brand it where he finds it. Second, tions and silences that carry their thoughts it is frequently done by the rustler, espe- forward to the next utterance. cially if he is where he is not apt to be seen by some range rider. Oregon puddin' foot It is more difficult to drive one or two A type of horse in the development of head of cattle than a large herd, and a which a riding horse has been crossed good cowman avoids driving his stock with a draft horse, such as a Percheron as much as possible, hence his recourse or Clydesdale. This type was developed to branding on the open range. In the to some extent in Oregon for mountain early days all branding was done in the work. Also called Oregon bigfoot. open, but later it was looked upon with orejano (o-ray-hah'no) suspicion unless done in the presence of a regular roundup crew. (Editorial, From the Spanish oreja, ear, literally really means "Branding in the Open," Cattleman, an eared animal. The word long-eared, that is, not earmarked. An XIX, No. 10 [March, 1939], 45.) unbranded and unmarked animal, the open reins term being used principally in California, Reins not tied together, each independ- Oregon, and Nevada.

108 OVER-HALF-CROP otie Outlaws Short for coyote. See badman, bandido, black book, cabron, cash in his six-shooter, cat-eyed, ought to be bored for the gone to Texas, high-line rider, hired hollow horn killer, hold-up man, hole up, killer, In the early days if an animal became ladinos, long rider, outlaw, ridin' the

ill, the sickness was pronounced a case owlhoot trail, road agent, short-trigger of hollow horn, and as a cure a small man, wanted, wild bunch. hole was bored in the horn. From this out of the money practice the above saying was applied to Said of a rodeo riding contestant who persons who seemed to be feeble-minded. loses, either by being thrown, drawing (J. Frank Dobie, The Longhorns [Bos- an inferior horse, or breaking some rule. ton, Little, Brown, 1941], 211.) One cowhand spoke of a feeble-minded per- outrider

son with, "The Lord poured in his brains One whose duty it is to ride about the with a teaspoon and somebody joggled range and keep a sharp lookout for any- His arm." thing that might happen to the detri- ment of his employer. While his duties ought to be playin' with a are similar to the line rider's, unlike the string of spools line rider, who patrols a prescribed boun- Said of one young or foolish; also of dary, the outrider is commissioned to an ignorant or crazy person. ride anywhere. outer circle outriding The longer, outside circle on roundup, The outrider's activities. reaching to the outside limits of the ter- outside man ritory to be "worked." As more territory A man who represents his brand at is covered, the tougher horses are used. outside ranches during a general round- outfit up. He is usually at the top of the cow- boy profession and is a riding encyclo- This word has various meanings. It pedia on brands and earmarks. His work means, according to the context, all the is done in following the roundups of people engaged in any one enterprise or other ranges and turning back strays of living in any one establishment, a party his brand. His eye is so well trained that of people traveling together, or the phys- he can discover cattle belonging to his ical belongings of any person or group outfit in a vast, milling herd through a of persons. (Philip A. Rollins, The Cow- dust fog that an ordinary man could not boy [Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936], see through. See ref. 201.) over-bit outfox An earmark made by doubling the ear The Westerner's word when he means in and cutting a small piece, perhaps an outsmart or outguess. inch, out of the upper part of the ear, outlaw an inch in length, and, perhaps one- third of an inch in depth. A horse which is particularly vicious and untamable, a wild cow or steer, a over-hack man who has committed deeds that have An earmark made by simply cutting placed him on the wrong side of the law. down about an inch on the upper side He is a man who follows the western of the ear. philosophy of "the best health resorts are the places unknown." Some of the over-half-crop early outlaws lived a life, as Charlie An earmark made by splitting the ear Russell said in Trails Plowed Under, from the top, midway, about halfway "that'd make some o' them scary yeller- back to the head and cutting off the backed novels look like a primer." upper half.

109 Western Words overhand toss spots on the body always begin at the belly and extend upward. The dark spots A roping term. A favorite method of are usually smaller and more plentiful. catching horses in a corral. The only See tobiano. (George M. Glendenning, difference between it and the hooley-ann "Overos and Tobianos," Western Horse- is that the hooley-ann turns over as the man, VII, No. 1 [January-February, whirl is started, and the overhand toss 1942], 12.) turns over as it leaves the hand. The loop is fairly small, and, while held at over-round shoulder height, the bottom part of it is An earmark made by cutting a half- kept swinging back and forth. When circle from the top of the ear. the throw is made, the loop is swung backward around the head and released over-slope toward the target. The loop is turned An earmark made by cutting the ear over as it is swung upward before it is about two-thirds of the way back from let go, so that at the final moment the the tip, straight to the center of the ear

back of the hand is facing the left, thumb at its upper side. down. In this way, when the loop comes down, the honda is on the right instead over-split of on the left. (W. M. French, "Ropes A simple split of the ear downward and Roping," Cattleman, XXVI, No. 12 on the upper side. [May, 1940], 17-30.) over the willows overhead loop When the trail boss rode back to the A throw made by starting the whirl place where the herd was being held up across the front of the thrower to the after he had viewed the turbulent river left, with two or three whirls around ahead and announced that it was "over the head for momentum, then casting at the willows," he meant that it was at the target by whirling the loop out in flood stage and there would be several front as it comes across the right shoul- hundred yards of swimming water. der (W. M. French, "Ropes and Rop- owlhead ing," Cattleman, XXVI, No. 12 [May, A horse that can not be trained to 1940], 17-30). work or to be ridden. overo ox-bow This is a word given us by Argentina The old style, large wooden stirrups. and used among breeders because no better English word has been found. It ox-yokes is used to distinguish color characteris- Another slang name for the stirrups tics in the pinto horse, where the white mentioned above.

"A change of pasture sometimes makes the calf fatter" pack pack covers

Canvas sheets to roll packs in. A bundle or bale (as noun) ; to carry (as verb). A cowman never carries any- packs his gun loose thing, but packs it, as "packs a gun," This expression means that the one "packs his saddle," and so on. spoken of is always ready for a gun fight.

IIO PANTS RATS pack mule painter A mule used to carry packs of freight. The West's name for a panther, or mountain lion. pack rat paint for A western rodent which always leaves war something' in exchange when he carries To prepare to do battle, to lose one's anything off (commonly called a trade temper.

rat) a petty thief ; the term is also some- , paintin' his nose times used to mean guides and packers. Said of one getting drunk. packsaddle paint the tonsils A saddle used for carrying freight, To drink whiskey. I once heard a cow- camp equipment, and other materials. hand speak of another's drinking by say- packs a long rope ing: "He's takin' the first layer off his tonsils." Said of a rustler. paisano (pay-e-sah'no) pack train A road runner, a chaparral bird. The A group of animals carrying packs of word is originally from fats, meaning freight. One of the West's principal country, and was applied to a fellow means of transportation in early days, countryman or peasant. especially in rough country. palomilla (pah-lo-meeriyah) padding out his belly A milk-white or cream-colored horse Said of one who eats at every oppor- with a white mane and tail. tunity. palomino (pah-lo-mee'nah) paddle A dun-colored or golden horse with The gait of a horse, in which he wings a white, silver, or ivory mane and tail. out with his front feet. pancake pail fed The cowboy's contemptuous name for Said of a calf raised on skimmed milk. the small English riding saddle. paint pants rats A horse with irregular patterns of What the cowboy calls body lice. white with colored areas. It is a favorite When one of the hands of a certain Mon- with fiction writers, but fails to meet tana ranch came home after spending a with much favor as a cow horse. Not week in an Indian camp, the boys de- being good for close, quick work, it does cided that his clothes needed delousing. not develop into a cutting horse and is They made him strip and throw his inclined to get the habit of fighting the clothes to them to be put into a pot of bits. boiling water. When he quit throwing Paint horses are very showy, and for garments through the door, one of the this reason the cowboy does not object boys yelled to find out if that was all, to having one in his string to use as his and the naked cowboy yelled back, "I gallin' horse, but when it comes to real can't go no deeper without a skinnin' cow work, he prefers a solid-colored knife." horse (John M. Hendrix, "Paints as Cow Charlie Russell tells an amusing story Horses," Cattleman, XXI, No. 6 [No- about these insects. "It's one spring vember, 1934], 13). An adage of the roundup, back in the early '80s," he cow country is, "Color don't count if wrote. "We're out on circle, and me and the colt don't trot." Pete's ridin' together. Mine's a center-fire saddle, and I drop back to straighten

painted cat the blanket and set it. I ain't but a few A name frequently given a woman of minutes behind him, but the next I the frontier dance hall and bawdy house. see Pete is on the bank of this creek,

III Western Words

which didn't have no name then. He's paesear (pah-say-ar') off his hoss and has stripped his shirt Spanish, meaning to walk slowly, to off. With one boulder on the ground wander. Commonly used in the South- and another about the same size in his west as meaning to go some place leis- hand, he's poundin' the seams of his shirt. urely, or to go on an inspection tour. He's so busy he don't hear me when I ride up, and he's cussin' and swearin' to Partnership himself, I hear him mutter, 'I'm damned See cahoots, compadre, made of the if this don't get some of the big ones!' same leather, throw in. "Well, from this day on, this stream paso (pah'so) is known as Louse Creek." (Charles M. A pass, a ford ; a double-step, six feet. Russell, Trails Plowed Under [Garden City, Doubleday, Doran, 1935], 77.) pass in his chips paper-backed To die. Physical weakness. Ben Langford pass the buck spoke of one being "so weak he couldn't This common saying originated in the lick his upper lip," and I heard a cow- West in the late 1 8 6o's. In poker, during hand of the Three T refer to another its early days, it was customary for the as being "so puny he couldn't pull my players to cut for deal, and the winner hat off." of the opening pot continued to deal until he lost, when the privilege parada (pah-rah'dah) then went to his conqueror. With the intro- Synonymous with main herd and used duction of draw poker, it became the principally in California, Oregon, and custom to pass the deal to the left after Nevada; sometimes used in referring to each hand. a herd of broken horses. On the western frontier this practice parada grounds led to the custom of using a buck. It could be any object, but was usually a The location selected to work a herd knife, and since most western men in of cattle; from farar, meaning to stof, those days carried knives with buckhorn to detain. handles, this name was adopted. The parfleche (par'flesh) buck was placed in front of the dealer A Canadian-French word meaning to mark the deal and was passed along the prepared hide of an animal, as of a at the conclusion of each pot. In some buffalo dried on a frame after the hair sections a player who did not wish to has been removed. The cowboy uses this deal was permitted to ante and pass word in speaking of his poke, or war- the buck. Thus the term became a slang bag, and has changed it to farfiesh. The expression for letting someone else per- word is sometimes used in the North- form a task originally imposed upon west, but rarely in the Southwest. you, or letting someone else take the blame parker for an act. (Herbert Asbury, Sucker's Progress [New York, Dodd, Bed comfort. Mead & Co., 1938], 28.) parlor gun pasture count the What cowman calls a derringer Counting cattle on the range or in a or small gun. By this name he expresses pasture without throwing them together his contempt for anything but a "man- for that purpose. The counters ride sized gun." through the pasture counting each bunch parlor house of grazing cattle and drifting it back so that it does not get mixed with the A house of the red-light district, one uncounted cattle ahead. This method of of the better houses which has a parlor. counting is usually done at the request, Cheaper and parlorless houses are cribs. and in the presence, of a representative parrot-bill of the bank that holds the papers against A pistol with a semiround butt. the herd.

112 ;

PEEWEES

Pastures Pecos swap ' See democrat pasture, grazing permit, A trade made without consent or pony pasture, put to grass, rustle the knowledge of the other interested party, pasture, shipping trap, starve-out, Texas to steal. gate. peddler of loads Paul Pry A teller of tall tales. It did not take A meddler. much persuading to start a cowman on a "campaign against truth," and he paunched "could color up a story redder than a Shot in the stomach. One cowhand Navajo blanket." spoke of another's being paunched with, peeler "He got a pill in his stomach he couldn't digest." One who skins, sometimes called strip- per; also short for bronc -peeler. peacemaker peeling This 1873 model Colt became the most Skinning the hide off cattle, riding a famous revolver in the world and was rough horse. the favorite of many famous gunmen. It was originally chambered for the .45 peewees caliber, center-fire, black-powder cart- Boots with short tops, today the most ridge, but almost immediately after its popular style of boot found upon the introduction was chambered for the .44 range. Winchester (.44—.40) center-fire cart- Carl B. Livingston, of Santa Fe, New ridge, and was used as a companion arm Mexico, tells the following story of the to the equally famous Winchester model origin of the short-top boot: "A group 1873 rifle. of the best ropers and riders of the plains went on a roping expedition to South peal (pay-ahl') America in 1905. Among these were A sock, foot, or stocking (as noun) some of the champions of the world. . . . also a worthless person; to rope an The American cowboy by far excelled animal by the hind foot (as verb). This the gaucho of the Pampas in roping. throw is commonly used in "stretching They took in a great deal of money at out" a cow or steer—never a horse—that their roping exhibitions, but always, un- has been roped by the head or neck. fortunately, there was some law of which When adroitly cast, the loop turns so as they had violated, and would have to pay to form a figure eight, and one hind foot out immediately all they had taken in. is caught in one half of the figure and "The papers in the states were full of the other in the other half. (J. Frank the exploits of the North Americans, as Dobie, Vaquero of the Brush Country they were called.* Among the events ex- [Dallas, Southwest Press, 1929], 263.) hibited was th£ American cowboy's pearl diver method of throwing a yearling, plung- ing at the end of a lariat. The orthodox A slang name for a dishwasher in a American cowboy method was to grab restaurant. the yearling by an ear with one hand pecker-neck and by the flank with the other hand, while the yearling was bouncing in the A saddle horse, untrained for cow work. air, catch him on the bounce, and then bust him on the ground. These yearlings Pecos (Pay'cos) were wild and strong and the boys did After the Pecos River. To shoot a man not always throw them on the first and roll his body into the river. bounce. Sometimes the bawling yearlings, in pitching, would run a hoof down a cowboy's high-top bootleg, thus the legs A liar, a mythical character of the of the boots became ripped and torn. West. The boys, about whom the papers had "3 Western Words

made over so much, were at least re- Personal Equipment turning home a great success in their ad- See boughten bag, bring-'em-close ventures, but sadly low in finances. glasses, coffin, concha, ditty, dofunnies, "Heroes could not come home with go-easter, maleta, Mormon blanket, par- ragged boots. They simply whacked off fleche, plunder, poke, poncha, quirt, the tops, and laced the edges together quisto, teguas, thirty years' gathering, with string. When the crowd came tucker bag, war-bag, wipes, yannigan stomping into Old Sol's Lone Wolf Sa- bag. loon, in Carlsbad, they were shockingly asked by their comrades who had stayed Persuade at home, 'Where'd you git such funny See rib up.

boots? ' The adventurers reared back their shoulders, indignantly stuck out their persuader

chests, and replied simply, 'Them's the Slang name for a six-gun ; also a spur.

! style ' And so they have become the cus- pestle-tail tomary height of boot from that day to this, for these boys who had roped all A wild horse with brush or burr tail. over North and South America, were petalta (pay-tartah) princes of the cowboy profession, and A herd of cattle rounded up for cut- set the styles." (Carl B. Livingston, "De- ting out. velopment of the Cattle Industry in New Mexico," Cattleman, XXIV, No. 12 petate (pay-tah'tay) [May, 1938], 21-31.) A square piece of matting made of palm pegging to place over packs to protect them from rain. Ramming one horn of a downed steer into the ground to hold him down. This petmakers is not allowed in contests. Slang name for spurs. peg pony phildoodle A saddle horse which, when galloping An imitation or drugstore type of cow- in one direction, can stop short in his boy. tracks, change his direction, and instantly picked brand bound off on a new course. He is highly Accomplished by picking out tufts of valued by the cowman, especially for hair in the lines desired by the aid of a cutting work. Also called a peg horse jackknife. It is except or pegger. seldom done by dishonest men until they can get the ani- pelados (pay-lah'dos) mal out of the country, as it is only a From the Spanish pelar, meaning to temporary marking. remove the hair or skin, to cut or pull picket out the hair, to strip one of his posses- To stake a horse. sions. The border American uses this word as a name for the Mexican, by picket pin whom it is greatly resented. (Harold W. A wooden stake, driven into the Bentley, Dictionary of Spanish Terms in ground, to which an animal is picketed. English [Columbia University Press, When staking night horses is the prac- 1932], 178.) tice, stake pins are carried as part of the pelter chuck-wagon equipment. If the horse- man has no picket pin, he digs a hole in A slang name for the saddle. the ground, ties a knot in the end of his

pepper-and-salt rope rope and buries it, then tamps the dirt A hair rope made with alternating closely around it. It is surprising how strands of black and white horsehair. well it will hold. pepper-gut picket rope Slang name for the Mexican. A rope used for picketing horses. The

II 4 PILOT

cowboy will not use his lariat for stak- camp kitchen to indulge his acquired

ing if he can help it. He has to tie an tastes. extra knot to make a slip noose to keep pie-box from choking the horse, and this causes the a kink that makes the rope unfit for any- A slang name for chuck wagon, thinking. other use. perhaps in wishful Pick him up! pie wagon trailer chuck A cry given by the judges at rodeos A used behind the wagon. to pick up a rider after his time is up pig or the horse has bucked himself out. It Nickname for the saddle horn. means to catch the animal so that the rider can dismount and the saddle can piggin' string be removed. Also the expressions take A short rope used for hog-tying. See him up or cage him up are used. hoggin' rope. pickin' daisies pig's vest with buttons Said of a thrown rider. Salt pork, or sowbelly. picking a sleeper piker the is Frequently on range an animal In faro, one who makes small bets all found whose brand is difficult to de- over the "layout." From this, the term cipher, or it is hard to tell whether the developed into meaning a cheap sport animal has ever been branded or not. and a man without courage. This occurs especially in winter when the animal's hair is long and rough. piket (pee-kay') When an animal of this sort is found, it A slang name for a skunk. is caught and held down while men pluck the hair around the brand. Frequently a piled brand will be discernible to the touch, Thrown from a horse. After making but has not been burned deep enough to a very hard ride, one cowhand of the give lasting legibility. Again, some rust- TU Ranch said, "After that ride all I ler may have hair branded the animal needed to make me a cripple was a hand- and not been able to return to pick it up ful o' lead pencils." until the hair had grown out again. The pile-driver operation of picking such a brand is horse which humps its back and known as picking a sleeper. (Editorial, A comes down with all four legs as stiff "Picking a Sleeper," Cattleman, XIX, as ramrods when it bucks. No. 10 [March, 1933], 35.) pick up his hind feet pile it on To throw a rope upon. To rope an animal by the hind feet. pick up his toes pilgrim One new to the country. The word To rope an animal by the front feet. was first applied to the imported hot- pick-up man blooded cattle, but later was more com- A horseman who stands ready to take monly used as reference to a tenderfoot. up the horse ridden by a rodeo contest- pilot ant when the ride is over. A man whose duty it is to guide the piebald roundup wagons over the roadless plains Spotted, painted, the color of a horse, and brakes to the next camping place. horses with patches of white and black He has to be well acquainted with the colors. country and to use good judgment con- cerning the location of the next camp pie-biter with regard to water and suitable sur- A horse which secretly forages the roundings for working cattle. "5 Western Words pill roller No one but a greener would pull this stunt. What do they think the villain Nickname for a doctor. would be doing all the time it takes the pimple hero to get hold of the barrel? The cowboy's contemptuous name for pitching the little eastern riding saddles. The Texans' name for bucking. pifion pitchin' fence-cornered Dwarf pine. Said when a horse leaves the ground pins crape on the kid while headed in one direction and lands in another at approximately a forty-five Said when a rustler kills the mother degree angle. cow to steal her calf. pinto pitted cattle are caught in a corner or From the Spanish fintar (feen'tah), When draw during a snowstorm. meaning sfot or mark by which a thing is known. A piebald or spotted horse. plain trail pinto chaps Clearly visible sign in trailing. Hair chaps, the hair made spotted by plant sewing in pieces of another color. To bury. A beautiful sentiment was pinwheel expressed at many early-day cowboy burials. dead man's horse, fully When a horse leaps forward in an The saddled, was led beside the grave. There upward jump, and turns, feet in air, and the horse was silently unsaddled from lands on his back. A horse that will do the off, or wrong, side—a solemn an- this is very rare. Used as a gun term, it nouncement that none of the mourners means that the gun is held in virtual were the dead man's equal in equestrian firing position except that the forefinger skill. is not in the trigger guard. The gun is filiped into the air so that it revolves play a lone hand and the butt drops naturally into the To do or live alone. palm of the hand. The movement is started by throwing the butt down with playin' a hand with his eyes shut a jerk of the wrist, with the muzzle up. Said of one taking a chance. pioneer bucker playin' cat's cradle with his neck A horse which bucks in circles and Said of one hanged. figure eights, called this because he is always seeking new territory. pliersman A name given in derision by the rust- pirooting ler to the loyal cowboy who works for Meandering, "foolin' 'round." a fenced ranch. pistol plow-boying A young rider, inexperienced hand. Riding with a rein in each hand and The cowboy never calls his gun a pistol. pulling the horse's head around with one the pistol whip rein while the other is pulled against neck. To whip one with the barrel of a six- gun. Sug Morgan, speaking of such an plow chaser incident, said, "I let 'im feel my gun A slang name for the farmer. where the hair was thinnest and put a knot on his head that'd sweat a rat to plow-handle run around." Some writers of westerns Slang name for a six-gun, taking this have their heroes grasping the guns by name from the shape of the stock found the barrels and clubbing with the butts. on the Colt single action army revolver

Il6 POSSE

made in one piece of walnut or other poke hardwood and polished smooth. This gun Sack in which the cowboy carries his was designed so that it recoiled freely in "plunder." The term is rarely used ex- the hand, thus making a smooth stock cept in the Northwest; in other sections preferable, for the gun was muzzle heavy the sacks are called war-sacks or ivar- its almost perfect balance allowed and bags. it to slip back to shooting position after the recoil. pole team Plowing The horses nearest the vehicle when two or more teams are used. See lookin' at a mule's tail, turnin' the grass upside down. poncho plug A covering made by cutting a hole for the head through the middle of a blanket, broken-down horse (as noun) ; to A and used by Mexicans and cowboys as a shoot one with a gun (as verb). protection against the weather. plumb cultus pony beeves expression meaning as bad as they An Young cattle about two years old, the make them, cussedness. Cultus comes from right age for fattening for market. a Chinook Indian word, meaning worth- less. pony express mount plunder A running mount made by leaping into the saddle without touching the feet Personal belongings of odds and ends. to the stirrups. pocket hunter pony pasture prospector, one searches for A who A small pasture used for saddle horses. pockets of gold or silver. pooch poco (po'ko) The name of a dish made of tomatoes, Little, small scanty, a amount. Often sugar, and bread. used by southwestern cowboys in connec- tion with such words as tiemfo (time) pool Camp and malo (bad). The roundup camp of several ranches poddy which have thrown in together. An occasional name for an orphan pool roundup calf, usually big-bellied and undernour- When cattlemen over a wide range of ished. territory pool their resources and men for a general rounding up of cattle. point rider One of the men who ride at the head Poor of a column of cattle on the trail and See bed-slat ribs, bone-yard, buzzard- act as pilots. They usually work in bait, crow bait, get rid of his leaf lard, pairs, and when they desire to change had a bilious look, just a ball of hair, the course of the herd, they will ride rusties, shad bellied, slab-sided. abreast the foremost cattle, one on each poor doe side of the column. Then they will quiet- Lean, tough venison of any kind. ly veer in the desired direction, and the leading cattle will swerve away from port the horseman approaching them and to- The raised portion of a bit. ward the one going away from them. This is the honored post of the drive, and posse also the most dangerous and responsible. A band of men organized to run down These men were the first to swim rivers lawbreakers. One reformed outlaw told and the first to meet attacks by Indians. of a posse keeping on his trail until he See lead men. "got saddle sores."

II 7 Western Words possum-belly powder burnin' contest A rawhide hanging beneath the wagon A gun battle. After participating in bed for carrying fuel. See curia. such a fight, Carey Nelms said, "After that powder burnin' contest my gun was postage stamp emptier'n a banker's heart." He did not A ridiculous name for the little riding get hit, but one bullet came so close it saddle used by Easterners. "raised a blister." post hay Powder River! Let 'er buck! Referring to the act of tying a horse A shout of encouragement, a pass- to a post and not obtaining food for the word, a cry of derision. This is a very animal. familiar cry throughout the cattle coun- try of the Northwest. During World pot War I, in the Argonne, it was the battle Cowboy's name for a derby hat. cry of the Ninety-first Division, and it

might be said that it has been heard pot-bellied around the world. Bloated; also called pot-gutted. While in Cheyenne, Wyoming, I met pothole Agnes Wright Spring, a member of the editorial staff of the Wyoming Stock- A bog hole. man-Farmer, who gave me a story of the pothole rider origin of this famous phrase, originally told by E. Farlow, a former cowman A bog rider. See bog rider. J. mayor of Lander. According to Mr. Far- pothook low, the saying originated after a round- in the fall herd A hook used for holding pots over the up of 1893, when a of cattle was being driven to Caspar: fire. "The night we camped on the divide pothooks between the head of Poison Creek, near A slang name for the cook. where the town of Hiland now stands, and the headwaters of 'Dry Powder' potluck River, I told the boys we would water As used by the cowman and other fron- the herd in Powder River at about 10 tiersmen, this means food contributed by o'clock the next morning. a guest. To bring potluck is to bring food "None of them had ever seen Powder with one. River and they were all excited. In the morning when they were catching horses pot-rack outfit for the day, I called out to them to get A ranch crew which uses no tents on their swimming horses as we were going roundup when it is the custom of the to cross Powder River several times be- country to do so. fore night. Missouri Bill Shultz, who had already roped his horse, turned him potros (po'tros) loose, muttering that 'this damn buck- Young horses, up to the time when skin couldn't even wade a river.' they change their milk teeth, or about "About io o'clock the lead of the four and one-half years of age; colts, herd reached the river and it was almost fillies. dry, the water standing in holes and pot rustler barely running from one hole to the other. The herd followed down stream Another slang name for the cook. for a distance of about two miles before pounding 'em on the back they were watered, and we crossed it A term used with reference to the duty many times. of riding drag. "When Missouri Bill saw it he looked at it very seriously for some time and poverty cattle then said, 'So this is Powder River,' Feeders. and that night in camp he told us he had

Il8 —

PRIVATE CUSS WORDS

heard of Powder River and now he had cowman uses the word to refer to a "get seen Powder River, and he kept refer- together" for a conference. ring to Powder River nearly every day until we reached Caspar which we did prairie coal in twenty-eight days trailing. Dried cow chips used for fuel. "In the evening before we were going prairie dog court to load for shipping, and the cattle were court. all bedded down near the stockyards, the Kangaroo boys all adjourned to the saloon for a prairie feathers social drink, and Missouri Bill said 'Boys, What the cowboy calls beds stuffed come and have a drink on me. I've crossed with hay. Powder River.' They had the drinks, then a few more and were getting pretty prairie lawyer sociable. A name frequently given to a coyote "When Missouri Bill again ordered because it makes so much chatter. he said to the boys, 'Have another drink on me, I've swum Powder River,' this prairie pancakes time with a distinct emphasis on the Dried cow chips. words Powder River. 'Yes, sir, by God, prairie schooner Powder River,' with a little stronger em- phasis. When the drinks were all set up The wagon of the early days, the can- he said, 'Well, here's to Powder River, vas cover of which suggested a schooner let 'er buck!' under full sail. "Soon he grew louder and was heard prairie strawberries to say 'Powder River is comin' up A slang name for beans. eeyeeep ! —Yes sir, Powder River is risin',' and soon after with a yip and a yell, he prairie wool pulls out his old six-gun and throwed A slang name for grass. a few shots through the ceiling and yelled, 'Powder River is up, come an' Pranks have 'nother drink.' Bang! Bang! 'Yeow, See cut a big gut, cut a shine, horse- I'm a wolf and it's my night to howl.' play, prairie dog court, rim firing a Powder River is out of 'er banks. I'm horse. wild and wooly and full o' fleas, and never been curried below the knees.' prayer book "Bill was loaded for bear, and that is What the cowboy calls his book of the first time I ever heard the slogan, cigaret papers. and from there it went around the prayin' world." cow Many a cowboy, exuberant with whis- A cow rises from the ground rear end key, brought to light his own version, first. By the time her hindquarters are position, such as: "Powder River, let 'er buck in a standing her knees are on the ground in a praying attitude. It is she's a mile wide—an inch deep—full o' when she is in this position that the name dust and flat fish—swimmin' holes for is suggested to the cowboy. grasshoppers—cross 'er anywhere—yeou- frayin' coiu uhh—yippee—she rolls up hill from presidente (pray-se-den'tay) Texas." An occasional name for the big boss powders of the ranch. From the Spanish, meaning Orders from the boss. a local government official. powwow Prison From the Indian, meaning a conjura- See hoosgow, makin' hair bridles, tion performed for the cure of diseases, skookum house, tiger. attended with noise and confusion, and often with dancing; any meeting, as for private cuss words a conference, attended by confusion. The An individual creation of the profanity

II 9 Western Words

for which the public accords a sort of pulling bog to the inventor. The words copyright Pulling cattle from bog holes. may not even be profane, but the public soon learns that the user only releases pull in his horns them when he's "madder'n a drunk Said of one who backs down from a squaw," and they can be so effective as fight. to "take the frost out of a zero mornin'." pull leather prod pole To grab the saddle horn during the A pole about six feet long, with a riding of an unruly horse. steel spike on the end and with a heavy

handle. It is used to prod cattle into stock- pull stakes cars. Near the business end and extending To leave, to move, bag and baggage. out a short distance at right angles from pull the trip the pole is driven a flat-headed screw.

This screw is twisted into the matted Cowboy parlance for, after roping a end of a steer's tail when he is down and cow, dropping the rope under the ani- refuses to get up, and this method usual- mal's right hip bone and around its but- ly gets a "rise" out of him. tocks for the busting. See steer busting. Proficient pump-handle See salty, salty dog, top. A bucking term used when the horse bucks with a see-saw effect, landing al- pronto ternately on his front and hind feet. He Quickly, soon, hurry. It is no longer is an easy horse to ride, and as one cow- restricted to the part of the country under boy said, "A baby couldn't fall off him." Spanish influence, but is commonly used A man who draws such a horse at a rid- throughout the United States. ing contest feels himself to be cheated, and the sarcastic remarks from the side- Prospector lines do not improve his temper. See coffee cooler, desert rat, grissel- heel, pocket hunter, prospector's com- pumpkin roller pass, river sniper, sage rat. The name given to a grumbler or agi- tator. Such persons are not tolerated in a prospector's compass cow camp. They are also called freaks, burro's tail. A because the cowboy, being such an un- prowl complaining and loyal soul by nature, feels that such people do not belong to To go back over a territory after a the calling. Also a for a green roundup in search of cattle which may name have been missed. hand. puddin' foot pumpkin-seed saddle A big-footed or awkward horse. A slang name for a small saddle. pueblo (poo-ay'blo) pumpkin skin Town. What cowmen in some localities call a palomino horse. puller

A horse which is always leaning on puncher the bit and wanting to go. A man who works cattle; short for pull for the Rio Grande cowfuncher. To hit for that line which has, for so punch the breeze many men on both sides, meant life or To go in a hurry. death (J. Frank Dobie, Vaquero of the Brush Country [Dallas, Southwest Press, puncture lady prefers 1929], 125) ; used in the sense of on the This means a woman who to dodge. sit on the sidelines at a dance and gossip

I20 QUICK-DRAW ARTIST

rather than dance. She usually makes a spoken of is fired and is no longer riding good job of puncturing someone's repu- for the ranch. tation. put leather on his horse punk Said when a cowboy saddles his horse. An inexperienced hand. put on tallow pup's nest To fatten, to gain flesh. A prairie dog's hole. pure put the loop on To lasso. A thoroughbred, one who is loyal. push on the reins put the saddle on him A colloquialism for urging one's When referring to a man, this expres- mount to full speed. sion means that one tried to bluff, 01 pussy-back "ride," another. Said of mild bucking with arched puttin' the leggin's back; same as cat-back. Whipping one with leggin's, chapping. put a kid on a horse putto In the ranch country when any errands A wooden stake, which is driven into are to be run or any messages to be sent, the ground and to which one end of the it is common practice to put a kid on a picket-rope is attached; the word is de- horse the job. to do rived from the French foteau, meaning put a spoke in his wheel post (Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy To hinder or stop anyone from carry- [New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, ing out some action or intention. 1936], 140). Put 'em east and west, boy! put to bed with a pick and shovel

This expression is generally shouted Said of a burial. by a judge to a cowboy in a riding con- put to grass test when he is spur buttoning, and means for him to spur the horse's shoulders To turn stock out on a range or into with toes pointed outward. a pasture. put his saddle in the wagon put windows in his skull This expression signifies that the one To shoot one through the head. Q "Any boss's tail kin ketch cockleburs"

Quaker Quarreling What the cowman calls quaking as- See whittle whanging. pen. Quality quarter horse See short horse. See from who - laid the chunk, top. Quantity quick-draw artist See caboodle, neck meat or nothin', An expert in the art of drawing a gun whole shebang. rapidly.

121 Western Words

Quickness carrying a lash of three or four heavy, loose thongs. Its stock is usually filled See first rattle out of the box, pronto. with lead to strike down a rearing horse quien sabe (ke-en' sah'bay) which threatens to fall backward, and

The cowman pronounces it kin''savvy. it can also be effective as a blackjack. A Spanish for Who knows? I donH know. loop extending from the head provides Commonly used by all ranchmen, espe- means of attachment to either the rider's cially when they admit that they have wrist or the saddle horn. The word is no information upon a subject. derived from the Mexican ctiarta, mean- ing whip ; this, in turn, is from the Span- quirly ish cuerda, meaning cord. (Philip A. The cowboy's name for his cigarette. Rollins, The Cowboy [New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936], quirt 137.) A flexible, woven-leather whip made quisto with a short stock about a foot long and A slang name for a quirt. R "Montana for bronc riders and hoss-thieves, Texas for ropers and rustlers"

race raised on prunes and proverbs A crooked blaze on a horse's forehead. Said of a fastidious and religiously in- rack clined person. A word the cowboy frequently uses raised on sour milk to mean to ride, the gait of a horse. Said of a crank or a disagreeable per- raftering son. Lying under a blanket or tarp with raking

the knees stuck up. This is done by some Synonymous with scratching. It gen- cowboys sleeping in the open during a erally applies when the rider gives his rain, thus making a watershed. legs a free swing, rolling the rowels of rafter brand his spurs along the horse's sides from shoulder to rump, and is one of the One having semi cone-shaped lines highest accomplishments aspired to by above the letter or figure, similar to the bronc riders. roof of a house. Rain ram pasture An occasional name for the bunkhouse. See fence lifter, goose drownder, gully-washer. ran a butcher shop and got his rainbowin' cattle mixed When a horse bucks with bowed back Said of a rustler who had been caught. and shaking head. ranahan raise A top hand, a cowboy who is efficient. To see someone or something in the distance, as, "He raised a posse comin' ranch over the hill." Either an entire ranching establish-

122 RANGE WORD

ment including buildings, lands, and live- cure and protect the company's range, stock, or else the principal building, run its business, keep the men and wagons which usually is the owner's dwelling, at work, and see that the cattle are bred or else the owner's dwelling together up. He sees that fences are kept in repair, with other structures adjacent to it, or that the water supply functions, and does else the collective persons who operate everything within his ability to better the establishment. From the Spanish the interests of his employers. He has to rancho, meaning farm, particularly one be a leader of men and know horses, devoted to the breeding and raising of cattle, and the range to be successful. livestock. Used both as a verb and as a (John M. Hendrix, "Bosses," Cattleman, noun. XXIII, No. 10 [March, 1937], 65-75.) rancher range branded A man who operates a ranch. A title Said of cattle branded upon the range restricted to members of the proprietor away from corrals. class. range bum Rancher A professional chuck-line rider. See cattleman, corrida, cow crowd, range count cow folks, cowman, dogieman, white- Counting each grazing bunch of cattle collar rancher. where it is found on the range and drift- ranchero (ran-chay'ro) ing it back so that it does not mix with Spanish for rancher, though a ran- the uncounted cattle. See fasture count. chero is more commonly a Mexican, range delivery while a rancher may be either Mexican This means that the buyer, after ex- or American. amining the seller's ranch records and Ranches considering his reputation for truthful- ness, pays for the seller claims to See cap-and-ball layout, cocklebur what own, then rides out and tries to find it. outfit, dude ranch, dugout, floating out- (Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy [New fit, good lay, greasy-sack outfit, hacienda, York, Charles Scribner's Sons, haywire outfit, homestead, lay, layout, 1936], line-camp, one-horse outfit, op'ra house, 225.) outfit, ranch, shirttail outfit, sign camp, range horse silk, siwash outfit, three-up outfit, tough A horse born and bred on the range. See also entries under lay, water rights. With the exception of being branded, houses. range horses are never handled until old ranchman enough to break. Anyone connected with the running of range pirate a ranch; a word including employees as In the open-range days this term meant well as employers. a man who turned stock loose on the range range without owning open water and range in proportion to the cattle turned Open country where cattle graze. loose. Range range riding See between hay and grass, bog holes, See outriding. elbow room, free grass, green up, home range, hundred-and-sixty, open range, range rights pothole, pup's nest, range, range count, The right to the use of a certain range range delivery, range riding, range in consequence of priority of occupation rights, water hole, water rights. and continuous possession. range boss range word A man who works mostly with com- When a cowman gives his range word, pany-owned outfits. His work is to se- it can be safely taken as law and gospel.

123 Western Words

When trying to protect a friend or telling raw one tenderfoot, he can lie a "windy" to a The cowboy often uses this term in bigger and better than anyone else. To speaking of a green bronc. him, as one cowman said, "Ananias was jes' an ambitious amateur." But when he reach prefaces his remarks with "speakin' for To make a motion as if to draw a the ranch" or "I'm givin' my range gun; also used for the actual drawing word for it," you can expect to hear the of a gun. When a man goes after his truth. gun, he does so with a single, serious ranny purpose. There is no such thing as bluff. Every action is toward shooting as speed- hand. Short for ranahan. A top ily and as accurately as possible, and rattle his hocks making his first shot the last of the fight. To travel at speed. reachin' for the apple rat-tailed horse Catching hold of the saddle horn dur- One having a tail with little hair. ing a ride. rawhide readin' sign The hide of a cow or steer (as noun). The act of interpreting the markings It was one of the most useful products in following a trail. One cowhand spoke of the pioneer cattleman. From it he of a good tracker as being able to "fol- made ropes, hobbles, clotheslines, bed- low a wood tick on solid rock in the springs, seats for chairs, overcoats, trous- dark o' the moon"; another referred to ers, brogans, and shirts. It patched sad- one that "had a nose so keen he could dles and shoes; strips of it bound loose track a bear through runnin' water"; wagon tires or lashed together pieces of and on one occasion Pima Norton spoke broken wagon tongue, as well as substi- of a friend that "could track bees in a tuting for nails and many other things. blizzard." To tease (as verb). read the Scriptures rawhide To lay down the law, to give orders. A weak cow. rearback

Rawhide When a bucking horse stands upon its See Mexican iron, rawhide, robe hide. hind legs, loses its balance, and falls rawhider backward. This name was attached to a class of rear cinch the early-day movers who traveled from The hind one, if two. one section of the West to another. Their rear girth outstanding characteristic was always The Texan's name for the rear cinch. having their wagons full of cowhides, which they cut into strips, and they used rear jockey the for every known purpose. whangs The leather on top of the skirt of the term was sometimes used with refer- The saddle, fitting closely around the cantle. ence to the operator of a small cattle ranch; also it was a name the northern reata (ray-ah'tah) cowboy called the Texan. From reatar, to retie; Spanish, mean- rawhide lumber ing a rofe which ties one animal to an- other. A rope, particularly one made of Unfinished slabs the left on, with bark braided leather or rawhide. usually cottonwood. Recover rawhidin' See get his hog back. The act of gathering cattle alone on the range with an individual camp out- redcoats

fit, teasing. The name by which cowboys of the

124 RENEGADE RIDER

Northwest call the mounted police of he is six, he is fairly trained for cow Canada. work, but doesn't reach his full period of usefulness until he is about ten years red disturbance old. Each year the remuda is culled of A slang name for whiskey. Some of it, horses too old for the best work. A good in the words of John West, "would make and faithful cow horse is pensioned for a muley cow grow horns." a life of ease and grass; otherwise, the horse is sold for farm work. red-eye A good cowman knows that his outfit Another slang name for whiskey. is no better than its horses, and he watches them closely. Every day he checks the red-eyed horses and counts them out to the wran- Angry. gler. Each cowboy is responsible for the condition of his string, and the man who red-ink abuses his horses doesn't last long with whiskey. Still another name for the outfit. No horse is overworked, no horse overlooked. Each man realizes that reefing the horse is his motive power and that Spurring, scratching. his work is handicapped unless these regular horses are in top condition. A rule of all remudas is that all horses What the old-time trail driver called must be geldings. Mares are never a part a drive that went "as fine as split silk" of the remuda, because they are bunch- to the Wichita Mountains, and "hell quitters and failures as saddle horses. As broke loose" from there to the end of Charlie Russell said, "Lady hosses are the drive. like their human sisters. They get notions relief of goin' home, and no gentleman cayuse would think of lettin' a lady go alone." The change of guard for the herd. Stallions, on the other hand, fight and remittance man otherwise disturb a peaceful remuda. the work is over in the fall, the Usually socially outcast members of When remuda is turned to the the nobility of England who came west out run range, rest, and heal their scars. small portion to relieve their families of further em- A of the horses are kept to be grain fed barrassment. They were called this be- up and used the cause they depended for existence upon by men who remain to do what winter riding is the remittance of money from their fam- there to be done. The average remuda holds from ninety ilies overseas. to one hundred horses, a number neces- remuda (ray-moo'dah) sary to mount a cow outfit of eight to From the Spanish remudar, meaning ten men. to exchange, re-exchange. Remuda de caballos means relay of horses. The cow- remudera (ray-moo-day'rah) man uses the word to mean the extra The Mexican name for a bell mare. mounts of each cowboy herded together and not at the time under saddle; also remudero (ray-moo-day'ro) called remontha, this latter word a cor- The Mexican name for a wrangler. ruption of the Spanish remonta. The word is pronounced remootha in the renegade rider Southwest, but most Texas cowmen A cowboy employed to visit ranches, merely say hosses. The remuda is to sometimes as far as fifty or more miles the Southwest what the cawy is to the away, and pick up any stock branded Northwest, though the northwestern with his employer's brand found any- cowboy usually called these horses the where, taking it with him to the next saddle band. ranch or range. He takes his gather to A horse usually goes into the remuda the home ranch as often as he can, when he is four years old. By the time changes horses, and goes again.

I2 5 Western Words rep ride herd on A cowboy who represents his brand at To take care of.

outside ranches (as noun) ; to represent ride herd on a woman (as verb). Also called outside man or Said of one courting a stray man. This cowboy's task developed woman. from the efforts of ranch owners to re- ride like a deputy sheriff cover their stray cattle. It became a regu- To ride recklessly, in a hurry. lar part of the open-range system to have one man of each ranch work with the ride over that trail again roundup to look out for and carry along A request to explain more simply and cattle in his employer's brand until he more fully. could return them to their home range, Riders branding their calves in the roundup. See afoot, Bill-show cowboy, bog He assisted in the work of the roundup, rider, bootblack cowpuncher, bronc but his first duty was to look after the breaker, bronc buster, bronc fighter, cattle of his brand. bronc peeler, bronc scratcher, bronc As a rule, the top hand of an outfit snapper, bronc squeezer, bronc stomper, is given this enviable position and he is bronc twister, brush buster, brush hand, considered a notch higher than the com- brush popper, brush roper, brush thump- mon puncher and gets more pay. He has ers, brush whacker, buckaroo, bull-bat, to know brands, and the job is a respon- buster, caballero, chuck-line rider, chop- sible one. He likes the work because he pers, circle rider, contract buster, can travel around, mingle with old couldn't ride nothin' wilder'n a wheel friends, and make new ones in other out- chair, cowboys, drag rider, fence rider, fits. flank rider, flash rider, glory rider, When he reaches the outside limit of greasy-sack rider, grub-line rider, hand, the drift from his company's range, he hillbilly cowboy, jinete, kick-back rider, cuts from the day herd the cattle of his leather pounder, light rider, line rider, brand, takes his mount from the remuda, long rider, miller, mill rider, outrider, packs a horse with his bedroll and "drags outside man, peeler, point rider, posse, it for home," driving his gather before pothole rider, puncher, renegade rider, him. rep, rough-string rider, saddle slicker, Rep saddle stiff, saddle tramp, saddle warm- See outside man, rep, rep's cut, stray er, salty rider, scissor-bill, shadow rid- man. er, swing rider, tail rider, three-up screw, twister, vaquero, windmiller, rep's cut windmill monkey. During the roundup the rep of an out- ridge runner side ranch looked through the gathered A wild horse which keeps to ridges cattle and designated which were of his and high points to watch for danger and brand. Then these were cut into a bunch warn the herd. called the rep's cut. ridin' bog Restless Riding the low range in the spring See homeless as a poker chip, Junin' while cattle are in poor condition and 'round. extricating any animal which becomes ribbons bogged or mired in bog holes. What the West calls the lines of a har- ridin' circle nessed team. The act, during the roundup, of searching out and driving before one all rib up the cattle found over a wide range of ter- persuade. To ritory to a designated holding spot. rib wrenches ridin' 'em down A slang name for spurs. A trail expression signifying the grad-

126 ;,

RIDIN THE BAG-LINE

ual urging of the point and drag cattle riding aprons the bed- closer together to put them on See armitas. ground. ridin' herd on a woman ridin' fence Courting. The duty of keeping the fences in re- pair. See fence rider. ridin' into his dust Following someone or following an- ridin' for the brand other's lead. The cowboy never worked for a ranch ridin' it out the word work was suggestive of the day laborer. He rode for a certain outfit. Staying with a bad horse until he is Ridin' for the brand has a deep signifi- conquered. cance on the range. It means that the ridin' line cowboy is loyal, tireless in looking after Patrolling a prescribed boundary to the interests of the brand, and willing look after the interests of an employer. to fight for it, even laying down his life See line riding. for it, as long as he is riding for it. Riding ridin' on his spurs Said when a rider hooks his spurs in See bake, beefsteak, bicycling, bite the the cinch, keeping them there during the dust, breaking brush, business riding, ride. cantle-boarding, cheeking, choke the horn, choke rope, claw leather, close seat, ridin' out of town with nothin' coasting on the spurs, comb, couldn't but a head find his saddle-seat with a forked stick, curry him out, curry the kinks out, cut Said of one the morning after a big 'er loose, daylightin', fanning, fannin' drunk. As one cowhand remarked, he on her fat, gimlet, Give 'im air!, grab- "had a headache that's built for a hoss," bin' the apple, grabbin' the nubbin', and another declared he "had a taste in grabbin' the post, hoppin' dog holes, my mouth like I'd had supper with a huggin' rawhide, hunting leather, iron- kiyote." ing him out, ironing out the humps, ridin' safe jiggle, jingling, knee grip, monkey Sitting close to the saddle, legs tightly style, nigger brand, peeling, plow-boy- clenched horse's sides, ing, pulling bog, pull leather, put a kid against the the on a horse, rack, reachin' for the apple, spurs set firmly in the cinch. ride like a deputy sheriff, ridin' bog, ridin' sign ridin' circle, ridin' fence, ridin' for the The act of riding the range to follow brand, ridin' it out, ridin' line, ridin' on animals which have strayed too far and his spurs, ridin' safe, ridin' sign, ridin' turn them back, or to pull cattle from slick, ridin' straight up, ridin' the ditch, bog holes, turn them away from loco ridin' the grub-line, ridin' the rough patches, and do anything else in the in- string, ridin' the shows, safety first, savin' terest of an employer. saddle leather, scratching gravel, seeing daylight, set afoot, set the hair, settin' ridin' slick close to the plaster, settin' deep in his To ride without locked spurs or hob- tree, settin' the buck, shakin' hands with bled stirrups, and without a saddle roll. grandma, sloppy riding, soundin' the horn, spiked his horse's tail, spur but- ridin' straight up

toning, squeeze the biscuit, squeezin' The rider sits straight up in the saddle, Lizzie, stay in one's tree, Stay with him ! holding the reins in one hand, with the stickin' like a postage stamp, taking other hand in the air. leather, three-legged riding, three sad- dles, thumbing, tied to the ground, tight- ridin' the bag-line legging, top off, touchin' leather. Synonymous with ridin' the grub-line.

I2 7 Western Words ridin' the bed wagon riled Laying off on account of sickness or Angry, stirred up. accident. rim fire ridin' the ditch A saddle with one cinch, which is

Looking- after the water supply of an placed far to the front ; also called Span- irrigation system. ish rig and rimmy. ridin' the grub-line rim firing a horse The jobless cowboy's going from Putting a burr under the saddle blan- ranch to ranch and accepting meals with- ket to make the horse pitch. One of the out paying for them. Also called ridin' many pranks of cowboys. the chuck-line and ridin' the bag-line. rim rockin' sheep ridin' the high-lines Running sheep over a cliff to destruc- On the scout. Said of an outlaw. Many tion. This was often done during the badmen were forced to ride trails "that'd wars between the cattle and the sheep make a mountain goat nervous." factions. ridin' the owlhoot trail rincon (rin-cone') Said of an outlaw because he does much In Spanish the word means a corner of his riding at night. or secluded spot. The Southwesterner ridin' the rough string uses it to mean a nook, secluded place,

Said of one whose job it is to break or a bend in a river. (Harold W. Bent- horses, and such a job "ain't like at- ley, Dictionary of Spanish Terms in Eng- tendin' a knittin' bee." lish [New York, Columbia University Press, 1932], 197.) ridin' the shows Competing for prize money at rodeos. ring bit Said of a professional buster who follows A bit with a metal circle slipped over rodeos. the lower jaw of the horse. This cruel Spanish bit is not looked upon with favor ridin' under a cottonwood limb by American cowmen. It can be extreme- Said of a hanging; also of one com- ly severe unless handled carefully, and mitting an act for which he deserves to is hardly a bit for a man who loses his be hanged. temper. ridin' with an extra cinch-ring ringey Said of a rustler or one suspected of riled. stealing. Angry, rig Rivers Short name for saddle. See big swimming, boggy crossing, rigging crossing, dugways, he'll do to ride the river with, over the willows, rincon, The middle leathers attached to the startin' the swim, swimming the herd, tree of the saddle connecting with and swimming water, watering the herd. supporting the cinch by latigos through the rigging ring. river sniper rigging ring A gold panner. The iron ring attached to the saddle road agent for fastening the cinch; also called tree A robber, more commonly a robber of ring or saddle ring. . right-hand man road agent's spin Foreman. A gun spin made just the reverse of rildy the single roll; sometimes called the A comfort or blanket. Curly Bill spin.

128 RODEO TERMS road brand rod A special brand of any design for trail The boss. herds as a sign of ownership en route. roddin' the spread This brand helped the herders keep from Bossing the outfit. mingling their herd with outside cattle and spiriting off their home range these rodeo (ro-day'o) animals of disinterested ownership. Derived from the Spanish rodear (ro- (Philip Rollins, A. The Cowboy [New day-ar'), meaning to encomfass, the act York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936], of encircling, and, in colloquial Mexi- Ho-), can, signifying the rounding-up of cat- This type of brand originated in Tex- tle. In later days it referred strictly to as during the trail days when a was law cowboy contests. Recently the word has passed that all cattle being driven beyond been used in two different senses and has the northern limits of the state to were two different pronunciations, as well as the be branded by drover with "a large a different meaning from the original and plain mark, composed of any mark Spanish. The cowboy contest is common- or device he may choose, which mark ly called ro'de-o, while the roundup is shall be branded the left side of the on called ro-day'o, and in the latter sense stock behind the shoulder." With the the word is rapidly becoming obsolete. passing trail driving, this of brand was Some rules of rodeo riding are: Only no longer used. one rein is allowed, and it must be free road house from knots or tape and must not be wrapped around the hand. While mak- A corral in an out-of-the-way place ing a ride, the rider must not change used by rustlers for the temporary hold- hands on the rein, and his rein hand ing of stolen stock. must be held above the horse's neck. The road runner rider must leave the chute with both feet See chafarral bird,. in the stirrups and both spurs against the horse's shoulders. He must scratch ahead roan for the first five jumps, then behind. He horse less A which shows a more or has to stay on the horse and ride clean uniform mixture of white colored and for ten seconds. If he loses a stirrup or hairs over the entire body. If the ground touches leather with either hand, hits the color is sorrel, the color resulting is horse with his hat, or looks cross-eyed strawberry roan; if bay, it is red-roan; at the judges, he is disqualified. and if or it is mahogany bay black, blue- Fanning a horse with the hat used to or black-roan. be considered spectacular, but modern Rob rodeos forbid quirting, fanning, or even touching the animal with the hand. See stood up. robe hide Rodeo Terms When buffalo robes were popular, See bite 'em lip, blow a stirrup, blow they were made from buffalo killed in the plug, boggin' 'em in, bulldog, bull- winter when their hides were heavy. dogger, bull riding, bull riggin', calf They brought much better prices than roping, carnival hand, choke rope, chute crazy, those from animals killed in other sea- close-to-the-ground bucker, Com- sons. mittee saddle, crying room, cut 'er loose, final horses, flank riggin', get-away rockin' chair horse money, head and heel, hit the daylight, One with an easy gait. Hook 'em cow , hot shot, kick-back rid- ! rocking brand er, locked spurs, loggerin', Look out, cowboy!, mad scramble, no time, out of One resting upon and connected with the money, Pick him up!, pick-up man, a quarter-circle. Powder River! Let 'er buck!, Put 'em Rocky Mountain canary east and west, boy!, ridin' the shows, Another name for a burro. rodeo, runaway bucker, scratcher cinch,

129 Western Words

show bucker, snubber, snub horse, spur and releasing it so that it will roll out buttoning, sulker, sunfishing, time judge, on edge, leaning somewhat to the right. twisting down, whistle judge, wild cow It is usually only effective when thrown milking. at animals passing in front of the roper toward his right. It can be used to fore- roll foot horses, but is better as a heel loop A corkscrew, wavelike motion of a for cattle, a rather small loop being rope, which, traveling along its end, rolled under the belly of an animal and lands on the object roped with a jar in position to catch both hind feet. (W. (Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy [New M. French, "Ropes and Roping," Cat- York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936], tleman, XXVI, No. 12 [May, 1940], 240). Many ropers use the roll to re- 17—30.) It also means to start with a lease their nooses from the roped ani- wagon, or get up in the morning. mals when they desire to recover their roll-overs ropes from grown cattle which have been heeled. See also saddle roll. A trick-roping term. These spins are started either vertically or horizontally, Roll your bed! and the noose is made to roll over the A command meaning that you are shoulders or one or both arms. fired. roll your wheels rolling a calf This term was used in the early days A method of throwing a calf for by freighters, bullwhackers, and mule branding. This is a spectacular stunt re- skinners. It meant start your team, but quiring considerable strength and skill. by the time the cowman seized it for his It is somewhat dangerous and a very- own, it meant get goin' in any sense. tiring method of getting a calf down. romal It is accomplished by reaching over the A flexible whip made on the bridle back of the calf, catching it with one reins when they are fastened together. hand and at the same time jambing your In Spanish the word is spelled ramal and leg in front of the calf. The cowboy pronounced r-r-rah-mahV'. El ramal does not resort to this method unless he means literally a branch road, a division, wants to show off or there happens to be or a ramification. Thus, attached as it is a girl visiting the wagon for the day. by the loop to the bridle reins, the romal (Editorial, Cattleman, XXII, No. 1 becomes but a ramification of the rein, [June, 1935], 5-7.) a handy addition that may be used as a roll the cotton quirt and dropped from the hand with- To roll one's bed and move camp, to out fear of its getting lost. take a trip. roostered rolls his gun Drunk. Said when one starts shooting. rooter rolls his own hoop The cowboy's name for a hog. Said of one attending to his own busi- rope ness. The most important tool of the cow- materials roll his tail man, made of many different and serving many purposes. It catches Another slang expression for leaving his horse, throws his cattle, drags his on the run. wood to camp, pulls cattle from bog rolls it holes, and helps pull his wagons across Roping slang. rivers and rough places. It ties his bed up, helps in fighting prairie fires, secures roll out his packs, stakes his horses, serves as a A loop which is made by jerking the corral, is useful as a cow-whip, and is noose forward over the hand and wrist a weapon for killing snakes. It also serves

130 ROPES

as a guide in snow storms when tied in the work of roping. A man can learn from his bunkhouse door to the stable or to ride and do ordinary cow work in a the wood pile, and it was frequently- short time, but to become a proficient used to mete out frontier justice. With- roper requires years of practice; yet no out it the cowboy would be practically matter how expert a roper may become,

useless. It is said that he does everything he will have small success without a good

with a rope except eat with it. There are rope horse. truly many men who can do anything The rope horse must have strength with a rope except throw it straight up and intelligence, both well trained. Rop- and climb it. ing requires the most skill and is the hardest and the most dangerous of all rope-and-ring man cow work. When the roped animal is A rustler, given this name because he "tied onto," the slightest pull on the reins uses a rope and a cinch ring to run his causes the well-trained horse to sit back, illegal brands. I once heard a reformed hind feet well under him, forefeet braced rustler admit that he "quit rustlin' cows well out in front to receive the shock. for the good of my gullet." The slightest pressure on the side of the neck with the reins causes him to whirl rope corral instantly to face the catch. A temporary corral at the cow camp, A good rope horse never allows a cow made by three or four cowhands holding to get a side run on him, nor does he ropes between them to form an obtuse allow an inch of slack to let the rope U, and used to pen saddle horses until wind him up. Experience has taught him they can be caught for saddling. the consequences of such blunders. The The corral is formed by using a heavy instant the roped animal falls, the horse rope called a cable, held about three will pull against the rope, dragging the feet off the ground, either by men or, dead weight along the ground. sometimes, by forked sticks. This seem- When running an animal to be roped, ingly makes a frail prison for a bunch the educated rope horse knows when the of horses, but early in his life the range cowboy takes down his rope and what is horse learns to respect the rope. He re- expected of him. He runs like the wind members the burns and falls he received to the left side of the cow but never past when he was first thrown and branded. her. There he sticks until his rider casts If a horse has not learned his lesson and his rope ; then he "does his stuff." If the breaks out of the corral a time or two, roper misses, he knows that too. At a the top roper of the outfit is given the roundup where a large crew is working, nod to "pick up his toes" the next time the top ropers and the top roping horses he breaks out. It may break the horse's stand out above the rest. Any successful neck, but the boss would rather have contest roper gives his horse most of the him dead than have him spoiling the credit. As the late Will Rogers once said, other horses. Frequently the rope cable "Contest ropin' is just like a marriage. is shaken vigorously to remind the horses It's a partnership affair between the roper that it is a rope. and his mount." As soon as the desired horses are caught, the rope is dropped and the re- rope meat maining horses are allowed to go back The victim of a hanging. to grazing. This is done quietly, and all rushing or jamming is carefully avoided. ROPERS Having performed its duty, the cable is See brush roper, dally man, ketch coiled up and placed in the wagon to be hand, rope tosser, small loop man, smooth ready for the next saddling. roper, tie-hard, tie-man, tie-down man, tying fast. rope croup Ropes A hanging. See cabestro, cable, catgut, choke rope, rope horse clothesline, coil, doll-babies, fling-line, A horse especially fitted for and trained hair rope, hemp, hoggin' rope, honda,

I 3 I Western Words

hot rope, ketch rope, lariat, lash rope, rosadero (ro-sah-day'ro) lasso, lass rope, lead rope, line, maguey, A vertical, wide leather shield sewed Manila, mecate, pepper-and-salt rope, to the back of the stirrup leather. picket rope, piggin' string, reata, rope, rope corral, running W, seago, skin rotten loggin' string, sling rope, stake rope, string, tie The comparatively rare practice by rope, , twine, twitch, W, romantic couples of sitting on a log in whale line. the moonlight and "sparking." rope shy rough break Said of a horse that jumps away from To rope, choke down, blindfold, and the rope when its rider is roping. saddle a green bronc, then mount, strip off the blindfold, dig in with the spurs, rope tosser slam the horse with the quirt, and pro- roper, who, instead of swinging the A ceed to fight it out. Many ranches follow rope around his head before throwing, this method of breaking horses, and three spreads it out behind and to one side of such rides by the buster are considered him, and with a quick, graceful throw, sufficient before turning the horse over or toss, launches it with unerring aim to the cowboy. over the head of the animal at which he

throws. This method is used almost en- rough steer tirely in catching calves out of a herd, One of poor breeding and scrawny as it is done so quietly and easily that the development.

animal is snared before it has a chance rough string to dodge or move. A string composed of wild and semi- roping out wild horses which fight every time they

Said when cowhands rope their mounts are saddled. Every ranch that raises its in a corral, catching them for saddling. own horses has some which have never Roping Terms felt the saddle. See bedded, belly rope, Blocker loop, rough-string rider body spin, building a loop, butterfly, A professional bronc buster. Of neces- calf on the ground, calf on the string, sity all cowboys are good riders, but the calf roping, California twist, coffee men who handle the rough strings have grinding, community loop, complex spin, to be bronc busters, and they draw down cotton-patch loop, dab, dally, diamond a few extra dollars per month for this hitch, dog fall, fair ground, figure eight, perilous work. However, it is not so much forefooting, goin' down the rope, goin' the money that most of them care about over the withers, head and heel, head as it is the honor. It is a sign of ability catch, heel, high-low, hog-tie, Hooley- to say that you ride the first rough string ann, hop-skip, hornswoggling, hungry for a large outfit. As one cowhand said, loop, jerked down, juggling, lay, man- "The rider of the rough string maybe gana, mangana de pie, merry-go-round, ain't strong on brains, but he ain't short moonlight ropin', Mother-Hubbard loop, on guts." ocean wave, Old man him!, overhead Each man has his own way of break- loop, overhead toss, peal, pick up his ing a horse, but all good busters strive hind feet, pick up his toes, pile it on, to break so that the horse's spirit remains

pull the trip, roll, roll out, roll-overs, unbroken, for a spiritless horse is worth- rolls it, roping out, run on the rope, less. The buster strives to break quickly, settin' spin, shakin out, sing, skipping, as it means time and money to the boss. smear, snail, snare, snubbing, spread, He is more interested in staying on the stack it on, star gazing, steer busting, horse than in the manner of his perform- steer roping, stretchin' out, Texas tie, ance. His very calling demands that he tying down, underhand pitch, washer- stay on, as a matter of pride and because woman loop, waste a loop, wedding ring, horses become outlaws when they can whirling. throw their riders.

n 2 ROUNDUP TERMS round pan of the general expense, this share pro- portioned according to the number of The large pan, or tub, which receives cattle owned. Each ranch furnished a the dirty dishes after a meal at a cow sufficient number of horses for its riders, camp. For a cowhand to fail to throw but only the larger outfits sent chuck his dishes into this pan is a breach of wagons. Each district was worked suc- range etiquette, and he will certainly be cessively ranges until each was cleaned called names by the cook that would by in regular rotation. At the end of the "burn the grass to cinders for yards up around." drive every owner knew by the carefully kept tally the increase of his herd and round-pen the number of older cattle he owned that had been gathered in this raking of An occasional name for the corral. by the range. roundup The open roundup system lasted only a comparatively few years, but during The gathering of cattle, the cattle- its existence it the event man's harvest. The roundup was the was every cow- interest and most important function in cattle land. man looked forward to with eagerness. it harvest There were two a year, the spring round- Not only was his time, it old up for the branding of the calf crop, and but served as a reunion with friends of cultivating the fall roundup for the gathering of and a means new beeves for shipment and the branding of acquaintances. late calves and those overlooked in the roundup captain spring. The man chosen to act as boss of a Unlike most customs of the cattle roundup. He was boss over all and his country, the roundup is neither Spanish- word was law, no matter if he did not Mexican nor Western-American in ori- own a hoof. The owners of the cattle gin. It originated in the mountain coun- were as much under his orders as any try of Kentucky, Tennessee, the Caro- common puncher or horse wrangler. He linas, and the Virginias. The people of knew all the brands of the country and those states let their cattle run loose and had to be a diplomat to keep peace be- annually held roundups to gather them, tween warring factions. He had to know but they performed the function in a men and cattle and select the right man haphazard sort of way. (Prose and Poetry for the right job, as well as the proper of the Cattle Industry [Denver, 1905].) roundup grounds. Certain men knew cer- The western cowman perfected the sys- tain ranges better than others; accord- tem and brought it to the attention of ingly he sent them out to scour these the public as an important and colorful ranges for cattle. He selected from among phase of the cattle industry. the cowboys he knew to have good judg- It is true that the early western at- ment as many lieutenants as he needed. tempts were crude and called cow hunts, These he put in charge of small units or cow drives; but as the industry grew to run the cattle out of the brakes, and spread over the West, it became the arroyos, and other parts of the range. perfect system that we know today. When One cowboy's description of a roundup fences came, the vogue passed as an un- boss was, "He's the feller that never necessary pageant, but in the open-range seems to need sleep and it makes 'im mad days the roundup sometimes covered to see somebody that does." thousands of miles. Stockmen found it necessary for their mutual protection to Roundup Terms

take some co-operative action ; therefore, See beddin' out, beef cut, beef round- the roundup system was adopted and per- up, blackballed outfit, book count, books fected. It might vary in detail in differ- won't freeze, brush roundup, bunch ent sections, but," in the main, roundups ground, calf roundup, choppers, comb- were essentially the same throughout the ings, covered his dog, cow camp, cow cattle country. hunt, cut, cut-backs, cut of cows with Each ranchman of the district being calves, cutter, cutting out, fall roundup, worked furnished men and bore his share gather, general work, greasy-sack ride,

*33 Western Words

handbill roundup, holding spot, inner Running circle, laneing, lead drive men, moon- See burn the breeze, curled his tail, light 'em, moonshinin', moving camp, draggin' his navel in the sand, drag it, on circle, open roundup, outer circle, dust, fixin' for high ridin', flag his kite, parada grounds, petalta, pilot, pool fogging, goin' like the heel flies are after camp, pool roundup, pot-rack outfit, him, heating his axles, hell-for-leather, powders, prowl, rawhidin', rep's cut, high-tail, hit the breeze, hit the trail, rodeo, roundup, roundup captain, run- humped his tail at the shore end, jigger, ning cattle, scattering the riders, shipped lean forward and shove, made a nine in her, shove down, shotgun wagon, sleepin' his tail, makin' far apart tracks, run out, smoking out the cattle, spring round- down his mainspring, run like a Nueces up, tellin' off the riders, throwing over, steer, runnin' meat, stampede, take to the wagon boss, wasted 'er, work, working tall timbers, take to the tules. ahead of the roundup, working the herd. running brand roustabout A brand with flowing curves at its A man of all work around a cow camp. ends. rowel running cattle The wheel of a spur. Working cattle, a rounding-up. run a brand running iron To give or use a brand, to burn a brand on an animal with a running iron. A branding iron made in the form of a straight poker or a rod curved at the runaway bucker end and used much in the free style of A type of bucking horse. This type of writing upon a blackboard with chalk. bucker will, when the chute gate is In the seventies Texas passed a law for- opened, leave at a fast run instead of bidding the use of this iron in branding. bucking. After traveling about fifty yards This was a blow aimed at the brand blot- he will "break in two" and start bucking. ter, whose innocent single iron would Generally his first leap will be high and tell no tales if he were caught riding mighty, and if the rider is caught un- across the range. The law made an ob- prepared, he does not have much chance ject of suspicion the man found with the of collecting prize money. When a horse single running iron, and he was some- is running his best, then leaps four or times obliged to explain to a very urgent five feet into the air and comes down jury. stiff-legged, he lights heavy. The fast forward motion stops so abruptly that running mount the horse appears to shove himself back- Mounting a horse on the run without wards as he hits the ground. This trick the use of the stirrups. has caused many riders to meet their Waterloo. (Bruce Clinton, "Buckin' running W rope Horses," Western Horseman, III, No. 3 A running from the hobbles to a [May-June, 1938], 10.) ring in the cinch, making the letter W. Generally used on horses which ordi- run his mainspring down narily run away. Said of a runaway horse which is al- lowed to run until he quits of his own running wild accord. Said of one dodging the law. Also means on a tear or it run like a Nueces steer ivkoofing up. A common Texas expression. It origi- runnin' mate nated from the fact that the wild cattle Used by the cowboy to refer to his pal of the Nueces River country were excep- or his wife. tionally speedy for cattle and endowed with an utter disregard for obstacles in runnin' meat their path. Said of a buffalo hunt.

*34 SACK

runnin' the outfit however, prefer the blunter term cow thief. Said of the duties of the boss. Winter is open season on the rustler, run on the rope as then he is busiest. Dodging range rid- grazing Said of an animal, especially a horse, ers, he rides through the cattle, picking big calves that had been when he starts away after being roped up missed during the summer and fall brand- and is snubbed up violently. It is a part of the education of the range horse. ing. run over Rustlers and Rustling See blot, botch, brand artist, brand A cattle guard built on a highway. It blotter, burnin' rawhide, careless with is made of green poles and sometimes covered with rawhide. his brandin' iron, Cattle Kate, decoy herd, didn't keep his twine on the tree, rusties droop-eyed, hair brand, hide with a Culled, wild, or lean cattle. stovepipe hole, His calves don't suck the right cows., His cows have twins., hot rustle foot, kept his brandin' iron smooth, long To wrangle or herd horses, to steal rope, mavericker, maverick factory, cattle. mavericking, packs a long rope, picked brand, pins crape on the kid, ran a butch- rustler ershop and got his cattle mixed, ridin' This word was first used as a synonym with an extra cinch ring, road house, for hustle, becoming an established term rope-and-ring man, rustler, rustling, for any person who was active, pushing, sleeperin', slow brand, sticky rope, swing and hustling in any enterprise; it was a wide loop, tongue splitter, too handy used as a name for the wrangler ; and, as with the rope, waddy, wave 'round, verb, meant to herd horses. Later the working ahead of the roundup, working word became almost exclusively applied brands. to a cattle thief, starting from the days of the maverick when cowboys were paid rustle the pasture by their employers to "get out and rustle To bring in the saddle horses. a few mavericks." These same cowboys soon became interested in putting their rustling own brands upon motherless calves to Stealing cattle. get a start in the cattle business, and this practice was looked upon as thievery. rust the boiler Thus the word connoted a thief. Texans, To drink alkaline water.

"// the saddle creaks, it's not paid for"

sabinas (sah-bee'nas) almost pinkish, roan-colored body and pure white belly. A Spanish word used to describe cattle of red and white peppered and splotched sachet kitten coloring. Cowboy's name for a skunk. sabino (sah-bee'no) sack

Usually used in referring to a horse To filip a blanket at a horse to get him

with a peculiar shade of light reddish, used to it.

*35 Western Words sacked his saddle ing smacker, girth, gullet, half-rigged saddle, handle, hobbled stirrups, hog Said when a cowman dies. The saying skin, horn, string, hull, kack, Ketch arose from the cowman's custom, when horn my saddle!, kidney pad, kyack, latigo, returning home by train from a trail leg jockey, lizzy, mochila, monkey trip, of placing his saddle in a grain nose, montura, Mother-Hubbard saddle, sack to be checked. When he died, this muley saddle, nigger-catcher, nubbin', figure of speech was used to convey the open stirrups, ox-bows, ox-yokes, pack thought that he was now on the return covers, packsaddle, pancakes, pelter, journey to his eternal home. petate, pig, pimple, postage stamp, pump- sacking kin-seed saddle, rear cinch, rear girth, rear jockey, rig, rigging, rigging ring, A saddle blanket (as noun) ; filiping a blanket or cloth about a horse (as verb). rim fire, rosadero, saddle, saddle blanket, saddle ring, saddle roll, saddle strings, sacking out salea, seat, seat jockey, seven-eighths rig, Tying the hind leg of a horse up and side jockey, single-barreled, single-fire, waving a saddle blanket about him to single-rigged, skeleton rig, skirt, slick gentle him for saddling. fork, slick saddle, soak, stirrups, stirrup leathers, strainer, strings, sudadero, swell- S. A. Cowboy fork, tack-berry buckle, tapadero, tarra- A dude wrangler, short for Show bee, teeth in the saddle, terrapin, Texas About Cowboy. skirt, three-quarter rig, three-quarter seat, trap, tree, trunk strap, visa, whang Sad strings, wood, xerga. See daunsy, tear squeezer. saddlebag doctor saddle The doctor of the early frontier who A seat for a man on horseback. The carried his medicine and implements in stock saddle is built to fulfill the cow- saddlebags as he rode over the range boy's requirements in cattle work, and calling upon his patients. the slight variations in shape cause spe- cial names to be given to these saddles saddle band according to the shape of their trees. This term is commonly used in the Many changes and improvements have Northwest for the remuda or cavvy of been made in saddles through the years. saddle horses. saddle a dead horse on him saddle blanket To burden one with an unwelcome The blanket placed upon the horse's obligation. back beneath the saddle; also a slang name for griddlecakes. One good blanket Saddles is all that is necessary for a horse. Too See acion, alforja, anquera, aparejo, much padding under the saddle makes apple, apple-horn, Association saddle, him sweat unduly, and an overheated back jockey, bag pannier, basto, bear- back becomes tender. After the saddle is billet, biscuit, trap, box pannier, bronc thrown on and before it is cinched up, saddle, bronc tree, bucking rim, bucking a couple of fingers should be inserted roll, strap, buck bulldogs, California under the blanket where it comes over rig, skirts, cantinesses, California cantle, the withers to work up a little slack. cantle drop, center-fire, Cheyenne roll, chicken saddle, cinch, cinch ring, Com- saddle-blanket gambler mittee saddle, contest saddle, corus, cross- A term applied to a cowboy addicted buck, dinner plate, dish, dog-house stir- to gambling around the campfire on a rups, double barreled, drop stirrup, saddle blanket, a small-time gambler. eagle-bill, empty saddle, fenders, five- Charlie Russell used to say (Trails eighths rig, flank girth, flank riggin', Plowed Under), "You can tell a saddle- fork, form-fitter, front jockey, full- blanket gambler's luck by the rig he's rigged, full-seat, full-stamp, fuste, geld- ridin'." Rowdy McCloud, a friend of

I 3 6 SALLIE

mine with a weakness for cards, told me saddle leathers together. The ends are of his "settin' up all night tryin' to find tied and left hanging, allowing packages somethin' better than some very young to be tied on as well as serving as a clubs," in a game where the dealer decoration. "seemed to know both sides of the cards the way luck set on his shirt-tail." His saddle tramp opponents, said Rowdy, "kept showin' A professional chuck-line rider. me hands that looked as big as a log saddle house and after that session I could count warmer my coin without takin' it from my A man employed in riding horseback, pocket." a cowboy. saddle gun Saddling A rifle or Winchester carried in the See blinder, cinch up, laced his tree saddle scabbard. See saddle scabbard. up, put leather on his horse, slappin' his tree saddler on, teeth in the saddle. A man who makes saddles, an easy- safety first gaited horse. Holding the saddle horn when riding saddle ring a bucking horse. A metal ring fastened to the tree of the sag saddle from which the latigo straps hang. A slope. saddle roll sagebrusher roll of blankets tied across the sad- A A resident of a remote place, a tourist. dle just behind the fork to help wedge the rider in the saddle. sagebrush philosopher saddle scabbard A loquacious Westerner. A heavy saddle-leather case in which sage hen to carry a rifle or Winchester when rid- A nickname for a woman. ing. The gun fits in as far as the ham- mer, leaving the stock exposed. The sage-henning favorite way of carrying the gun is to Being forced to stay overnight in the loop the front strap at the very end of desert without blankets. the scabbard over the saddle horn, while sage rat the other end, or barrel section, is merely slipped through a loop formed by a sec- A resident of the arid land, a prospec- ond strap from the back rigging ring tor. on the saddle. To take off both rifle and saint scabbard, all that is necessary is to slip The rustler's contemptuous name for the front strap off the horn and slide the a loyal cowboy. whole thing out of the back loop. The height of the scabbard must be adjusted salado (sah-lah'do) to come at the bend of the knee. Most Americanized to salowed and said of a riders carry the gun on the left side, wind-broken horse. butt to the front. This arrangement al- lows them to have the gun on the same salea side when they get off to shoot. A raw and softened sheepskin placed saddle slicker on a pack animal's back for padding be- neath a packsaddle. A slang name for the cowboy. salivate saddle stiff . Another slang name for the cowboy. To liquidate, to shoot full of holes. saddle strings Sallie Little rawhide strings which hold the A nickname for the cook.

'37 Western Words

Saloon the seat of the saddle. Tenderfoot riders sometimes ride this to ease their See bar-dog, deadfall, gaboon, sober way saddle sores. side of the bar, water hole, wearin' cal- louses on his elbow, whiskey mill. savvy salty From quien sabe. Knowledge, under- standing. A man with plenty of savvy is When this word is used in speaking said to be as "smart as a bunkhouse rat," of a man, it means he is a good hand, as "wise as a tree full of owls," or as of a horse, it means he is a hard bucker. "full of information as a mail-order The word is also used in the sense of catalog." Used as a query it means showing fight and aggression. I heard Do one cowhand speak of another's being you understand? "salty as Lot's wife"; and another spoke saw-bones of one's being "salty as Utah." A doctor. Most of the frontier doctors salty bronc were "right there with a parin' knife A mean horse. when it comes to minin' for lead." salty dog sawdust in his beard This name applies to anyone especially Said of one shot down in a saloon. good or a master in his line of endeavor. scab herder salty rider Cowboy's name for a sheepherder, One with guts. especially a Mexican. sanchos (sahn'chos) scalawag The Mexican name for dogies, scrub- A worthless cut-back, generally wild by calves. and old ; also applied to humans, but not with reference to their age. sand scalawag bunch Courage. Skeets Moore characterized a friend with, "His craw was plumb full A group of horses which are mean and hard to handle, the rough string. o' sand and fightin' tallow" ; and a cow- hand in Wyoming spoke of another's scamper juice having " 'nough sand for a lake front." Slang name for whiskey. sand cutter Scare A native of Kansas. See booger, spook. sand eel scatter-gun An occasional name for a snake. Spade Cowboy's name for a shotgun. Every Kruger used to tell of a section of the Westerner has a deep respect for the scat- country where "y'u have to parade 'round ter-gun, especially if it is loaded with on stilts to keep from gettin' bit." Cactus buckshot. In western parlance, "Buck- Price concluded another tale by saying, shot means buryin' ever' time"; "buck- "That's the biggest snake I ever seen shot leaves a mean and oozy corpse"; without the aid o' likker." and "absorb a load o' buckshot and savage they'll have to pick y'u up with a blot- Cowboy's name for a hitchhiking ter." tourist. scattering the riders savin' money for the bartender When the roundup captain gives direc- Riding a freight train to save fare. tions to the men starting on circle to drive cattle in from the surrounding savin' saddle leather country, designating which section each Standing up in the stirrups and rid- man or group of men shall cover. When ing so that the rider's seat does not touch the riders stop to receive these orders,

I 3 8 SEAT JOCKEY

they dismount to reset their saddles and rider come out on one of them big Brah- air their horse's backs a little before re- ma bulls an' rode him right purty and cinching for the hard ride ahead. The slick. men are sent in pairs. A man unfamiliar " 'Dang, he's a-scratching' that crit- with the country will be paired with one ter a-plenty,' says one of them old wad- who knows that particular range; one dies in the stands. riding an unreliable horse will be ac- "'Ain't that plumb kind of him?' companied by one riding a more trust- pipes up one of them leedle blond movie worthy one. gals. 'The way that old cow is wrigglin' she must be itchin' somethin' scandal- scissor-bill ous.' " One who does not do his work well. scratching gravel scorcher Climbing a steep bank on horseback. Slang name for the branding iron. screwing down scotch hobble The act of sinking the spurs into the A hobble made with a large loop that cinch while riding a bucking horse and will not slip, placed around the horse's failing to move the feet in a kicking neck and arranged so that a bowline knot motion as provided by rodeo rules. lies back on one shoulder. The long end of the rope is then placed around a hind scrub leg just below the ankle joint and the An animal that does not grade high in end is run back into the neck loop and breeding and flesh. tied, just short enough so that the foot, when the animal is standing, will be seago three or four inches off the ground. To From la soga. A rope. Applied more keep the horse from kicking out of the particularly to a loosely twisted hemp

rope, it is usually necessary to take an rope which is used for lassoing purposes. extra turn about the ankle or twist the sea lions rope back on itself. A half-hitch on the ankle will stay on, but as the cowboy A name given the early-day long- says, "You'll play hell gittin' it off." horned cattle "that came right out of the Gulf" of Mexico. They could swim scratch like ducks and were as wild. (J. Frank To spur a horse backward and for- Dobie, Vaquero of the Brush Country ward while riding. [Dallas, Southwest Press, 1929], 20.) scratcher cinch seam squirrels strap or cinch which fastens far A The cowboy's name for body lice. back around the horse's flank; used in When one cowhand I knew spoke of an- rodeos to the make horse buck. See flank other "a-settin' on the side of his bunk rigging. readin' his shirt by lamplight," we knew scratching what he was talking about. The act of keeping the feet moving in sea plum a kicking motion when riding a bucking The cowboy's name for an oyster. horse, one of the acts necessary to win

at a real bucking contest ; using the spurs seat in a raking motion along the horse's That part of the saddle upon which sides. the rider sits, said to be the easiest to Stan Adler, in Hoofs and Horns, told find, but the hardest to keep. this amusing little story: "Every year some of them platinum haided leedle seat jockey gals from Hollywood movie studios come The flat leather plate overlying the to the Old Pueblo to take in the rodeo stirrup leather when the latter issues an' they shore get bronc idees about what from the seat of the saddle. Same as leg it's all about. Like the time the bareback jockey.

*39 Western Words

See settin' close to the plaster See look-see, raise. Keeping a close and firm seat in the seeing daylight saddle. A term applied when a rider leaves settin' deep in his tree his seat with each jump of the horse, so An expression signifying that the one that spectators can see between rider and spoken of is a good, dependable, and saddle. trustworthy hand. segundo (say-goon" do) settin' on his arm Spanish, second, meaning immediately Said when a tenderfoot tries to mount following the first. The assistant trail a horse with one hand on the horn and boss, or second in command. the other on the cantle of the saddle. sendero (sen-day'ro) Never attempt to mount a horse in this manner. Not only does it brand you a Spanish for footpath. A trail, path, novice, but it is the most awkward and or clearing. Commonly used in the ungraceful way to climb aboard a horse. Southwest. If the horse starts off as soon as you send up a smoke swing off the ground—and most western A colloquialism for giving a warn- horses do—you will land behind the ing or making a signal. Founded upon saddle and not in it, and that may mean Indian smoke signals, a method of dis- you will get bucked off. tant communication. settin' spin seraglios A trick-roping term. It means jump- A herd of wild mares with stallion. ing in and out of a spinning noose from a sitting position. set afoot settin' Said when, from any cause, a cowman the bag } loses his horse and has to walk back. Courting; also called settin' er. Bud Taylor used to say, "That naked little set back runt with the Injun's shootin' iron can To pull back. shore booger up a good peeler." set brand settin' the buck A brand made with an iron, the de- Riding a bucking horse successfully. sign of which has been made in one piece. seven-eighths rig set down A saddle with the cinch placed be- Being fired from a job without having tween the Spanish, or rim fire, and the a horse to ride away. In the early days, three-quarter rig. if a man thus fired had no private horse, seven over-bit this manner of firing often ended in gun smoke. Most ranchers recognized the seri- An earmark made by cutting the ear ousness of "settin' a man afoot" and straight down near the tip for about an lent him a company horse to ride to inch on the top side, then from near the town. There he could leave the horse at upper base of the ear, making the cut a livery stable or turn him loose to find slope to meet the straight-down first cut. his way back to the home range. seven under-bit set fast An earmark made like the seven over- Saddlesore. bit except it is made on the lower side of the ear. set his gun goin' To start shooting. shack Slang name for the bunkhouse. set the hair To ride a horse long enough to take shad bellied the meanness out of him. Lean flanked.

140 SHAVETAIL shadin' This is done in preparation for making a cast. Often when a cowboy is riding the range, if he finds a shady spot, he will shank dismount and loosen his cinches to give That part of the spur to which the his horse's back some air. If the horse is rowel is fastened. reliable, he takes the bits from its mouth to allow it a few mouthfuls of grass. shank of the afternoon Perhaps he takes this opportunity to re- Late afternoon, near the close of day. move his own boots and straighten the wrinkles in his socks, to smoke a ciga- shape up rette or two and dream of the future. To put into an orderly condition. (John M. Hendrix, Editorial, Cattle- sharp man, XXI, No. 12 [May, 1935], 5.) An earmark made by cutting an over- shadow rider slope and an under-slope upon the same

A cowboy who rides along gazing at ear, giving it a sharp or pointed appear-

his own shadow with admiration. Mir- ance. One of the sayings of the West is, rors are sometimes scarce on the range, "When you see a man grubbin' and and some fellows must admire themselves sharpin' the ears of his cows, you can even though only by watching their shad- bet he's a thief." ows. Cloudy days have no silver linings for this type of cowboy. Speaking of a sharpen his hoe fancy cowboy whom the other riders To thrash one. called Pretty Shadow, Charlie Russell sharpen his horns said, "When the sun hit him with all Said of one who works himself into a his silver on, he blazes up like some big fit of anger or a fighting mood. piece of jewelry. You could see him for miles when he's ridin' the high coun- Sharps try." (Charles M. Russell, Trails Plowed, A heavy caliber, single-shot, lever- Under [Garden City, Doubleday Doran, action rifle commonly used on the fron- 1935]) 5-) tier, and a favorite until the "repeater" shakedown took its place. Very early models were made with the percussion cap. All were The cowboy's name for his bed. breechloaders. shakin' a hoof sharpshooter Dancing. At many cowboy dances A buyer of cattle, who is neither a there were some religious fellows who feeder nor a commission man, but who could not stand temptation and were soon buys up small bunches of cattle for a "dancin' themselves right out o' the profit. church." There were others, too, scat- tered through the crowd, who were shavetail "cussin' the blisters on their feet and the In the northern cattle country it is the new boots that made 'em, but they wasn't custom to "pull" the tails of broken missin' a dance, even if their feet was horses. Then, when they are turned loose on fire." to run the range and mix with the un- shakin' hands with grandma broken horses, the riders who want to gather them for the next season's work Synonymous with fulling leather. can tell them from the wild ones at a shakin' hands with St. Peter distance. These horses are called shave- The cowboy's reference to death. tails to distinguish them from the broom tails, or long bushy-tailed horses. When shakin' out a rider of Montana or Wyoming says he Opening the noose of a rope with a is "making shavetails," a fellow cow- few quick jerks toward the front, as the hand knows that he is breaking horses, right hand grasps the rope at the honda. for when a buster gives a horse his last

I 4 I Western Words

ride, he pulls his tail as a sign that he delivered 'cause the company sends ever'- is broken. (Bud Cowan, Range Rider thing postfaid." [Garden City, Doubleday Doran, 1930], she stuff 224.) A term used to designate cattle of the Sheep feminine gender. See baa-a-ah, cooking mutton, hoofed shindig locust, maggots, maniac den, movin' dance. sheep, rim rockin' sheep, sheeped out, A cowboy A cowboy dance underwears, wagon herder, walkin' usually lasts all night. When it breaks at daylight, ladies sheep, woolies. up the retire to "fresh- en up their spit curls and chalk their sheep-dipper noses," and "sort out the weaners that's The rustler's contemptuous name for beginnin' to stir off the bed-ground" in a loyal cowboy. the next room. The old bowlegs on the dance floor pass the last bottle around, sheeped out saving a big drink for the fiddler to get Said when a cowman is forced to move him to play a final tune. Then they throw on account of the influx of sheep. Steve a stag dance "that's apt to be kinda rough Gates told of one range being "so ag'in' and end up in a'wrastlin' match." Like sheep I wouldn't ride through it with a a horse with plenty of bottom, these old wool shirt on." saddle slickers just won't tire down. But sheepherder finally, having no more wet goods to bribe the fiddler with, they call the dance One herds or tends sheep. The who a success and limp to the kitchen for a cowman never called him a shepherd. final cup of coffee, their feet feeling "like Since Christ shepherd, that was a word they'd wintered on a hard pasture." sounded too pastoral and honored, and the cowman had anything but Christlike Snipper her feelings toward the sheepman. As one A common expression used when a cowboy said, "There ain't nothin' dumb- puncher runs off after a cow and comes er than sheep except the man who herds back without her. When he admits his 'em." defeat, the foreman does not hold it Sheep Men against him. He knows the puncher did his best. Punchers are that kind of men. See lamb licker, mutton puncher, scab The other kind don't last long. herder, sheep herder, sheep puncher, snoozer, wagon herder. Shipping sheep puncher See prod pole, shipping close, ship- ping point, shipping trap. The cowboy's occasional name for a sheepherder. shipping close

Shipping every head of cattle fit for sheet market that could be gathered from the A canvas used as a wagon sheet. range. shefE shipping point A nickname for the cook. A railroad station from which cattle shepherd's Bible are shipped to market. Common name for a mail-order cata- shipping trap log. There is a story of one cowboy who A small pasture located near a ship- fell for a picture of a girl in one. Think- ping chute and used to hold cattle before ing that everything he saw pictured was being shipped. for sale, he sat down and ordered her for a wife, fluffy dress and all, "if she shirttail outfit wasn't already took." Then he bragged A small ranch which employs only of how "it won't cost nothin' to have her one or two men.

142 SHUCK shoe short horse

A horseshoe with calked heel is called An old name for the quarter-of-a- a shoe to distinguish it from a slipper or mile race horse, now commonly called a boot. quarter horse. shook a rope at him short-trigger man An expression meaning that the one A badman, a gunman. referred to had been warned of his mis- short yearling conduct and that his fate would rest upon calf lacks little of being his future behavior. A which a a year old. shootin' 'em out shotgun cavvy Getting cattle out of a corral and on A band of saddle horses made up of the range. the mounts of many different ranches on Shooting the same roundup. See ambush, build a smoke under his shotgun chaps hoofs, burn powder, carvin' scollops on So called because sewing the outside his gun, case of slow, come a-smokin', seam together all the way down the leg corpse and cartridge occasion, crease, made them look like the twin barrels of 'dobe wall, dry gulch, fanning, flip-cock, a shotgun, with a choke at the muzzle. fort up, fumble, gunnin' for someone, This style proved more comfortable on gun slinging, gut shot, hip shooting, hot the windy northern ranges than the bat- lead, I'll shoot through the water barrel wings, and drown you, kidney shot, lead poi- soned, leaned against a bullet goin' past, shotgun wagon leather slapping, makin' the town smoky, When a few ranchers got together and paunched, Pecos, plug, powder burnin' sent out a roundup wagon independent contest, put windows in his skull, rolls of the larger outfits, it was called a shot- his gun, set his gun goin', singed, slip gun wagon. shooting, smoke one out, smoke up, shoulder draw smoking out the cattle, throw gravel in his boots, throw lead, treeing the mar- A draw made from a shoulder holster It shal, trigger is delicate, trigger itch, un- under the arm pit. is essentially a ravel some cartridges. cross draw. shove shootin' iron down This term is used in certain mountain A slang name for a gun. ranges when, during the fall months, shoots his back cattle are rounded up from the higher country and shoved into the val- Said when a horse bucks. down leys or lower country to winter. shore had tallow shove in the steel Plenty fat; as one cowboy said, "beef To spur a horse. plumb to the hocks." show bucker short bit A horse that bucks hard, straight away, A dime, ten cents. with nose between front legs, though not difficult to ride. In good shorten his stake rope rodeos he looks from the grandstand, but is never used To place one at a disadvantage, to in the semifinals. cramp one's style. show up on the skyline shorthorn To come into view, to appear. One not native to the cattle country, a tenderfoot, a breed of cattle with short shuck horns, such as the Hereford. A cigarette made with corn husk for H3 ;

Western Words

wrapping, a slang name for a Mexican sin-buster as a verb, it means to discard, as, "He A preacher. Old man Hobbs used to shucked his chaps." say, "A heap o' folks would do more si (see) prayin' if they could find a soft spot for their knees." Spanish for yes, without a doubt in- deed. Used commonly in colloquial par- sing lance in the Southwest. Said of the hissing sound made by a Sick rope when thrown. See airin' the paunch, case of worms, singed epizootic, Job's comforters, ridin' the Said when one receives a flesh wound bed wagon, salado, Spanish fever, split- from a bullet. ting the tail, Texas fever, week on the singin' to 'em bed wagon. Standing night guard. This is the time side jockey when the cowboy does most of his sing- The leather side extensions of the seat ing, and night herding came to be spoken of the saddle. of almost entirely as singin' to 'em. One day while I was discussing cow- sideline boy songs with a group of punchers, one To tie together with hobbles the front of them offered the following disillusion-

and the hind foot on the same side of an ing comment : "A heap o' folks make the animal to prevent it from traveling at mistake of thinkin' a puncher sings his speed. cows to sleep. He's not tryin' to amuse nobody but himself. In the first place, he sidewinder don't have any motherly love for them

A rattlesnake, usually found in the bovines. All he's tryin' to do is keep 'em desert, which strikes by swinging its from jumpin' the bed-ground and run- head and part of its body to the left and nin' off a lot o' tallow. In the second the right; also used in speaking of hu- place, these brutes don't have no ear for little mans of principle. music, which is maybe a good thing be- sign cause the average puncher's voice and the songs he sings ain't soothin'. Mostly he Tracks and other evidence of their has a voice like a burro with a bad cold, passing left by animals or men. and the noise he calls singin'd drive all sign camp the coyotes out o' the country." A building or dugout where the cow- Another offered the opinion, "Mostly boy sleeps and cooks his meals while line the songs he sings are mighty shy on riding. melody and a heap strong on noise, but a man don't have to be a born vocalist sign language to sing when he's alone in the dark if The cowman adopted this from the he's got a clear conscience and ain't Indian. It is quite often a convenient hidin' out." method of communication. The trail Another advised that at the change of boss who had ridden ahead to look for guard, the new man had to sing as he water need not ride all the way back to approached the herd so that he "wouldn't the herd to give directions. On the hori- bulge up on 'em unawares 'cause the con- zon he could give these directions with fidence a steer's got in the dark's mighty his hat or his hands. The wagon boss frail, and once spooked they'll leave a of a roundup could likewise give signs bed-ground quicker'n y'u can spit and which saved him much riding. holler howdy." Silk singin' with his tail up A slang name for barbed wire. Said of a happy and carefree person. silver thaw single-barreled

Rain which freezes as it hits. A name given a one-cinch saddle.

[ 44 SLAB-SIDED single fire the early days, one employed in skinning

cattle after a wholesale die-up ; also a Another name for the one-cinch saddle. teamster or freighter who used mules; single-rigged an ox-team driver was called a bull-

Still another title for the saddle men- whacker. In range English, one did not tioned above. drive a jerk-line string, but instead skin- ned it. single roll Spinning a gun forward on the trig- skinning knife ger finger, cocking and releasing the A long knife used in skinning the hide hammer as it comes under the web or from buffalo or cattle. lower part of the thumb. skins his gun sinkers Said of one drawing a gun from a Slang name for biscuits. holster.

Situations skin string See bogged to the saddle skirts, hair Slang name for a rawhide rope. in the butter, jackpot, jamboree. skipping siwash A trick-roping term. The trick is to Meaning an Indian and used in the jump into and out of a vertical noose sense of not being up to the white man's and keep it spinning. standard. skirt siwash outfit The broad leathers of a saddle which Contemptuous name for an unenter- go next to the horse. prising ranch. six-gun skookum The common name for the pistol used An Indian term, meaning good, great. in the West. skookum house skeleton rig A jail on an Indian reservation. An early-day saddle consisting of nothing but a tree, the rigging for the skull cracker cinch, and the straps reaching to the Cowboy's name for the Indian's toma-

wide ox-bow stirrups ; a saddle without hawk. skirts or fenders. skunk boat skewbald A heavy canvas shaped like a narrow A horse with patterns of white on any scow with sides about a foot high, which, basic color except black. when propped up at each corner with a skid grease small stick, forms a barrier about the sleeper's bed, over which he believes no Slang name for butter. skunk can make his way to bite the one skillet of snakes thus protected (Will C. Barnes, "The Hydrophobia Skunk," Cattleman, XVII, The cowboy's name for the intricate Mexican brands. No. 12 [May, 1931], 17—19). skim-milk cowboy Skunk A tenderfoot duded up in range re- See nice kitty, piket, sachet kitten, galia, but without range experience. wood pussy. skimmy sky-pilot A calf raised on skim milk. The West's name for a preacher. skinner slab-sided One employed in skinning buffalo in Flat-ribbed, poor. H5 Western Words slappin' a brand on slick Putting a brand on an animal. A name for an unbranded animal, par- ticularly a horse. slappin' his tree on Slang phrase for saddling a horse. slick-ear An animal which has not been ear- slattin' his sails marked or branded. Said of a bucking horse. slick fork sleeper A saddle with little bulge or roll at A calf which has been earmarked by the fork. a cattle thief who intends to come back later and steal the animal (as noun). slick-heeled The earmark is used by the cattleman as Without spurs. a quick means of identification. Thus, slick during roundup, when the ranch hands saddle came upon such an animal, they were A saddle without a saddle roll. likely to take it for granted that it had slick up been branded when it was earmarked To dress up in one's best. When a and leave it to roam, so that the thief group of boys at a ranch started slickin' might return later and put his own brand up for a shindig, it was, as Dave Hall upon it or drive it away. To so mark once said, "shore hard on the soap sup- such an animal (as verb). See sleefering. ply and stock water." An old-time trail sleeper brands driver gave me this description of a cow-

Cattle with unrecorded and unknown boy cleaning up after a trail drive : "The brands on that particular range. first thing he does when he hits the town at the end of the trail is to rattle his sleepering hocks for a barbership where he can take The rustler's taking an unbranded a civilized soakin' in hot water with a calf, earmarking it with the mother's big woolly towel and plenty of sweet earmark, and turning it loose unbranded. smellin' soap. After he comes out of that Since the earmark is that of the outfit to dippin' vat, he buys ever'thing the bar- which it belongs, it attracts no undue ber's got. When he comes out from under attention. If the calf passes the notice of them operations, he's so clean and brown the riders of that ranch, the rustler will he looks like he's been scrubbed with return when the calf is about six months saddle soap and his own folks wouldn't old, wean it away from its mother, and know 'im either by sight or smell."

slap his own brand upon it. Then he will At the ranch his everyday cleanliness change the earmark to go with his brand, consists mostly of "hoofin' it to a wash and the new mark is one which usually basin in the mornin' to snort in it a destroys other earmarks. couple o' times to get the sleep from his Sleeping eyes, after which he paws over a towel, which, judgin' from its complexion, has See covered his back with his belly, been plumb pop'lar." raftering, sage-henning, sleeping out. sliding the groove sleepin' out Vernacular for following a trail so A term often used in speaking of the clearly blazoned it can not be lost. roundup season, for at this time the cow- sling rope boy does his sleeping in the open. A long rope used to lash panniers on sleeve-gun a packsaddle. A derringer such as a gambler carried slip gun up his sleeve. A pistol so altered that it can be fired slew by slipping the thumb off the hammer. A large amount. Generally the hammer spur is lowered,

146 SMOOTHIN OUT THE HUMPS

the trigger removed or tied down, and Small the barrel cut short so that the weapon See fryin' size, half-pint size. may be carried in the pants pocket. (Fos- ter-Harris to R.F.A.) small loop man One who uses a small loop in roping. slipped his hobbles Cowboys of the brush country come un- Said of a horse which has escaped his der this classification. hobbles; also said of a person who has fallen from grace. smear roping term, as, "He smeared a slipper A rope on it." A horseshoe, smooth and without calks. smoke one out Shooting to make one come out of hid- slip shooting ing, to make one surrender, to make one Accomplished by thumbing the ham- divulge a secret. mer with a wiping motion. It is slower than fanning, but the shots are placed smokes his pipe more accurately. Even then accuracy is Said of a horse with his lip torn where limited to close range. the bridle bit rests. slope smoke signal

To go. This term is taken from the Indian sloper custom of communication, and the cow- boy uses the phrase in referring to any One who lives on the Pacific coast. kind of sign or signal of warning. sloppy riding smoke the peace pipe Sitting loosely in the saddle, allowing To forgive and become friends after a the body to flop about in response to the quarrel. Taken from the Indians' custom pitching of the horse. of smoking the pipe of peace at counsels. slow brand smoke up An unrecorded brand, employed in To shoot at someone. One cowboy one form of cattle stealing. It is unlaw- picked up his hat which had been shot ful for anyone to mutilate a brand, and off his head. Having no enemies, he sup- the law also requires that every brand posed it had been done by some rough must be recorded in the county of its joker. As he looked at the top of the origin. A rustler who blots out one brand crown shot away, he said, "That's a and puts another in its place of course helluva joke. How'd he know how much hesitates to record this new brand. He o' my head was in that hat?" simply uses it, trusting that he can get the cattle out of the country before dis- smoke wagon unrecorded brand such as covery. An Slang name for a gun; also called this is said to be a slow brand. Frank (J. smoke fole. Dobie, Vaquero of the Brush Country [Dallas, Southwest Press, 1929], 121.) smoking out the cattle Shooting scare cattle from their slow elk to hiding place in a rough or brushy coun- kill for food an animal belonging To try when riding circle on roundup.

to someone else (as verb) ; beef butchered without the owner's knowledge (as smooth noun). Some cowmen followed the phi- Said of an unshod horse. losophy that "One's own beef don't taste as good as the other feller's because fat, smoothin' out the humps tender yearling's what you kill when Taking the rough edges off a horse. they're other folk's stuff." See big ante- Some horses are inclined to pitch when lofe. saddled regardless of their years in serv-

147 Western Words

ice, especially in the spring when the snaky grass is green they are putting on and Mean, treacherous. flesh and feeling good. If there is any- thing that will cause horses to pitch, snare it is grass fat. After a winter of idleness To catch with a rope. the cowboy has to do some tall riding before he succeeds in smoothing the snappin' broncs humps out of these horses. Also, usually Breaking wild horses. there are one or two last year's broncs snappin' turtle in his string that are starting their ca- narrow branding chute. reers as cow horses and they are apt to A pitch for some time. (Editorial, "Chang- snatch team ing Mounts," Cattleman, XIX, No. 10 A strong team used to supplement an- [March, 1933], 50.) other on a hard pull. smooth mouth Sneaking An aged horse. See chaparral fox, coyotin' 'round, smooth roper Indian up. A man expert in the use of the rope. snip One who goes about his task without the white color of a horse's flourish. When forehead jumps to the nose as company snaffle bit for the star or star-strip, it is called a Similar to the bar bit except that it is snip. made in two pieces and connected with snoozer two interlocking eyes at the middle. A contemptuous name for the sheep- snail man, for in the cowman's opinion he To drag with a rope. does nothing but sleep. snake snorter A reptile, a low-principled man (as An excitable horse.

noun) ; to drag with a rope (as verb). snortin' post snake blood Hitching post or rack. Mean. One cowhand was heard to say of another, "He's got snake blood and's snorty so tough he has to sneak up on the dipper Said of a high-spirited horse; also of to get a drink o' water." a man easy to anger. snake eyes snow bird Said of a mean horse. A soldier on the frontier who enlisted snake-head whiskey for the winter and deserted in the spring (W. S. Campbell [Stanley Vestal] to Strong and cheap whiskey of which R.F.A.). it was said the maker put snake heads in the barrel to give it potency. One cow- snubbed hand used to say he "wondered how they Dehorned. kept such stuff corked." snubbed stock snake poison Dehorned cattle. Whiskey; also called snake ivater. snubber Snakes A man who snubs a bad horse while See sand eel, sidewinder, snake, snake's the rider mounts. He performs this func- alarm clock. tion mostly at rodeos. On the range the snake's alarm clock cowboy is mostly "on his own" and has A rattlesnake's rattles. no help.

148 SON-OF-A-JBITCH STEW snubbing also used to refer to a person utterly broke. This cow-country phrase has The act of tying a horse's head to many other interpretations. If a man some fixed object, dehorning cattle. has betrayed his trust or has done some- snubbing post thing else to earn the contempt of his A vertical, round timber about five fellows, he's sold his saddle. If he has feet high, firmly set in the earth at the lost his business and become destitute, center of the corral and stout enough to he's sold his saddle, but with a note of stand the strains to which it is subjected. pity rather than scorn. If his mind is deranged, he's sold his saddle, with a snub horse still different inflection. The words im- A horse used in rodeos to snub a ply the ultimate in the abandonment of bucker to. fate. Even the children of the rangeland snuffy had their conception of this phrase. little wild, spirited. A Philip A. Rollins, in his excellent book, soak The Cowboy, tells this fitting story: "Years ago in a little school at Gardiner, Often the cowboy lets his horse soak Montana, a small, tow-headed youth, for a few minutes after saddling it to when asked by the teacher as to who allow it to get over the notion of pitch- Benedict Arnold was and what he had ing. done, replied: 'He was one of our gen- soakin' erals and he sold his saddle.' " (The Cow- The cowboy's term for loafing. boy [New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936], I33-34-) sober side of the bar stole his rudder. Obviously the bartender's side. Somebody I heard this remark made about a sobre paso (so'bray pay'so) drunken man weaving his way up the A gait of a horse, a slow Spanish trot. sidewalk. To watch some drunken cow- sock boys try to walk in high heels under a load of liquor you would think, as one When a horse has white on his feet cowboy said, "walkin' was a lost art." that extends fetlocks, he is only to his Any drunken cowboy walking in high- said to have socks. heeled boots under this condition looks sod-buster as if "his legs was a burden."

A nickname for a farmer, one who Some deck is shy a joker. plows. Said of an outlandishly dressed per- soddy son, usually a tenderfoot. A nester, because the early ones usual- Songs ly lived in sod houses. See hymns, singin' to 'em. sod-pawin' mood son-of-a-bitch-in-a-sack Angry. Taken from the example of Dried fruit rolled in dough, sewed the bull pawing up the ground when in a sack, and steamed. It takes plenty of angry. patience and "cussin' " to make it for it soft has to be hung in a big hot-water bucket over a pot rack to steam. After seeing A term applied to a horse which tires one of them made, you will agree that easily. the cook has given it a fitting name. soft grub son-of-a-bitch stew Hotel food, fancy victuals. A favorite dish of the cowboy, made sold his saddle of the brains, sweetbreads, and choice The last word for a man disgraced; pieces of a freshly killed calf. If the cow-

149 Western Words

hand wishes to be polite he calls it son- sourdough of-a-gun, but if no delicate ears are A bachelor; also a title of the cook. present, he calls it by its true fighting name. sourdough bullet When a calf is killed, the tongue, A slang name for a biscuit, not called liver, heart, lights, kidneys, sweetbreads, this within hearing of the cook. and brain are carried to the cook; and sourdough keg he knows what is expected of him. He A small wooden keg, usually hold- chops all these ingredients up into small ing about five gallons, in which the cook bits with his butcher knife and prepares kept his sourdough. When getting ready to stew them slowly in an iron kettle. for the coming roundup, the cook put There are as many different ways to three or four quarts of flour into this make this dish as there are cooks. Some keg and added a dash of salt and just may throw in some potatoes, a can of enough water to make a medium-thick tomatoes, or anything else that is handy. batter. The keg was then placed in the If the eater can tell what's in it, it is sun to let the heat ferment the contents not a first-class stew. As the cowboy for several days. Sometimes a little vine- says, "You throw ever'thing in the pot gar or molasses was added to hasten the but the hair, horns, and holler." The fermentation. longer it is cooked the better it is. The first batch of batter was merely Sonora reds to season the keg. After the fermentation was well started, it was poured out, and A nickname given by the northern enough new batter mixed up to fill the cowboy to the red Mexican cattle which keg. Each day it was put into the sun came up the trail. to hasten fermentation and each night Sooners it was wrapped in blankets to keep the batter and working. cooks Men who went out on the range and warm Some even slept with their kegs. branded cattle before the date set by the After several days of this treatment, official roundup association. These set the dough was ready to use. then dates gave every man an equal opportun- From to the end of the season the keg was ity as well as avoiding working the cattle never cleaned out. Every time the more than once, but there were always cook for a meal, he some dishonest men who worked only took out enough dough put back enough of the flour, salt, and to their own selfish advantage. By work- to replace it. In this he always ing ahead of the regular roundup, these water way men could pick up many mavericks, had plenty of dough working. up his bread, he simply calves whose mothers had been killed When making water this by wolves or had died from natural added enough flour and to batter to make a medium-stiff dough. causes, and those missed in the last brand- his sour- ing. Every wagon cook thought dough the best ever, and he took great sop pride in his product. An outfit that let Cowboy's name for gravy. anything happen to its sourdough keg was in a bad shape, and most cooks sop and 'taters would just about defend their kegs with A slang name for the cook; also a their lives. (Will C. Barnes in the Dallas horse that paces. Morning News, October 18, 1931.) sorrel sourdoughs Either sourdough or bis- A horse of the chestnut type, but light- the plural of cuits. er, with a yellowish and reddish golden color. sow bosom soundin' the horn Salt pork. Taking hold of the saddle horn when spade bit a horse starts bucking. A bit with a piece shaped like a broad

150 a

SPUR BUTTONING

screwdriver on the mouth bar, three or split backward four inches in length, and bent An earmark made simply by splitting Rollins, at the top (Philip A. The Cow- the ear midway from the tip about half- boy [New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, way toward the head. I rider never 936] J 148-49). A good forgets that it is a spade, and that it can split the blankets do damage, and he handles his reins To share one's bed with another. lightly. splitting the tail

Spanish fever It was believed among old-time cow- A splenic fever caused by ticks and men that splitting a cow's tail would spread by the immune, but tick-infested, prevent blackleg. cattle of the southern country to cattle spoiled herd of more northern latitudes. The preva- that has acquired the habit of lence of this fever was greatly respon- One at every opportunity. sible for stopping the old trail drives. stampeding spoiled horse Spanish supper One abused at the breaking period un- The tightening of the belt a notch or til he has had his character ruined— two as a substitute for food. man-made outlaw. spic spook A common name for the Mexican. To scare. spiked his horse's tail spooky Said when a rider, going at full speed, Said of a horse with a nervous tem- pulls his horse to such a sudden stop perament. that he literally sits on his tail. spool your bed

spike weaner To roll it up for packing or moving. A circle of wire spikes fitted around a spotted pup calf's nose and serving the purpose of Rice and raisins cooked together. weaning the animal. spraddled out spilled The cowboy's term for being dressed Thrown from a horse. up in his best. Yet it is one of the phi- spinner losophies of the cowman that, "It's the man that's the cowhand, not the outfit A horse which bucks in a tight circle, he wears." spinning either to right or left. This type of horse generally does his bucking in a spread small space, but his actions are so violent A roping term, a ranch, together with as he whirls and bucks with a backward its buildings, cattle, and employees. motion as he hits the ground, that the average rider quickly becomes dizzy, spread the mustard loses his sense of balance, and is soon To put on airs. "eating gravel." This type of bucker springer seldom hurts his rider when throwing A cow about to calve. him, because he doesn't throw him high. He merely whirls and turns out from spring roundup under him, letting him down compara- Synonymous with calf roundup, oc- tively easy. (Bruce Clinton, "Buckin' curring in the spring. Horses," Western -Horseman, III, No. 3 spur buttoning [May-June, 1938], 10.) Sliding the button of the spur along splatter dabs the sides of a bucking horse when scratch- Slang name for hot cakes. ing instead of turning the rowels against

151 Western Words

his flesh. This is practiced by some rodeo The jingle of the spurs is sweet music riders. to any cowhand. It keeps him from get- ting lonesome when he's riding the range, spur leather and as long as he hears the music of the broad, crescent-shaped shield of A spurs everything is rosy. He rarely takes leather fitting- over the instep to hold them off when he is working, and in the spur on the foot. some sections he loses his social standing Spurring when he is caught without them. Many a pair of boots has been worn out with- See bicycling, business riding, coasting out ever having had the spurs removed. on the spurs, comb, curry him out, curry Spurs are helpful at night, too, as a the kinks out, gaff, gig, goose, hundred- bootjack in removing boots. and-elevens, raking, reefing, scratch, scratching, screwing down, shove in the Spurs steel, slick-heeled, spur buttoning, throw- See buck hook, buzzsaw, California ing the steel. drag rowel, can openers, cartwheel, spurs Chihuahuas, danglers, diggers, flower The metal necessities worn upon the rowel, gad, gal-leg, galves, gooseneck, cowboy's heels. They are one of the most grapplin' irons, gut-hooks, gut lancers, essential implements of the cowboy's hooks, Kelly's, locked spurs, petmakers, equipment for controlling his horse. He rib wrenches, shank, spur leather, spurs, does not wear them to punish a horse as star rowel, steel, sunset rowel, tin-belly, many people think, nor are they on his wagon-spoke rowel. heels for ornament. He uses them more square than he does the reins, but mostly as re- This word has a broad meaning minders. They are necessary in helping on the range. man entitled to such a testi- a horse over rough places he does not A monial to his worth has to possess quali- want to cross, or in signaling him for ties of unflinching courage, daring, and turnings and quick starts and stops. self-reliance; and in addition to these he If a cowhand used his spurs to cut has to be ready and willing to "stand by" a horse up, he would not last long at a brother cowman and to do his duty most ranches, and if the outfit was so efficiently in everything that might hap- short handed it was forced to keep him pen to come up in the work of the day. on, he would likely be given such a Moreover, whatever he might have been rough string, he would be kept so busy and might have done elsewhere, he must trying to hang on he wouldn't have time be truthful, honest, and honorable in all to use his spurs. his relations to the outfit as a whole and The real cowboy loves his horses, and to each of the men with whom he is asso- being cruel to them is farthest from his ciated in taking care of its property. mind. When he buys a new pair of spurs, Lying, crookedness, and double-dealing the first thing he does is to file the points are intolerable offenses in this of the rowels until they are blunt. Sharp close- bound life. is rowels keep him from doing good work To say of a man that he square is to him the highest because they keep the horse fighting and pay compli- ment. {Prose and Poetry the Cattle nervous and shrinking from their touch. of Industry [Denver, When he uses them, a mere touch is as 1905].) far as he goes and sometimes a slight squat motion of the leg is all that is necessary. A bit of land, a claim (as noun) ; to He does not buy a big spur because it settle on a claim (as verb). looks scary, but because the big one is less cruel. The bigger the rowel and the squatter

more points it has the less damage it One who settles on state or govern- does. It is the little spur with few points ment land. that sinks in. (Will James, All in a Day's Riding [New York, Charles Scribner's squaw hitch Sons, i933]> 54-) A packer's knot.

152 stampede squaw horse Staking What the cowboy sometimes calls a See loggin', picket, picket pin, picket poor specimen of horseflesh. rope, putto, stake out, stake rope. squawman stamp brand A white man who marries an Indian One made with a set branding iron woman. which burns the complete brand with one squaw wood impression. This iron is only practical when comparatively small brands are A slang name for dried cow chips; used. Modern cowmen use smaller brands also used in speaking of small, dry, easily since the use of the running iron is un- broken sticks when used for fuel. lawful, for large brands ruin the ani- squeeze 'em down mal's hide for the leather buyers. Narrowing the width of a trail herd stampede for the crossing of a river or any other The running wild of cattle or horses purpose. from fright. Used both as a verb and a squeezers noun and from the Spanish estampida, Narrow branding chutes. meaning a general scamper of cattle; also a loud noise or crash. The term is squeeze the biscuit also used to express the rush of humans To catch the saddle horn when riding. to new localities. A stampede is dangerous both to the squeezin' lizzie running cattle and to the men herding Holding the saddle horn. One cow- them. The cattle will often run until hand spoke of another's "hangin' like on exhausted, and of course, this is damag- an Injun to a whiskey jug" during a ing to both their weight and their con- ride. dition. The fact that the majority of squirrel can stampedes occur on stormy nights make them more difficult to bring under con- A large can used by the cook to throw trol and more dangerous for the riders. scraps into. Whenever anything, from a Many a cowboy has been left in an un- saddle blanket to a spur, is lost, some- marked grave upon the prairie as the one jokingly suggests looking for it in result of a stampede. the squirrel can. Nothing can happen so quickly as a stack stampede. It is difficult to realize how Short for haystack. suddenly many cattle can rise to their feet and be gone. As the cowman says, stack it on "They jes' buy a through ticket to hell To throw a rope upon an animal. and gone, and try to ketch the first train." A stampede spoils cattle and stack-yard makes them nervous and hard to hold Where hay is stacked for winter feed- for many days. Often many of them are ing of cattle. killed or crippled, and others are so stags scattered they are never recovered. Anything can cause a stampede. Thou- Male animals castrated late in life. sands of causes have been listed by the staked to a fill cattlemen, some of them so simple that they sound ridiculous to the uninitiated. Given a good meal. In the trail days the cattle were traveling stake out a country strange to them and were nat- To picket an animal. urally nervous and suspicious. Also at this time the country was full of thieves stake rope who often stampeded a herd in the hope The Texan's name for the picket rope of retrieving some of the scattered ones. used to stake horses. The old-time cowman called them

153 ;

Western Words

"stompedes," and his description of one standing feed was, "It's one jump to their feet and Grass, uncut hay. another jump to hell." (J. Frank Dobie, The Longhorns [Boston, Little, Brown, standing night guard 1941], 88.) Doing guard duty with the herd at The riders make every effort to gain night. See night guard. a position alongside the lead cattle and try to head them into a milling circle. star Each rider keeps up his singing or some A small patch of white in the forehead sort of noise, and if he can hear his part- of a dark-colored horse. ner, he knows he is safe. If he does not hear him, he might be down. Contrary star gazing to general belief and popular fiction, A trick-roping term which means to guns are rarely fired in front of cattle start a body spin and slowly assume a in an effort to turn them. This would sitting posture, then lie on the back, spin- only frighten them the more. ning all the while. stampeder star-pitch A horse easily frightened, which runs To sleep in the open without cover- away blindly; also a cow or steer which ing. habitually starts the herd stampeding. star rowel If there ever is a horse genuinely hated A spur with a rowel of five or six in an outfit it is the stampeder. He is more dangerous than a bucker, because points.

is generally sort crazy and does he of star strip not look where he is going. (Dick Boyd, When the white star on a horse's fore- "The Evolution of a Cowboy," Cattle- head extends below the level of the eyes, man, XXV, No. 10 [March, 1939], it is called a star strip. 119—21.) startin' the swim stampede to the wild bunch Putting the leaders of a trail herd into Said of one who has committed a the water for a crossing. Getting cattle crime and is dodging the law; one who to take to water often calls for a great joins an outlaw band. According to Old deal of patience, a knowledge of cow Kip Bronson, at one time in a cer- Man psychology, and a lot of experience. If tain section of the West, the "thieves and the sun shines in the eyes of the cattle, killers was so thick y'u'd a-thought they they have difficulty in seeing the oppo- had a bill-o'-sale on the whole damned site bank and will not swim. Sometimes country." starting the swim is accomplished by keeping them away from the water a stand day or two and then gradually working the of the buffalo hunter In parlance them down to an easy taking-off place. this meant bringing a whole herd to a Frequently, just as the cattle reach the halt by killing the leading bull, then water's edge, the horse herd will be eased killing animal after animal that at- into the river ahead of the lead cattle herd. tempted to get to the front of the and started for the opposite bank. Usual- a rule buffaloes refused to leave after As ly the drovers have no difficulty in get- they smelled the blood of the first one ting the cattle to follow the horses. shot, and their slaughter was easy. (W. S. Campbell [Stanley Vestal] to R.F.A. star-toter Sophie A. Poe, Buckboard Days [Cald- A sheriff or deputy. well, Idaho, Caxton Printers, 1936], starve-out 79-) A pasture of very few acres at a per- stand by manent camp, usually without water and To remain loyal. with the grass used up, into which

!54 STETSON

horses are thrown overnight to avoid "Roping," Cattleman, XXII, No. i having to catch them in the morning. [June, 1935], 16-17.) state's eggs steer horse The cowboy's name for eggs, because A roping horse trained so that he will in the early days they were all shipped take up the slack by facing away and in from the states to the cow country, pulling forward from the thrown ani- most of which at that time was in the mal. territories. steer roping stay in one's tree The art of capturing, busting, and hog-tying a range steer single-handed. To remain in the saddle. Stay in one's pine, stay in one's ellum fork are vari- step across ants. These expressions are often used Slang for mounting a horse. as encouragement or admoni- shouts of Stetson tion. A name the cowboy often gives his hat stay out with the dry cattle whether it is a "genuwine" Stetson or

To make a night of it, to carouse, to not. The big Stetson hat is the earmark get drunk. of the cow country. It is the first thing the tenderfoot buys when he goes west, Stay with him! but he never seems to learn to wear it at The familiar cry of the breaking cor- just the "right jack-deuce angle over ral and a phrase of encouragement heard his off-eye." One cowman can tell what at every rodeo when a man is riding a state another is from by the size and bucking horse. shape of his hat. Stealing It is not altogether vanity that makes the cowboy pay a high price for his hat. See borrowed, Pecos swap, rustle, He knows he has to have one of fine rustling, sleepering, swing a wide loop, quality to stand the rough usage it re- yamping. ceives. He may throw it on the floor and steel hang his spurs on a nail, for he knows a good hat can be tromped on without Slang name for spurs. hurting it, while tromping on a spur steeple fork does neither the tromper nor the spur An earmark made by cutting two any good. splits into the ear from the end, back You may be surprised to learn that one-third or halfway toward the head, the cowboy's hat has more different uses and cutting out the middle piece, the than any other garment he wears. Often splits about an inch apart. his life depends upon a good hat, for a limber brim of a cheap hat might flop steer busting in his eyes at just the wrong time. When A popular name for roping and he is riding in the scorching sun, the throwing a steer with a rope single- wide brim is like the shade of a tree, and handed. The roper rides as close to the the high crown furnishes space to keep animal as possible before casting his loop. his head cool. The wide brim also shades When it is settled around the horns or his eyes so that he can see long distances neck, and has been given a jerk to hold without getting sun-blinded when a lot it there, the slack of the rope is dropped depends upon his vision. When the sun just under the steer's right hip-bone and is at his back, he tilts his Stetson for

around his buttocks. The rider then reins neck protection. In the rain it serves as his horse to the left and braces himself an umbrella and makes a good shelter for the shock which is sure to follow. when he is trying to snatch a little day- When the slack is taken up, the steer is light sleep. (Will James, All in a Day's reversed in midair and slammed to the Riding [New York, Charles Scribner's ground with a force that knocks the Sons, 1933], 15-20.) breath from him. (John M. Hendrix, The crown makes a handy water buck-

155 Western Words et if his horse can not get to water, and stew ball the brim serves as his own drinking-cup. A corruption of skewbald, meaning a starts his fire with his hat by He camp horse spotted with white and any other using it as a bellows to fan a sickly color except black. blaze, and he can use it again as a water bucket to put out that same fire when he stick horse breaks camp. In the winter he pulls the One that has to be forced to work. brim down and ties it over his ears to Sticking avoid frostbite. See hang and rattle. His hat is the first thing a cowhand puts on when he gets up and the last stickin' like a postage stamp thing he takes off when he goes to bed. Said of one making a good ride. But during the day there are many times when he may have to jerk it off to use sticky rope as a handy implement. There are times A slang name for a rustler. His rope when its sudden use saves a lot of hard has a habit of "stickin' to other folk's work, a long ride, a nasty fall, or even cows." sudden death. Perhaps he is penning a stiff bunch of snaky critters when the wave of a big hat will turn a bunch quitter Synonymous with corpse. As the life- less becomes rigid, and save a long ride. It also comes in body of a human soon handy to turn a stampeding bronc from the more easily spoken word stiff was substituted for corpse, and was later ap- dangerous ground by fanning its head plied in a contemptuous to suggest when reins would be useless. It is use- way ful in splitting a bunch of horses in two worthlessness, or to "dead ones." (Robert Wright, Dodge City, the Cowboy when the cowboy is afoot in a horse cor- M. ral. Capital [Wichita, Kansas, 1913 (re- print)], 163.) A big hat in the hands of a bronc rider can be used like a balancing pole stiff man of a tight-wire walker. If the rider loses A man, who, with wagon and team his hat, he loses a lot of his balancing and a barrel or two of oil or gasoline, power. drives over the range disposing of car- Perhaps the cowboy is afoot in a casses by burning them as he comes across some old branding pen when mama cow them. It is a better job for a man who hears the bellow of her offspring as he has lost his sense of smell. is being branded. She comes on the run and on the prod. (Being afoot in a pen stiff rope and a short drop with a cow in this mood is, in the lan- Said of a hanging. guage of the cowhand, "more dangerous stingy gun than kickin' a loaded polecat.") The big A derringer or bulldog pistol of light hat now comes in handy to throw into weight. her face when she gets too close, making her hesitate long enough to let the cow- stinker boy get to a fence. A word applied to a person held in hats with Most riders decorate their contempt. The word, originated in this bands, both as ornaments and for the sense by the buffalo hunters, was applied purpose of adjusting the fit to the head. to newcomers on the range who skinned What they use is mostly a matter of per- the buffalo that the former had killed, sonal taste. Some like leather bands stud- but were unable to secure the hides im- silver use strings ded with conchas, some mediately on account of freezes or other of Indian beads, while others are satis- natural causes (Robert M. Wright, fied with bands of rattlesnake skin or Dodge City, the Cowboy Capital [Wich- woven horsehair. Whatever is used will ita, Kansas, 1913 (reprint], 163). likely serve as a storage place to keep matches dry. stirrup leathers See John B. The broad leathers that hang from the

156 STRAW SHED

bar of the tree of the saddle and from others don't seem to know how to handle which the stirrups hang. calico and get as rough as they do hand- lin' cattle in a brandin' pen. The women stirrups would jes' as soon dance with a grizzly Foot supports of the saddle, usually as one of them kind, but most peelers made of wood bound with iron, brass, go more or less loco when a female's or rawhide, but sometimes all iron or around." brass. There is nothing the cowboy dreads more than having a foot caught stood up in a stirrup and being dragged to death Robbed. by a horse. stool-and-bucket cow Stirrups Gentle milch cow. See acion, bulldogs, dog-house stir- Stories rups, drop stirrup, eagle-bill, hobbled See entries under windies. stirrups, leg jockey, monkey nose, one foot in the stirrup, open stirrups, ox- straddlin' down the road bow, ox-yokes, stirrups, stirrup leathers, A good cowboy description of a bow- tapadero. legged man walking on high heels. stock detective straight as a wagon tongue A man engaged in trying to catch Said of a trustworthy person. cattle thieves and brand burners, usually straight bit employed by a cattle association. A bit made of a straight piece of metal. stockers straight buck Cattle acquired for building up a new Said when a horse makes straight range. herd on a previously unoccupied jumps without any twists or turns. See stock horse buckin' straight away. Brood mare and colt. straight steer herd stocking A herd composed of nothing but steers. When the white on a horse's legs ex- strainer tend above the fetlocks, he is said to have A strip of galvanized iron placed over stockings. the middle of the saddletree to cover the Stock Raiser open space between the side-boards. Upon this is laid a piece of soft, thick See cattleman, rancher, ranchero, leather fashioned to the form of the rider. ranchman. strangulation jig stogies A hanging. A man being hanged had The cowboy's name for cheap, hand- his hands tied behind him, but his feet me-down boots. were usually free and these kicked about stomach pump in his death struggle; hence the name. A spade bit, so called because of the strapped on his horse, toes down piece of flat steel which curves a little This meant that the one spoken of had and goes up into the horse's mouth. been killed. During range wars many stomp men were sent home in this manner. A loose horse will usually go home of his cowboy dance. Most of the boys are A own accord, and when he carries such a timid until the dance warms up. gruesome burden, it serves as a warning Jones once said; "They've run in a to the faction opposing the killers. straight steer herd so long they're shy as a green bronc to a new waterin' trough. straw shed Some of 'em dance like a bear 'round a A winter shelter made of posts and beehive that's afraid of gettin' stung; covered with straw.

157 Western Words

straw boss There are many such tricks, and they constitute a favorite sport of the Assistant foreman. cow country. stray man strings See rep. Short for saddle strings. See saddle strays strings. A term applied to cattle visiting from string up other ranges; horses from other ranges To hang. are said to be stray horses, not merely strays. stripper A heifer, a cow without milk; also a stretchin' the blanket skinner of buffaloes or dead cattle. Telling a windy or tall tale, lying. stub-horn stretchin' out Usually an old bull whose horns were When one cowhand ropes an animal chipped and broken from many fights. by the forefeet, while another one ropes He often spent time rubbing these horns him by the hind feet, thus stretching the on rocks and trees attempting to sharpen brute. them for the next battle (W. S. Camp- string bell [Stanley Vestal] to R.F.A.). Also sometimes applied to a man who has Slang for a rope; also a mount of been scarred by many battles. horses. The cowboy's string of horses is carefully made up of the different kinds stuck his bill in the ground necessary for his work: circle horses, Said when a horse lowers his head cutting horses, roping horses, a night between his forelegs to start bucking. horse, and one or two broncs. Once a string has been turned over to him, it is stud bunch the same as his own as long as he stays A bunch of mares and colts which a

with the ranch ; and no one, not even the stallion herds and holds in one bunch, boss, can ride one of the horses without averaging about twenty head. his permission. stuff Each man is responsible for the con- dition of his own string, and while the A common reference to general range boss never interferes with these horses, stock which might include yearlings, he had better not see them abused. A bulls, steers, weaners, cows with calves, string is never split. If the rider quits and dry cows. or gets fired, the horses in his string are stump sucker not used until he comes back, or another A horse having the vice of biting or rider takes his place. A rider taking a getting his teeth against something and new job has a string of horses pointed "sucking wind." out to him by the boss. He receives no information concerning them. Informa- Success tion is frequently taken as an offense, as See big casino, bonanza, get the bacon. it implies a lack of confidence in his sudadero (soo-dah-day'ro) ability. When the boss takes a horse from a rider's string, this action tells the rider Spanish, meaning a handkerchief for more strongly than words that he wants wiping off the sweat, or sweat -pad. The him to quit. cowman uses it to mean the leather lining of the skirt of the saddle. This term is String sometimes incorrectly applied to the See cavvy, choosin' match, mount, re- rosadero. muda, saddle band. suggans stringin' a greener Blankets for bedding, heavy comforts Playing tricks upon a tenderfoot. often made from patches of pants, coats,

I 5 8 —

SUPAWAY JOHN

or overcoats. A suggan usually weighs Clinton, "Buckin' Horses," Western about four pounds, as the cowboy says, Horseman, III, No. 3 [May—June, "a pound for each corner." Also called 1938], 28.) soogans or soogins. In her recent book, No Life for a summer name Lady, Agnes Morley Cleaveland tells a When a man chose to give a name good story about soogins: other than his true one, the West respect- "It was a popular joke with us to tell ed a strict code of showing no curiosity some tenderfoot that we were sorry, but about his past. The nearest approach to we had to confess that all our beds had curiosity would be when he was asked, soogins in them, and then watch the look facetiously, "What is your summer of apprehension settle in the visitor's eye. name?" "One visitor put a certain cowboy Sunday-go-to-meetin' clothes properly in his place—an especially ig- norant cowboy, I confess, but not too What the cowboy calls his very best rare a specimen. The cowboy laughed raiment. uproariously at the visitor's unconcealed distaste for sleeping in a bed infested Sunday horse with soogins. One with an easy gait, usually a single- " 'You should laugh,' retorted the footer with some style, and one the cow- visitor, 'I happen to know that you slum- boy saves to ride upon special occasions. ber in your bed.' He is usually a fancy, high-stepping, all- "The cowboy turned purple. 'No man around saddler, but as Whitey Blythe can say that about me and git away with used to say, "He ain't worth a damn it!' he roared. only to ride down the road." "Fortunately he had no gun. We res- cued the visitor." sunfisher (Agnes Morley Cleaveland, No Life A horse that sunfishes. for a Lady [Boston, Houghton Mifflin, sunfishing 1941], 166.) A bucking term used in describing the sugar-eater movements of a horse when he twists his A pampered horse. body into a crescent, alternately to the

right and to the left ; or, in other words, suicide horse when he seems to try to touch the ground A blind bucker; a horse that goes in- with first one shoulder and then the sane from fear ridden and is more when other, letting the sunlight hit his belly. dangerous to himself than to the rider, as he is apt to kill himself by bucking sun-grinner into or over obstacles. Slang name for a Mexican. sulker sunned his moccasins A rodeo contestant is indeed unlucky Often said when one is thrown from when he draws a horse of this type. Such a horse, especially when he lands with a horse will not leave the chute until he his feet in the air! is good and ready. He will squat back on his haunches, bunching himself, after sunpecked jay

the chute gate is opened. No amount of A rustic, a rural resident. coaxing will make him come out until he is ready to do so of his own accord. sunset rowel Suddenly he will leave with a mighty A spur wheel with many points set leap which causes most riders to break close together; also called a sunburst. their balance across the cantle board of Supaway the saddle. Very seldom is the rider ever John able to regain his seat and get with his The expression an Indian used in mount. Another cowboy bites the dust, asking for food when he came to a cow and the crowd gets a good laugh. (Bruce camp.

159 Western Words surcingle swamp seed A belly-band. Slang name for rice. surface fuel swapping ends Dried cow chips. A movement peculiar to a bronc, where he quickly reverses his position, surly making a complete half-circle in the air. A slang name for a bull. sweat swag To work for one's board without Quantity, load, a low place, a coulee. other pay. swallow-and-get-out trough sweatin' a game Sitting around looking at a card game. A hurry-up eating place. There is a story in the West which runs something swell-fork like this: "When a passenger train A saddle with swells, or projections, stopped at an eating station, an eastern in leather on each side of the fork below lady rushed from it to one of those rail- the horn. The rider can hook his knees road swallow-and-get-out troughs. The under these projections when riding a conductor notified the passengers that pitching horse and they help keep him they had only about five minutes to eat in the saddle. as the train was late, so the lady just ordered a cup of coffee. When she got it, swimming horse black and boiling hot, she remarked that A horse, selected because of his ability she doubted whether she could drink it to swim, used in crossing rivers. Not all in time to catch her train. A cowboy horses are good or steady swimmers, and sitting next to her wanted to show her during the trail days when there were true western hospitality, so he shoved many rivers to cross, much depended her his cup and said, 'Here's one, lady, upon a good swimming horse. " that's already saucered and blowed.' swimming the herd swallowed his head If the river to be crossed is at medium Said when a horse bucks high and stage and calm, there is usually no trou- produces a decided curve in his back ble in getting the leaders to take the

with his head between his front feet and water; but if the river is high and tur- his tail between his hind ones. bulent, much vigorous urging is required. Sometimes a cowboy or two will swim swallow-fork ahead on their horses to show the cattle An earmark made by hollowing the that there is no danger. Occasionally the ear lengthwise, beginning halfway back, horse herd will cross to open the way. cutting at an angle of forty-five degrees If the cattle reach swimming depth, they toward the end. The result is a forked usually go ahead to the other side unless notch in the ear. some floating log or other untoward swallow-forkin' event causes them to start milling in mid- stream. Putting on airs, all dressed up in one's There have been instances when the best. lead cattle have refused under all urging swallow-tail to take to the water of a swollen river and several days have elapsed before a An earmark made by trimming the tip crossing could be made. of the ear into the form of a bird's flaring tail. swimming water swamper Water too deep to cross without swim- ming. The cook's helper, a janitor in a sa- swing a wide loop loon ; also a man who handles the brakes and helps the driver of a jerk-line string. To live a free life, to steal cattle.

1 60 TAIL PULLING swinging brand swing team One suspended from and connected Any span of horses in a jerk-line string to a quarter-circle. between the leaders and the wheel horses. swing rider swivel dude One of the riders with a trail herd, A gaudy fellow. Silk Kutner once said riding about one-third of the way back of one, "He's so pretty I feel like takin' from the point riders. See foint rider. off my hat ever'time I meet 'im." T

"There ain't no boss that can't be rode, There ain't no man that can't be throwed"

tack-berry buckle tail over the lines A cinch buckle carrying two wraps Said of one hard to control. of the latigo and hooking into the cinch tail pulling ring.' The southern cowman lets the tails of tailing his horses grow. Perhaps it is to protect The throwing of an animal by the tail them from flies and insects which are in lieu of a rope. Any animal can, when worse on southern ranges, perhaps it is traveling rapidly, be sent heels over merely a tradition. But since early in the head by seizing its tail and giving it a industry, on northern ranges, it has been pull to one side. This method was re- the custom to make some changes in the sorted to frequently with the wild long- horse's tail. It became the practice at the horns, and a thorough tailing usually end of the season to cut the tail off close knocked the breath from them and so to the bone. By doing this the riders, dazed them that they would behave for when they rode out the following spring the rest of the day. The act requires to roundup the saddle horses, could dis- both a quick and swift horse and a dar- tinguish them from the wild ones. With field glasses these riders ing rider. (J. Frank Dobie, Vaquero of the aid of could the Brush Country [Dallas, Southwest see the horses at a great distance, and if Press, 1929], 15.) the bunch they spied wore long tails, they knew the horses were not the ones they Tailing were looking for and consequently were See bull tailing, tailing, tailing up. saved a long ride. But this cutting of the tail made it tailings grow out unnaturally heavy and bushy, Stragglers. giving it an ugly, misshapen appearance. tailing up To give the tail a lighter and dressier look, the cowhand began pulling or Lifting weak cattle to their feet by weeding out the hair. This improved the their tails. This method is used primarily appearance so much that it became the after cattle are extricated from bog holes. fashion to pull rather than to cut the tail out tail, and to this day a pulled tail is the To depart, to decamp. sign that its possessor is a broken horse. When the northern cowboy sees a sad- tail over the dashboard dle horse with a tail long enough to drag Said of one in high spirits. against his hind hoofs, he figures he be-

l6l Western Words

longs to a farmer or a gambler in town. circular story, comeback, cow talk, To him, horses with long tails look like coyotin' 'round the rim, cut the deck brood mares. (Bud Cowan, Range Rider deeper, dally your tongue, diarrhea of [Garden City, Doubleday, Doran, the jawbone, flannel mouth, giggle talk,

1930], 24; and J. K. Rollinson, Pony good comeback, grapevine telegraph, Trails in Wyoming [Caldwell, Idaho, haze the talk, His saddle is slippin'., Caxton Printers, 1941], 36, 112.) hobble your lip, leaky mouth, load, make medicine, medicine tongue, mix tail rider the medicine, moccasin mail, moccasin One of the men at the rear of a herd telegraph, more lip than a muley cow, on a drive; also called drag rider. mouthy, no medicine, powwow, range take a run word, sign language, talking horse, talk like a Texan, talkin' talents, talk turkey, Means making for a horse—to run tie one to that, tongue oil, windies. to and mount one. talking horse take a squatter's right The favorite subject of conversation Often said of one thrown from a horse. with a group of cowmen. take on talkin' iron A common reference to cattle's putting Slang name for a gun. on flesh or fat. talkin' load take the big jump Just drunk enough to be loquacious. To die. talkin' talents take the pins from under it Ability to talk freely. To throw an animal by roping it either by forefooting or heeling. talk like a Texan Said of one boastful of his work or take the slack out of his rope accomplishments. To defeat one, to place one at a dis- advantage. talk turkey To mean business. take to the tall timbers To run away, to be on the dodge. Tall See built high above his corns. take to the tules tallow factory Another expression meaning to run away; also is used in the sense of being An establishment where cattle were on the dodge. cooked solely for the tallow they might produce. Places of this sort were estab- Taking a Chance lished in Texas during the days imme- See grabbin' the brandin' iron by diately after the Civil War when cattle the hot end, playin' a hand with his eyes were plentiful and there were no mar- shut. kets for them. taking leather tally branding Grabbing the saddle horn when rid- Taking an inventory of cattle. ing a bucking horse. tally hand takin' up a homestead A man selected to keep a record of the calves branded at the spring roundup. Said of one thrown from a horse ; also

taking up land and improving it for a He was chosen for this position because home. of his honesty and clerical ability, though sometimes because of his physical inabil- Talking ity to do more strenuous work. (Philip See augur, augurin' match, carajoing, A. Rollins, The Cowboy [New York, chew it finer, chew the cud, Chinook, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1936], 235.)

162 TEETH tally man ish Terms in English [New York, Co- lumbia University Press, Same as tally hand. He was appointed 1932], 205.) by the roundup captain. He might be an tarantula juice older man, one recovering from an ill- A slang name for whiskey. few ness, or one hurt in riding a horse the A drinks of some of it would, in the words previous day, but he was chosen for his of Muley Metcalf, "have a man reelin' reputation for honesty. He had many 'round like a pup tryin' to find a soft opportunities to falsify his records, and spot to lie down in," or as another said, upon his count depended an owner's esti- "knockin' 'round like a blind dog in a mate of the season's profit. Yet, through meat shop." his own honesty and the ethics of the range, these things never entered his head. tarp All the time calves were slithering to Short for tarfaulin. The Westerner's the fire, he chanted his tally, and as the name for any canvas not especially number of unbranded calves grew small- titled either fack covers or ivagon sheets. er, the lines in his smudged and grimy Usually it refers to the piece of canvas book grew longer. At every lax moment in which he rolls his bed when not in he took the opportunity to sharpen a use and with which he covers himself stub pencil, which was wearing down at night. rapidly. tally sheet tarrabee all-wood machine, carved by hand The book or paper upon which the An from whatever wood the of the tally man's record was kept. man house possesses and used for spinning tank the threads for making girths. Patterns A reservoir made by damming a vary, but all twirlers work on the same stream, a reservoir of wood, concrete, or principle. All have wooden handles with

metal (as noun) ; to cook cattle for their a hollow toward one end, and near this tallow (as verb). hollowed end a handle is inset to extend at right angles. The wood of a much tapadero (tah-pah-day'ro) used twisting paddle takes on the ap- From the Spanish tafaderas, which pearance of satinwood. Contact with oily the comes from verb tafar, meaning to hair and sweating hands give it a rich close or cover. It is a wedge-shaped piece brown polish. (Brooks Taylor, "Girt of leather which covers the stirrup front Making," Cattleman, XXVII, No. 9 and sides, but is open in the rear. Its [February, 194.1], 73~74-) literal meaning is toe-fender. The word is usually shortened to tafs. Made from tasting gravel heavy cowhide and occasionally rein- Being thrown from a horse. forced by a wooden frame, it is used mostly in the brush country to protect tear squeezer the rider's feet and stirrups from brush. Something sad, a sad story. tapaojos (tah-pah-o'hose) techy as a teased snake This Spanish word is also from tafar, Said of one in a bad humor, or one to cover, plus ojos, eyes. A blind or eye- easy to anger. cover for animals. It is a strip of leather about three inches wide, fastened to the teepee headstall of the hackamore and long Originally an Indian conical-shaped enough to extend across the brow of the tent made of buffalo hide and used by animal. It is used on mean or unbroken the Plains Indian, but also an idiom used horses being mounted for the first time, by the cowman in referring to his home. and also on pack mules when loading, to keep them from getting excited. Amer- Teeth icans do not use tapaojos extensively. See nut crackers, smooth mouth, tooth- (Harold W. Bentley, Dictionary of Span- ing.

163 Western Words teeth in the saddle Texas Cakewalk Said of a saddle which causes sore A hanging. backs. More riders have lost their jobs Texas fever over back-eating saddles than any other one thing. Some of the early-day saddles, Same as Spanish fever. as one cowboy said, "could eat out of Texas gate a wire corral in one night." A makeshift gate made of barbed wire teguas (te'gwas) fastened to a pole. Rawhide moccasins, ankle high, laced Texas skirt in front and undecorated, yet light and The style of square skirt used on the comfortable. Worn principally by Mexi- Texas saddles. cans and Indians. Texas tie telegraph him home When a roper keeps the home end of Said when a man is hanged by using his rope tied hard to his saddle horn, it his own rope and a pole borrowed from is often called by this term, because most Western Union. Texans use this method. tellin 'a windy There's a one-eyed man in the Relating a tall tale, telling a lie. game. tellin' off the riders One of the commonest superstitions in the West is that bad luck will forever Giving directions to each rider about follow a plays poker with a where to start his drive for the roundup. man who one-eyed gambler. superstition gave See scattering the riders. The rise to this expression and means, "Look tender out for a cheat." Said of a horse when he shows signs Thief of getting saddlesores or sore feet. See mavericker, pack rat. See also en- Tenderfoot tries under rustler. See advertising a leather shop, Ar- thirty years' gathering buckle, early bouten, greener, green pea, What the cowboy calls his trinkets and Johnny -come -lately, lent, mail-order plunder gathered through the years. catalog on foot, mail-order cowboy, Agnes Morley Cleaveland, in No Life Monkey-Ward cowboy, new ground, For a Lady, tells a story of a cowboy phildoodle, pilgrim, pistols, punk, sav- on his way to a local roundup stopping age, shorthorn, skim-milk cowboy, at her ranch for a meal. While he was stringin' a greener, tenderfoots. eating, something stampeded his string tenderfoots of horses and with them went the pack- horse carrying his bedroll. The man The name originally applied to im- leaped from his chair shouting, "There ported cattle, but later attached to hu- goes the savin's of a lifetime!" mans new to the country; both cattle and humans are also called -pilgrims. three-legged riding terrapin This is what a Westerner calls riding with a tight rein and sawinqr on the A slang name for a saddle; also, as horse's mouth with the bit. a verb, it means to travel on foot slowly. three-quarter rig Texas butter A saddle having the cinch placed half- The cowboy's name for gravy. Put way between that of the center fire and some flour into the grease in which the the rim fire. steak was fried and let it bubble and brown, then add hot water and stir until three-quarter seat it thickens. Said of a saddle whose leather seat

164 THUMBING

covering extends only to the rear edge ground, forefooting, hoolihaning, jerked of the stirrup groove. down, rolling a calf, stretching out, tailing, take the pins from under it. three saddles The professional buster considers a throwing over horse broken after three rides, or, as he Pushing stray cattle of outside brands says, three saddles. toward their home range at the end of three-up outfit a roundup. A small ranch which, as one cowboy throwing the steel said, "Don't own 'nough beef to hold Said of one using the spurs freely. a barbecue." three-up screw throw lead The act of shooting a gun. Said of a cowboy working on a small ranch where three horses are considered Thrown From a Horse enough for a mount. See bit the dust, chase a cloud, chew throat-latch gravel, dirtied his shirt, dumped, dusted, eatin' gravel, flung him away, grassed The leather strap fastening the bridle him, grass huntin', Ketch my saddle!, under the throat of the horse. kissed the ground, landed, landed fork throat-ticklin' grub end up, landed on his sombrero, lost The cowboy's name for the fancy his hat and got off to look for it, lost food he never gets on the range. his horse, met his shadow on the ground, pickin' daisies, piled, spilled, sunned his throw back moccasins, take a squatter's right, takin' When a bucking horse hurls itself up a homestead, tasting gravel, turned backward intentionally, the trick of a the pack, unload, went up to fork a cloud. killer; also to revert in type or in char- acter to an ancestral stock. throw out To stop a moving herd and move off throw down the trail. The expression is used as The act of covering one with a gun, "throw out the cattle and build camp"; the act of shooting. The high hammer also an animal cut from a herd. Also of the frontier six-gun was not designed sometimes used in referring to a dilapi- to be cocked by the thumb tip as are the dated human, as I heard one cowman hammers of modern double-action re- say of such a man, "He looks like a volvers, but by hooking the whole thumb throw out from a footsore remuda." over it and simply closing the hand for the first shot. The recoil throws the gun throw the lines away muzzle up in the air, the thumb is To drive a team recklessly. hooked over the hammer, and the gun thumb buster cocks itself by its own weight when level. This is where the phrase throwing down A name given the old-fashioned, originated. single-action six-gun. throw dust thumber To try to cover up, to deceive. A type of shooter who removes the trigger and guard from his gun and throw gravel in his boots shoots by raising and releasing the ham- To shoot at one's feet. mer with his thumb. He does his shoot- throw in ing at close quarters and relies upon To go into partnership. speed for safety. Throwing thumbing See bulldog, bull tailing, bust, calf on Jabbing a horse with the thumbs to the ground, California, dog fall, fair provoke further bucking.

I6 5 Western Words tied holster tie rope

One tied down to the leg of the wearer What the mecate is sometimes called; to facilitate a quick draw, a good indi- also a short rope used for hog-tying. See cation of a professional gunman. There mecate. is a saying in the West, "The man who tiger wears his holster tied down don't do much talkin' with his mouth." The cowboy's name for a convict, be- cause the latter is caged and wears tie-down man stripes. One who ties his holster down to his tight-legging leg. Riding with the legs tightly gripping tied reins the sides of the horse, a manner of rid- Bridle reins tied together at the ends. ing which disqualifies a rider under rodeo rules, as he is supposed to scratch tied to the ground his horse with the spurs continuously. Said when the cowboy drops his reins time to the ground, knowing that his trained horse will be anchored just as surely as Wages. if he were actually tied. Time tie-hard See heel-fly time, high-heeled time, A term frequently used in speaking manana. of a tie-man to distinguish him from a time judge daily-man. The timer during calf-roping and tie-man bulldogging contests. He corresponds to One keeping the home end of his rope the referee of a prize fight in the other tied to the saddle horn. Cowboys have events. scattered so much today that you can tin-belly find both tie-men and dally men in all Slang name for a cheap, inferior spur. parts of the range, but as a rule they tie east of the Rockies and dally west of tinhorn

them. The tie-men use shorter ropes than A cheap gambler ; also applied to oth- the dally men and the ranges they ride ers not proficient in their chosen pro- are open and level. They are usually ex- fession. pert ropers and have complete confi- tip the hole card dence in their ability to make successful catches. To give one's plans away. The Texan ties his rope, and when he tobiano ropes anything, he figures on hanging to Another Argentine word, used as a it. The Californian keeps his rope un- contrast to overo. The color character- tied, and when he ropes anything, he has istics of this pinto are that the white to take a dally around the saddle horn; originates at the back and rump and ex- then if his catch gets him into a jam he tends downward, with the borders of can turn loose. The Texan does not say markings generally smooth and regular. much about this action, but the Cali- See overo. (George M. Glendenning, fornian knows what the Texan thinks, "Overos and Tobianos," Western Horse- and he does not like those thoughts. man, VII, No. i [January-February, Tie one to that. 1942], 12.) A phrase used by western storytellers Tom Horn the tale, as if at conclusion of a wild Occasionally used in some sections as inviting the next man to tell a bigger a slang name for rope. one; now commonly used everywhere (W. S. Campbell [Stanley Vestal] to tongue oil R.F.A.). Talking ability.

166 TRAIL BOSS

tongue splitter top railer

A rustler who cruelly splits the calf's A man who sits on the top rail of a tongue to keep it from nursing and fol- corral and advises who should do the lowing its mother. work and take the risks.

tonsil varnish top screw Slang name for whiskey. The foreman.

too handy with a rope tornado juice Said of a rustler. Another slang name for whiskey.

tool chest toro (toh'ro) A bit to which contrivances have been Spanish for bull. Sometimes used in added to make it cruel. The man who the cow country. uses one of these is soon cold-shouldered totin' off the range. stars on his duds Said of the Texas cowman, whose too much spread clothing was almost always decorated Said of one who has the habit of brag- with stars. An old saying of the range ging, picking quarrels, or otherwise is, "For a Texas puncher not to be totin' making himself disagreeable. stars on his duds is most as bad as votin' the Republican ticket." too thick to drink and too thin touchin' leather . to plow Synonymous with pulling leather. What the cowboy calls muddy water when he is forced to drink it. He might tough lay "have to chaw it 'fore he can swaller it," Said of a ranch employing a bunch but if he's thirsty enough it's "damned of badmen or gunmen. good water." Towns toothing See cow town, honkytonk town, Looking into a horse's mouth to tell pueblo, town with the hair on. his age. town with the hair on top Said of a wild and woolly or tough The cowboy's idea of the best. The town like those at the end of the old best roper is the top roper; the best rider, cattle trails. top rider; the best cutting horse, top cutter; and so on. Yet the best shooter tracker is called a crack shot. One expert in tracking or reading top off sign.

To ride first, to take the rough edges Tracking off a horse. See back trail, blind trail, camping Topography and Vegetation on his trail, cold trail, cut for sign, long- ear, plain trail, readin' sign, ridin' sign, See arroyo, Badlands, bench, black sign, sliding the groove, tracker. chaparral, black spot, boggy crossing, bosque, bottom, box canyon, brasada, trail blazer brush country, buffalo wallow, butte, One who goes before, one who marks cactus, canyon, cedar brakes, chaparral, or blazes a new trail. chaparro, cholla, coulee, cross canyon, crossing, cut-bank, down in the Skillet, trail boss draw, hogback, llano, mal pais, mesa, The foreman of a trail herd. He had motte, paso, pinon, pup's nest, Quaker, to know men and cattle; he had to be sag, sendero, swag, tule, tumbleweed, aggressive, quick to handle an emer-

yucca country. gency, and resourceful. It is said that a

167 Western Words

good trail boss fed his hands out of his trail driving herd, lost a few en route, and yet got to The act of moving cattle on the trail. his destination with more cattle than he It was called driving, but cattle were had when the owner counted them out trailed, not driven. Instead, they were as they left the home range. He belonged kept headed in the direction the drover to the class of men who made cattle his- desired them to go as they grazed. In tory in bossing the herds up the long this manner they would travel ten or trail north from Texas. The world will twelve miles a day and fatten as they never see his like again. went. The only times they were driven was to get them from familiar ter- trail broke away ritory when they first left the home range, Said of cattle after they became used to tire them down in an effort to avoid to the trail. stampedes, or to reach food and water trail count in sections where these were scarce. Counting cattle as they were strung trail hand off on a trail drive. After the cattle left Another name for a man engaged in the bed-ground in the morning and were trailing cattle. Every Texas range-bred strung out in a thin line, the trail boss boy was ambitious to "go up the trail." selected a man to be stationed opposite It gave him an opportunity to break the him on the other side of the passing herd. monotony of range life and offered a Both men selected an imaginary line chance to "see the world." upon which they stationed themselves, and as the cattle passed between them, trail herd their forefingers rose and fell as they A bunch of cattle, guarded day and pointed directly to each animal that night, being trailed from one region to passed. As each hundred head was another. A trail herd usually traveled in counted, each man dropped a pebble into single file, or in twos and threes, form- a handy pocket, tied a knot in his horn ing a long, sinuous line, which, if seen string, or used any other counter his in- from above, would look like a huge dividual selection dictated. When the serpent in slow motion. herd had passed, each man counted his Trail Terms counters and announced to the other his See bedding down, big swimmin', tally for comparison. The chances were bringin' up the drags, cut in, cutter that their first count checked. If it did herds, cut the trail, cutting the herd, not, and there was a very wide margin drag, drag rider, drift, drive, dry drive, of difference, they rode to the head of eatin' drag dust, excuse-me-ma'am, flank the moving herd and started over again. rider, following the tongue, haze, head (Editorial, Cattleman, XXI, No. [Sep- 4 'em up, keeping up the corners, layover, tember, 1934], 26.) lay-up, lead men, lead steer, Little Mary, trail cutter night drive, over the willows, point rid- ers, pounding 'em on the back, regular, A man employed, usually by stock as- ridin' 'em down, road brand, squeeze sociations, to halt marching herds and 'em down, startin' the swim, swimming inspect them for cattle which did not water, swing riders, tailings, tail riders, properly belong with them. throw out, trail boss, trail count, trail trail days cutter, trail days, trail driver, trail driv- ing, trail trail herd, trail The days when long trails were thor- hand, wagon, trail, water- oughfares for great herds of cattle. Such trimmin' the herd, up the a spectacle, as a business, will never be ing the herd. seen in the world again. trail wagon One fastened behind another wagon trail driver in moving camp. A cowhand engaged in driving cattle over the long trails, usually one of the trap interstate trails leading from Texas. Any freak saddle.

168 TURNED THE CAT

trap a squaw trouble, hellin' 'round town, hell with the hide off, lookin' for someone, sharpen To get married. his horns, tail over the lines, too much trap corral spread. A corral for capturing wild horses or trunk strap cattle. The gate opens easily inward and A latigo strap which buckles. Used in closes behind so that the animals can not the sense of ridicule. escape. Trustworthy trapper's butter See He'll do to ride the river with., Marrow from the bones of a killed measure a full sixteen hands high, square, animal. Sometimes this was put into a standby, straight as a wagon tongue, up gallon of water and heated nearly to the and down as a cow's tail. boiling point, then blood from the ani- mal was stirred in until a thick broth tryin' to chin the moon was made. Said of a horse standing on his hind feet and pawing the air with his front travels the lonesome places ones ; also said of a high bucker. Said of one on the scout, a man who "ain't on speakin' terms with the law." tucker bag A bag for personal belongings. Not a tree commonly used term. The wooden frame of the saddle which is covered with leather. The saddle usual- Tucson bed ly takes its name from the shape of its Sleeping in the open without cover, tree, such as California, Visalia, Frazier, or, in the cowboy's language, "usin' yore Ellenburg, or Brazos. back for a mattress and yore belly for a treeing the marshal coverin'." A common saying in the old days. On tule (tu'le)

their return from a trip up the trail, the In the Southwest the name is applied cowboys liked to brag about how they to the yucca and certain kinds of reeds. made the marshal of the town at the end When a man "takes to the tules," he goes of the trail "hide out." into hiding or is on the dodge.

tree ring tullies The metal ring to which the latigo Men or cattle native of the tulares, or straps are fastened. country of tules.

trigger is delicate tumbleweed Said of one quick tempered or quick A Russian thistle which, when dry, to shoot over a grievance. rolls before the wind. These plants roll and jump great distances, scattering their trigger itch seeds as they go. One old-timer said he Said of one quick to shoot. "reckoned" the Lord put tumbleweeds trigueno (tre-gay'nyo) here "to show how the wind blows." Also a man with roving proclivities is Spanish, meaning swarthy, brownish. called a tumbleweed. The Southwest uses this word to desig- nate a brown horse. tumbling brand trimmin' the herd A brand leaning in an oblique position. The act of cutting cattle from a herd. turn a wildcat The expression is usually employed when Said of a bucking horse. a trail cutter cuts the herd. turned the cat Troublesome When a horse falls after stepping into See cut his wolf loose, hell bent for a doghole.

169 Western Words turned the pack two-buckle boy Said when a horse throws his rider. Farm hand. turned through himself two-gun man Said when a horse stops quickly and A man who wears two guns and can turns in another direction. shoot with either hand. This species was turning the grass upside down rare, even in the old West, and exists Plowing. mostly in fiction. It's a rare case when two guns have any advantage over turn-out time one. Their chief advantage is that they make Time in the spring to turn cattle out a threat of an ace in the hole as a show to grass. of force when a lone man stacks against twelve-hour leggins a crowd. The two-gun man, when Slang name for chaps. among strangers, has to be careful with the motions of both hands, thus being twine handicapped in doing little things other

Slang name for rope. men can do. He is, as a cowhand would twister say, "dressed to kill." Either short for bronc twister, or an- two jumps ahead of the sheriff other name for the twitch ; also a cyclone. Said of one dodging the law. As one twist-horn of them told me, he "didn't have to leave A nickname for the longhorns because Texas. The sheriff come to the state line of the many different twists and turns and jes' begged, me to come back." of their horns. two-up driver twisting down A driver of two spans, or four horses. The act of twisting a steer's neck in

bulldogging until it falls upon its side. two whoops and a holler twitch Only a short distance. A small loop of cord with a stick tying down through it, used to punish a held horse. Roping and catching an animal and The loop is placed vertically around the tying it down by three of its feet against animal's upper lip and then tightened time. See hog-tying. by twisting the stick. (Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy [New York, Charles Scrib- tying fast ner's Sons, 1936], 152.) It is also called Using the home end of the rope tied a twister, and some claim this is where to the horn of the saddle in roping. See the term bronc twister originated. tie-man. U "Tossirt your rope before buildirt a loop donH ketch the calf

uncorkin' a bronc an inch in length and usually one-third of that in depth. Taking off the rough edges. under-bit under-hack An earmark made by doubling the ear An earmark made by simply cutting in and cutting a small piece, about an up on the underside of the ear for about inch, out of the lower part of the ear, an inch.

170 USING HIS ROPE ARM

under-half-crop Undiscerning An earmark made by splitting the ear See blind as a snubbin' post, chuckle- from the tip, midway, about halfway headed as a prairie dog, throw dust. back toward the head, and cutting- off the lower half. unhook To unhitch a team from a wagon. underhand pitch The cowboy never uses the words hitch This is strictly a heel loop for use on and unhitch. cattle. It can be used on foot in a corral, but is a favorite catch for mounted men unload working on roundup. It is about the only Said when a horse bucks off his rider. loop for which it is permissible to whirl while working among cattle and it is unravel some cartridges whirled very slowly, just enough to keep To shoot. it moving. The loop is kept in motion at the right side of the thrower in a ver- unrooster tical plane, swinging up. When the ob- To take the rough edges off a horse. ject to be roped passes in front, the roper brings the rope around with a snap to unshucked it turns the give carrying power and Naked; when used as a gun term, one loop loose over the back side of the hand is said to have unshucked his gun, mean- as it swings forward. This pitches the ing that he has drawn it from the holster, loop, standing up, under the animal's thus making it a naked gun. belly so that he can jump into it with his hind feet. The right hand continues to Unwelcome hold the rope, as is the case in most heel- See His cinch is gettin' frayed, saddle ing and forefooting throws, and the slack a dead horse on him. is jerked out at once. (W. M. French, "Ropes and Roping," Cattleman, XXVI, unwind No. 12 [May, 1940], 17—30.) Said when a horse starts bucking. under-round up and down as a cow's tail An earmark made by cutting a half- Said of an honest and trustworthy per- circle from the bottom of the ear. son. under-slope up the trail An earmark made by cutting the ear about two-thirds of the way back from Driving cattle up the trail. This be- the tip straight to the center of the ear came a profession during the years be- the middle sixties and the eighties, at its lower side. tween and experienced trail drivers were in de- under-split mand. An earmark made by splitting the ear tree from the lower edge to about the center. use him to trim a To hang one. underwears The cowboy's contemptuous name for using his rope arm to h'ist a glass sheep. Said of one drinking.

I 7 I Western Words v

"The bigger the mouth the better it looks when shut"

vaca (vah'cah) celling the ownership brand, thus serv- Spanish for cow. ing as the acknowledgment of a sale. It is usually placed on the same side of the vacada (Vah-cah'dah) animal as the original brand. As a verb, A drove of cows. it means the act of putting on such a brand. See counter brand. vamoose Americanized from the Spanish word vigilantes vamos (vah'mose), meaning let's go. From the Spanish vigilante (ve-he-

The cowboy uses it to mean get to hell lahn'tay) , meaning watchman or guard. out of here. The American pronounces it vig-i-lan'te and uses it to mean men who organize vaquero (vah-kay'ro) themselves to take the enforcement of The word comes from the Spanish the law into their own hands; a volun- vaca (cow) with the suffix ero and means teer committee of citizens to suppress one engaged in working with cows. Al- and punish crime when the law seems though commonly used in the Southwest inadequate. with reference to cowboys in general, it means more particularly Mexican Vigilantes cowboys. See hemp committee, vigilantes. velvet couch visa The cowboy's slang name for his bed- Saddle; short for a saddle made on a roll. Visalia tree. vent brand visiting harness the f From Spanish venta (ven tah), What the cowman sometimes calls his meaning sale. When used as a noun, it "town clothes." means a brand placed upon an animal that has been given an ownership brand voucher and later sold, and has the effect of can- What the cowboy calls an Indian scalp. W

l Ifs sometimes safer to pull your freight than pull your gun" w waddy A throw line tied to the forefoot of a It is claimed by some that waddy was horse, then run up through a ring in the created by the cowman from the word

belly-band and back to the wagon ; used wad, which he uses to mean one who to break a wild horse to harness. If the fills in or rounds out a ranch outfit in horse starts to run away, a pull on this busy times (Don, "Vaquero Lingo," rope will immediately trip him. Western Horseman, IV, No. 2 [March—

172 WALKIN THE FENCE

April, 1936], 16). In the spring and groanin' cart, growler, hoodlum wagon, fall when some ranches are short-handed, hook up, holligan wagon, hubbing, jerk- they take on anyone who is able to ride line, jerk-linestring, jewelry chest, mani- a horse and use him for a week or so; ac den, mess wagon, Mormon brakes, hence the word waddy, derived from pie-box, pie wagon, possum-belly, prai- wadding—anything to fill in. rie schooner, sheet, shotgun wagon, Some cowmen used the word to mean throw the lines away, trail wagon, un- a genuine rustler, or one faithful to his hook, wagon, wagon herder, wheel fellows and his illegal calling; later it house, Which way's the wagon? was applied to any cowboy. wagon-spoke rowel wagon, the A spur with an extra-long shank sup- The roundup wagon, the cowboy's porting widely spaced rowels about six home during the roundup; sometimes inches long and resembling the spokes called the works, sfread, or layout. All of a wagon wheel. of the various wagons upon the range pistol are designated by their specific names, Walker but when the cowman speaks of the An early frontier revolver made by wagon, every range man knows he is Colt after the suggestions of Captain talking of the chuck wagon. See chuck Samuel Walker, a Texas Ranger, and wagon. named after him. wagon boss walkin' beamin' The man in charge of the roundup. The see-saw effect of a bucking horse, He stands out above the rank and file. when he lands alternately on his front One who knows the cow country can and hind feet. ride up on an outfit at a chuck wagon Walking or in a branding pen, for the first time, See high heel, straddlin' down the and go straight to the boss, though he road. be hard at work and dressed like the others of the outfit. His appearance and walking brand attitude denote leadership. He is a prod- One with lower designs like feet. uct of the hard school of the range. (John M. Hendrix, "Bosses," Cattle- walking down man, XXIII, No. 10 [March, 1937], A method of capturing wild horses 65-75-) He is usually quiet, with a cer- which calls for following them in re- tain measure reserve, of and has to have lays fast enough to keep them in sight a better than average intelligence in and give them no chance to rest or eat. order to understand the nature of the After several days of this chase the mus- cowhand. He has to arrange each man's tangs are exhausted enough that the work and place, day and night, with- riders can approach them and begin to out appearing to give orders; and this control their turnings in any desired di- calls for both tact and understanding. rection. This has been known to have See rounduf caftain. been accomplished by men on foot. wagon herder walkin' sheep A sheepherder with a wagon. Synonymous with herding sheep; the wagon manners term is applied because the work is done on foot. A term used to describe good behavior. walkin' stick Wagons and Appurtenances A humorous reference to a horse of a See band wagon, bed-wagon, bitch, long-legged puncher. blattin' cart, buckboard, caboose, cake wagon, calf wagon, Chihuahua cart, walkin' the fence chip wagon, chuck wagon, curia, demo- Said when cattle walk continuously up crat wagon, fence wagon, fly, grass train, and down the fence line in an effort to

173 Western Words

find a way to break out. Also used in warps his backbone referring- to a nervous or impatient man. Said of a horse bucking with arched walkin' whiskey vat back. A heavy drinker. washerwoman loop wall-eyed A big, flat loop. Said of a horse with glass, blue, or washin' out the canyon "china" eyes and with an irregular blaze. The cowboy's expression for taking wallow in velvet a bath. To have plenty. Often one hears a wash off the war-paint prosperous person spoken of as having To get over an angry spell, to back " 'nough money to burn a wet mule," down from a fight. One cowhand describ- or, "He had a roll as big as a wagon- ing such an incident said, "When he hub." looked into the danger end o' that scat- waltz with the lady ter-gun, it didn't take 'im long to pull in his horns." A shout of encouragement for the rider to stay with a bucking horse. wasp nest wanted The cowboy's name for light bread. Said of a man desired by the law. wassup war-bag A nickname for an outlaw horse. The cowboy's sack or bag for personal waste a loop belongings, in which he keeps all the To throw a rope and miss the target. useless ditties and dofunnies he has gath- ered through the years. Here he keeps wasted 'er his supply of makin's and cigarette pa- When a rider dashes off after a cow pers, an extra spur, some whang leather, which has escaped from the herd and an extra cinch or bit, and perhaps a care- fails in his attempt to bring her back fully wrapped picture of a girl or some he is said to have wasted, 'er. tattered letters which have brought him watchin' the op'ra news of the outside. Among this plunder, too, there will likely be a box of cart- Sitting on the top rail of the corral ridges, a greasy deck of playing cards, fence watching a fellow puncher ride a a bill of sale for his private horse, and bad horse. his low-necked clothes. Water warbles See beef tea, gypped, too thick to drink too thin to washin' out the Larvae of the heel fly. The eggs hatch and plow, on the hair, and the tiny larvae burrow canyon, water hole, water rights, water- into the skin, causing itching and dis- shy. comfort. Also called cattle grubs and water hole wolves. A place for watering cattle; also a war bonnet slang name for a saloon. A slang name for the cowboy's hat. watering the herd war bridle This means more than herding the cat- tle of A brutal hitch of rope in the mouth toward water and letting them go and around the lower jaw of the horse. their own accord. Watering a trail herd is quite an art. A good trail boss starts Warn slowing his herd up some distance be- See cuidado, Go 'way 'round 'em, fore he hits the river. As he brings them Shep., moccasin mail, send up a smoke, to the water, he spreads them along the shook a rope at him, smoke signal. bank, heading the lead cattle down-

174 WEEK ON THE BED-WAGON

stream. Thus they get clear water, and the sign language of the plains, means as the others come up, they are hazed up- you are not wanted and to stay away. stream, so that all cattle, including the On the range, when a rustler happens to drags, get clear water because they drink have a maverick calf tied down at a above each last successive group. branding fire and sees a rider approach- If the cattle were allowed to hit the ing in the distance, he jerks his hat off river in a bunch, the lead cattle would and waves this rider 'round. If his warn- be forced to the other side before they ing is not heeded, he has the advantage got sufficient water, and all the water of a .30—.30 which he is not afraid to would be muddied. As a rule, cattle are use, and the "whine of a bullet is a hint watered only once a day, in the evening. in any man's language." Charles Goodnight once said that "the science of the trail is in grazing and Weak watering the cattle, but the watering is See His thinker is puny, paper-backed. the most important of the two." weaner watermelon under the saddle A calf old enough to wean, slang Said of a horse that arches his back name for a young child. excessively. wearin' calluses on his elbow water rights Said of one spending his time in a The right to a "piece of water" by saloon. priority of occupation. Weather water-shy See blizzard, blue whistler, Chinook, Said of a person not particular about cow skinner, dry storm, fence lifter, fox- body cleanliness. Rip Gunter, telling of fire, goose drownder, gully-washer, hell an unusually dirty cook, who was "con- wind, Idaho brain storm, norther, Okla- siderably whiffy on the lee side" and homa rain, open winter, pitted, silver working with a certain wagon, said, thaw, twister. "He's always got his jowls full o' Cli- weaver max, and ain't none particular where he A horse that employs a peculiar weav- unloads it, and his clothes are so stiff ing motion and whose feet never strike with beef blood and dry dough y'u'd the ground in a straight line when buck- have to chop 'em off." ing. This motion is most disconcerting to We were kidding a certain puncher a rider. about being water-shy, and he answered right back: "I ain't afraid o' water. In wedding ring fact I like a little of it for a chaser once A trick-roping stunt done by swinging in a while." a wide, horizontal loop with the per- water trap former in the middle as it swings around him. It can be performed either on foot A stout corral built in plain sight and or on horseback, and takes a strong around a spring or watering place. It wrist and arm and above the average has a wide gate which is sprung after skill. the animals enter for watering. wedgers in wattle People who come uninvited, meddlers. A mark of ownership made on the neck or the jaw of an animal by pinch- weedy ing up a quantity of skin and cutting Locoed. Said of an animal addicted it, but not entirely off. When the wound to eating loco weeds. is healed, a hanging flap of skin is left. week on the bed-wagon wave 'round Meaning that a sick or injured man To wave a hat or other object in a will not be able to ride again for about semicircle from left to right, which, in that long.

175 ;

Western Words went up to fork a cloud away each time and drag your whip, he will begin understand Said of a rider who had been thrown to what you want him to do. Very few high from a horse. cowmen use this method. (Will James, In the Saddle wet stock With Uncle Bill [New York, Charles Cattle or horses which had been smug- Scribner's Sons, 1935], 58—59.) gled from across the Rio Grande River whippin' a tired pony out of after having been stolen from their rightful owners in Mexico or Texas. Texas Later the term was used to refer to any This term became a synonym for on stolen stock. the dodge. whale line Whipping A slang name for rope. See chapping, clean his plow, clipped his horns, hang up his hide, horns sawed whangdoodle off, leggin' case, puttin' the leggin's, A brand with a group of interlocking sharpen his hoe. wings and with no central flying figure. Whips whang strings See blacksnake, bull whip, cow whip, Long strings attached to the saddle quirt, quisto, romal. for tying on things; another name for saddle strings, especially when made of whirling buckskin. Whirling the noose of a rope about the head until sufficient spread is de- wheel horse veloped to make a throw at the object The rear horse of a jerk-line string. to be roped. The whirl is never used in a corral, especially the horse corral, as house wheel it alarms the animals. A canvas-covered wagon. Whiskey whey-belly See base-burner, brave-maker, bug An inferior horse, a pot-gutted ani- juice, coffin varnish, conversation fluid, mal. dynamite, fire-water, gut-warmer, In- dian whiskey, neck-oil, Which way's the wagon? nose-paint, red disturbance, red-eye, red-ink, scamper driver's familiar The old-time trail juice, snake-head whiskey, snake poison, rode upon a trail out- greeting when he tarantula juice, tonsil varnish, tornado the place fit. The wagon was always juice, wild mare's milk. where he sought company, food, or in- formation. whiskey mill A frontier name for the saloon. while the gate's still open

To the cowman this term is synony- whistle mous with opportunity. Slang name for any one young and whing-ding foolish. The playful bucking indulged in by whistle-berries both horse and rider in the spirit of fun The cowboy's name for beans. also a party or social affair. whistle judge breaking whip An imposing Westerner in the rodeo Training a horse, usually in a corral, stand who blows a whistle at the end of by stinging his rump with a whip or ten seconds in bronc riding contests. the end of a rope every time he turns from you. In time, from the pain, he white-collar rancher will turn toward you, and if you back A nonresident ranch owner.

176 WINDIES white-faces wild, woolly, and full o' fleas Hereford cattle; also called ofen- A phrase of the early days which the faced cattle. cowboy created to impress the tender- foot with his woolliness. The saying be- white house came so common that some people ac- Slang name for the main house of the tually believed the cowboy had fleas, but ranch, or owner's home; the executive actually he has no more love for fleas office. than any other man. As one said, he had "rather have gray-backs than fleas 'cause white-water bucko after these seam squirrels graze, they A good river driver. bed down, but a flea's never satisfied. After he locates paydirt on one claim whittler he jumps to stake another, and he's a Slang name for a good cutting horse. damned nimble prospector." whittle whanging willow tail Wrangling, quarreling. A horse, usually a mare, which has a whole shebang loose, long, coarse, heavy tail—never an indication of good breeding. A collective whole. Winchester wickiup An early model repeating rifle named An Indian hut of primitive construc- for its maker and still a favorite with tion made of branches of trees loosely Westerners. interwoven. Sometimes used colloquially by cowmen in referring to their own Winchester quarantine houses. A barrier by force of arms. These wigwam quarantines occurred many times in the early West, especially on the trail when An Indian dwelling, generally of some group of natives objected to a tick- conical shape, formed of bark and mats infested trail herd's passing through their or hides laid stakes planted in the over range. ground and converging at the top, where there is an opening for smoke to Wind-belly escape. Also used by the cowman in An orphan calf, all belly, or as the speaking humorously of his residence. cowboy would say, "fat in the middle Wild and pore at both ends." See snuffy. windbreak One or more rows of trees, a tall fence, wild bunch or a natural formation on the windward An outlaw gang, horses not handled side providing shelter from cold winds. enough to be controllable. windbroken wild cow milking Said of a horse with a respiratory A rodeo event. A wild cow is turned disease that impairs his breathing. loose in the arena. Two cowboys dash windies after her; one ropes the animal, then the other mugs her. After this, the roper Cattle that have to be driven out of runs on foot carrying a pop bottle and canyons on to the plains. These cattle tries to obtain about an inch of milk in are usually contrary and hard to drive,

it. After securing the milk, he runs to and by the time they have been coaxed out of the the cattle, horses, the judges to show it. He does all this canyon, the against time. and the cowboys are about exhausted,

hence the name ; also the name of boast- wild mare's milk ful stories which contain no semblance Slang name for whiskey. of the truth.

177 Western Words

WlNDIES neck. Riding in the drag of a herd, he pulls it up over his nose and so See corral dust, hassayampa, load, mouth that he can breathe without being suffo- Pecos Bill, peddler of loads, stretchin' cated by the dust that is kicked up. It the blanket, tellin' a windy, wild, wooly, is a protection against cold wind and and full o' fleas, windies. stinging sleet. Pulled up under his eyes, windmiller it guards against snow blindness. (J. A man who cares for the windmills Frank Dobie, Vaquero of the Brush Coun- of the later-day ranch. Only the large try [Dallas, Southwest Press, 1929], ranches hire a man for this special duty. 264; Philip A. Rollins, The Cowboy Scribner's With a helper he is kept busy building [New York, Charles Sons, new windmills and keeping the old ones 1936], 107.) in repair. If he is riding in a stiff wind and does not have bonnet strings on his hat, windmilling he ties it on with his bandanna; some- Said of a horse when he is swapping times, when the weather is cold, he uses ends. it for an ear-muff, and when it is hot, he will wear it wet under his hat to windmill monkey keep his head cool. Caught in a country A man who oils and repairs wind- where there is no running water when mills, because he has to do considerable he is thirsty, he spreads it over a muddy climbing to do the job well. water hole to use as a strainer to drink wing fence through. When he washes his face at the water fence on each side of a corral en- A hole in the morning, he carries his towel trance which flares out for many feet to with him, tied around his neck. In the help direct the leaders of the entering branding pen when the sweat is running herd into the opening of the pen. down into his eyes, this mop is hanging winter horses handy, and it also makes a rag for hold- ing the handle of a hot branding iron. Horses kept up for use in winter. Perhaps he uses it as a blindfold in winter kill saddling a snaky bronc, or as a piggin' Cattle which die from the winter cold, string when he runs across a calf that has been overlooked in branding. He wipes sometimes uses it to hobble his horse; The cowboy's slang name for his neck- one end tied to the lower jaw of a gentle erchief. It has more uses than almost any- horse serves as an Indian bridle that will thing else he wears and is not merely do in a pinch. It has been used as a sling an ornamental necktie, as many folks for broken arms, a tourniquet, and a think. The rodeo rider prefers bright bandage for wounds. Men have been colors in neckerchiefs as in shirts; but handcuffed with neckerchiefs and more the range man, who wants to dodge the than one cowboy has been buried out on attention of either people or animals, the plains with one spread over his face

since bright colors advertise him when to keep the dirt from touching it. he is trying to avoid notice, prefers neu- It can be used as a saddlebag, a mos-

tral colors. quito net, or a trail marker; it has been Folding his neckerchief diagonally, used as a flag for signaling, a dish cloth, like the first garment he ever wore, he a recoil pad, a gun sling, a basket, and a ties the two farthest corners in a square sponge; and the highwayman has used knot and hangs it on the peg he finds it for a mask. handiest—his neck. In this way he is never without it in case he needs it, and wipin' him out he generally does. Mostly he wears it Quirting a horse. draped loosely over his chest with the knot at the back. If the sun is at his back Wire

he reverses it for the protection of his See California buckskin, silk.

178 WOOLSEY wisdom bringer hunt wolves on its particular range. He matches wits with this most cunning of A schoolteacher. As most of these animals for the bounty paid, both by teachers were imported from the East, the rancher and the county in which he the cowman did not have much respect works. for their knowledge. To him, anyone who did not know cows "couldn't teach Women a settin' hen to cluck." See calico, calico queen, catalog wom- Wise an, cookie pusher, cow bunny, dulce, See bone seasoned, hair off the dog, heart-and-hand woman, live dictionary, more wrinkles on his horns, out fox, long-haired partner, Montgomery Ward savvy. woman sent west on approval, painted wish-book cat, puncture lady, runnin' mate, sage hen. A mail-order catalog. Many cow- boys got their education from one of wood these wishbooks, and by studying the A slang name for the saddle. pictures knew what practically every- thing on earth was before they ever saw wood monkey the real article. The women of the ranch A flunky or man responsible for sup- did their wishful window-shopping in its plying wood for a roundup camp. pages, and it was not uncommon to see wood pussy some cowboy thumbing through its thick- skunk. ness, lingering with a lot of wonder on A the pages picturing women's personal wood sheller wearing apparel. Cutter of fence posts and branding witches' bridle fuel. Tangles in a horse's mane. woolies wohaw A common name for sheep. The first cattle the Indians saw under wool in his teeth the white man's control were the ox Said of a person of low principle, im- teams of the early freighters. Listening plying that he is a sheep-killing cur. with wonder to the strange words of the bullwhackers as they shouted, "Whoa," woolsey "Haw," and "Gee," they thought these Slang name for a cheap hat, usually words were the name of the animals, and made of wool. Ross Santee tells a good began calling cattle ivohaws. Rarely did story of a cowhand named Shorty let- a trail herd pass through the Indian ting a cow-town merchant sell him a country on its march north that it was cheap hat so much too large for him that not stopped to receive a demand for he had to stuff five lamp-wicks under

179 Western Words

I might as well have a gunny-sack tied Working Cattle over my head, for I can't see nothin'. See chouse, cutting out, cuttin' the time When he comes down the second herd, gin around, mustard the cattle, I'm way over on one side. When he hits pulling bog, tailing up, work, working the ground the third jump, I ain't with the herd. him. I'm sittin' in the middle of the wash with both hands full of sand. I finally working the herd lifts the lid enough to see the old bronc Cattle gathered in circle on roundup headin' for the ranch. He's wide open for the purpose of cutting out the beef, and kickin' at his paunch.' " (Ross San- breeding specimens, or other types de- tee, Men and Horses [New York, The sired. The expression is applied to cut- Century Company, 1921], 115.) ting a large bunch into one or more smaller herds. wool with the handle on over The cowboy's name for a mutton chop. work To change a brand, to take the buck wooshers out of a horse. What the cowboy calls hogs. Worthiness Worchestershire See he'll do to ride the river with, high, A slang name for the Winchester rifle. measured a full sixteen hands square. wore 'em low Worthless This expression signifies that the one See cull, cultus, peal, plumb cultus, spoken of wears his gun low where it is scalawag, scrub, stiff, worthless as a easily accessible and that he is willing to four-card flush. stand or fall by his ability to use it. Very often it is used to mean that his gun is worthless as a four-card flush for hire, and that he is a professional Anything worthless or beyond repair. gunman. Duke Noel used to say of one of them, "That hogleg hangin' at his Wounded side ain't no watch-charm, and he don't See mining for lead, singed. pack that hardware for bluff nor bal- last." wrangatang An occasional name for the day work wrangler. applied handling cattle. To A term to wrangle round up stock, to brand calves, and to To herd horses. gather beeves is to work cattle. Work wrangler A herder of the saddle horses. It is the See sweat, work. duty of this man or boy to see that the work horse horses are kept together and at hand for the work. word is One used in harness. when wanted The a corruption of the Mexican caverango, working ahead of the roundup meaning hostler. An industrious rancher or cowhand His job is considered the most menial can build a herd rapidly if he drives his in cow work and he does not stand very cattle on the range ahead of the larger high in a cow camp. He rides the sorriest outfits and claims all unbranded stock. horse in the outfit and is the butt of all See So oners. the jokes of a dozen cowhands. Yet his job is a training school, and many good working brands cowboys have gotten their start in a Changing brands from one type to wrangler's job. another through the use of the running By studying the characteristics of the iron. various horses, he saves himself much

180 YANNIGAN BAG

work and grief. He knows which are after a meal in a cow camp. See round apt to be bunch quitters, which are fight- fan. ers, and which are afraid of their own shadows. The arrival of stray men with wring-tail their strings adds to his cares, and he has A horse of nervous disposition that more horses to get acquainted with. Al- has been ridden to exhaustion and though it can rarely be said, the greatest spurred to make him go, causing him to praise that can be bestowed upon a develop the habit of wringing his tail wrangler is that "he never lost a horse." as he runs. Jerking on the bits also de- Wrangler velops this habit. No real cowman likes to ride a wring-tail horse, for it makes man, See caverango, cavvy dew the rider nervous. wrangler, hood, horse pestler, horse rustler, horse wrangler, jingler, jing- wrinkled his spine mustangler, night herd, remudero, ling, An expression used when referring to wrangler, wrango. rustler, wrangatang, the bucking of a horse. wrango wrinkle-horn Short for wrangler. Cowboy's name for an old steer whose wrastlin' calves horns have become wrinkled and scaly. A common expression for flanking. wrinkles on his horns wreck pan Said of a person possessing wisdom or The receptacle for the dirty dishes having had much experience. X

"Faint heart never filled a flush"

Xerga (csay'gah) A saddle cloth placed between the salea and the packsaddle. Y "Nobody ever drowned himself in sweat"

yack cowboy to the Mexican cattle which went up the trail, because they came A stupid person. from the Indian country. yakima yamping An Indian pony. Ordinary stealing, petty theft. Yaks yannigan bag A nickname given by the northern A bag for personal belongings.

181 Western Words yearling flank and belly with a yellowish color. A year-old calf or colt, a child. yellow bellies yucca country Cattle of Mexican breed splotched on A general reference to the Southwest. Z

"Never call a man a liar because he knows more'n you do"

zebra dun called this in the border country from their color, which is black with a line- A horse of dun color with a more or back, white speckles frequently appear- less distinct dorsal stripe over the entire ing on the sides and belly. The word length of his top line, with often a trans- is from the Spanish, meaning folecat. verse shoulder stripe and sometimes Frank Dobie, The Longhorns, [Bos- zebra stripes on the legs. (J. ton, Little, Brown, 194.1], 24—25.) zorrillas (thor-reeriyahs) Cattle of the early longhorn breed,

Adios, and may you never get your spurs tangled up

I«2

Western Words

A DICTIONARY OF THE RANGE COW CAMP AND TRAIL

has been composed on the Linotype in eleven point Janson and nine 'point Caslon

and printed upon wove

antique paper

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS NORMAN

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