THE VERY BIG LIST OF MELODRAMA SLANG & Jargon
Here's a compendium of terms, interjections, slang, and jargon that you simply must know!
In case you had ever wondered what some of them thar’ words used in melodramas meant ... here is a compilation of old west slang from the pages of period newspapers, books, memoirs, and multitude of resources. Some of the actual slang of old west style melodramas is a bit different than what you would have heard in the actual old west. Today we would not quite comprehend all that was spoken back then and so in modern melodramas we make some "adjustments". Still ... this guide of authentic old west terminology is one that will help ya-all understand the goin's on in your next melodrama. Some terms might be politically incorrect in our current world, but we left them in for sake of historical accuracy. If any of them truly offend you ... send us an email and we will delete the offending phrase ... it is not our intention to get your dander up.
Above snakes - Above
ground. Said of a man who is still alive.
Ace-high -
First class,
respected.
According to
Hoyle - Correct or by the book.
Afeared -
Being scared or frightened.
A hog-killin'
time - A real good time. "We went to the New Year's
Eve dance and had us a hog-killin' time."
A lick and a
promise - To do haphazardly. "She just gave it a
lick and a promise."
All down but
nine - Missed the point, not understood. (Reference
to missing all nine pins at bowling.)
All horns and
rattles - or mad as a peeled rattler - or mad enough
to swallow a horn-toad backwards.
At sea -
At a
loss, not comprehending. "When it comes to
understanding women, boys, I am at sea."
Back down -
To yield or to retract.
Bad as Mack -
Calling someone a villain or a scoundrel. Referring
to the legendary character of Professor Mack in old
west mythology.
Badlands -
From a French term meaning "bad country for travel."
The term applied to barren areas and other
inhospitable western locations.
Barkin’ at a
knot - To do something utterly useless or wasting
time.
Bazoo -
Mouth. - "Shut your big fat bazoo."
Bear sign -
Cowpoke term for what would be modern donuts. A cook
who could and would make them was highly regarded.
Beat the
devil around the stump - To evade responsibility or
a difficult task. "Quit beatin' the devil around the
stump and ask that girl to marry you."
Bedroll -
The
old west sleeping bag consisting of several blankets
rolled together that one could spread out near the
campfire.
Bellyaching -
The act of complaining. Used as in “stop yer
bellyaching!”
Bender - Drunk. "He's off
on another bender."
Between hay
and grass - Neither man nor boy, half-grown.
Best bib and
tucker - Your best clothes. "There's a dance
Saturday, so put on your best bib and tucker."
Biddy -
A hen
and also a term used to refer to a nagging or
complaining woman.
Big bug - An
important person, official, boss. "He's one of the
railroad big bugs."
Bilk -
To
cheat.
Bloomers -
Frilled women's' trousers gathered about the ankles
and worn under skirts.
Blow -
Boast,
brag. "Don't listen to him, that's just a lot of
blow."
Blowhard -
Braggart, bully.
Blow-up - A
fit of anger. "He and the missus had a blow-up, but
it's over, now."
Bluff -
To
trick or deceive (obviously from cards but used in
the vernacular).
Bodaciously -
An exaggeration of "bodily”. As in “It's a mercy
that the cowardly varmints hadn't used you up
Bodaciously.”
Boiled Shirt
- A freshly washed and starched shirt ... suitable
for going to the doxology works (church).
Bone orchard
- A cemetery or alternatively used as bone yard.
Bosh -
Nonsense - mostly used as an interjection or blurted
out.
Boss - The best, top.
"The Alhambra Saloon sells the boss whiskey in
town."
Bulldoze -
To
bully, threaten, coerce.
Bully -
Exceptionally good or outstanding. (An exclamation.)
"Bully for you!"
Bumpkin -
A dullard or
simple person … an oaf … usually of no means.
Bunkhouse -
Where cowboys slept when on the ranch.
Buzzard Food
- Dead … “pushing up the daisies”.
By Hook or
Crook - To do any way possible.
Cad - A
villain, a viper, a fiend, a muggings, or a
contemptible scoundrel.
Calaboose -
jail.
Calico - A
nickname for women given to them by their cowboy
which came from the popular material of one with two
or more colors that many of the old west dresses
were made. Modern equivalent would be "Honey",
"Sweetie pie", "Sugar" from foods.
California
widow - A woman separated from her husband, but not
divorced. (From when pioneer men went West, leaving
their wives to follow later.)
Carryings-on
- Frolicking or partying ... just having a grand old
time.
Catawampously -
Also used
as 'catawamptiously'. Meaning fiercely or eagerly.
Chaps -
(short for
chaparejos) Which were leather breeches that the
cowboy wears over his jeans to protect his legs as
he rode through brush or maneuvered cattle.
Chip Wagon -
The wagon
that hauled cattle chips that were used as fuel
where wood was scarce.
Chisel or chiseler -
To
cheat or swindle, a cheater.
Chuck - Another word for
food ... consisted of frijoles, (dried beans),
coffee (coffin varnish if it was bad coffee), jerky
(dried beef) son of a bitch stew (made from calf
brains, tongue, liver, kidneys and heart mixed with
vegetables which was a cowboy favorite, and
sourdough bread.
Chuck Wagon -
This wagon earned its name from the cowboy who
referred to food as “chuck.”
Clean his
plow - To get or give a thorough whippin'.
Conniption
Fit - Country slang for hysterics or temper tantrum
Consumption -
Slang for pulmonary tuberculosis.
Copper a bet
- Betting to lose or being prepared against loss.
"I'm just coppering my bets."
Come a
cropper - Come to ruin, fail, or fall heavily. "He
had big plans to get rich, but it all come a
cropper, when the railroad didn't come through."
Cookie -
The
camp cook. Also called bean master, belly cheater,
dough wrangler or gut robber.
Cotton to -
To take a liking to.
Couldn’t hit
a bull’s but with a handful of banjos - A person
with bad aim.
Crinoline - A
dome shaped undergarment, was used to widen skirts
and was quite detested
Croaker - A
pessimist, doomsayer. "Don't be such an old
croaker."
Crowbait -
A
derogatory term for a poor-quality horse.
Cut a swell -
To present a fine figure. "He sure is cutting a
swell with the ladies."
Curses -
A
villain’s interjection of disgust. Also consider
using words like drat, egad, consarn, gol-durn,
dad-burn, blazes, gadzooks, all-fired, dog-gone,
cuss, goldarned, by gosh, tarnation, jackass,
son-of-a-gun, egad, odsbodkins. Sure, the west was
wild, but melodramas are to be stereotypical family
friendly renditions of Hero versus Villain stories …
not letter perfect literature … gol-durn it.
Derringer
(parlor gun) - Gun was used by gamblers and dance
hall girls. It was a small one-shot pistol and
easily concealed.
Dicker -
Barter or trade.
Difficulty -
A euphemism for trouble, often the shootin' or
otherwise violent kind. "He had to leave Texas on
account of a difficulty with a gambler."
Directly -
Soon. - "She'll be down, directly."
Deadbeat - A
bum, a layabout or useless person.
Dinero - From
the Spanish. A word for money used in the Western
States.
Dog Robber -
Old Civil War term for one pulled from the ranks to
act as cook.
Don't get
your dander up - Don’t get anxious or
too overly
excited.
Don’t go
wakin’ snakes - A reminder not to make waves or
cause trouble.
Do tell -
Phrase used to express fascination with a speaker's
subject.
Down on -
Opposed to. - "His wife is really down on drinking
and cigars."
Doxology
works - A church.
Dragged out -
Fatigued, worn out.
Draw quickern’ you could
spit and holler howdy - A man that was quick on the
draw.
Dreadful -
Very. "Oh, her
dress is dreadfully pretty."
Dry gulch -
To ambush.
Dude -
An
Easterner, or anyone in up-scale town clothes,
rather than plain range-riding or work clothes.
Dad-gum -
A
softer version of the “gol-darn” swear word to use
around women and children in the old west.
Eucher -
To
out-smart someone or to be outwitted or suckered
into something. (Comes from an old card game).
Egad -
A
villain’s interjection of disgust or surprise.
Fandango -
From the Spanish. Meaning a big party with lots of
dancing and excitement.
Faro -
A card game that
took its name from faroon, a derivative of pharaon
(pharaoh). The Pharaoh was the king of hearts in a
regular deck of cards. Players bet on the order in
which cards would be drawn from a box.
Feeling
“wrathy" - Being quite angry.
Fetch -
Bring, give. "Fetch me that hammer." / "He fetched
him a punch in the nose."
Fine as cream
gravy - Very good, top notch, top drawer.
Fish -
A cowboy's rain
slicker, from a rain gear manufacturer whose
trademark was a fish logo. "We told him it looked
like rain, but left his fish in the wagon anyhow."
Fit to be
tied - Angry.
Fit as a
fiddle - Generally used to me “in very good health”.
Fixin' -
Intending. "Stop your bellyaching … I'm fixin' to
get supper started."
Flannel mouth
- An overly smooth or fancy talker, especially
politicians or salesmen. "I swear that man is a
flannel-mouthed liar."
Flush -
Prosperous, rich.
Foiled Again
- A villain’s final interjection of disgust in
losing out or being arrested by the town sheriff.
Actually referring to being wounded or poked with a
fencing foil or other sword fighting implement.
Being bested by an opponent.
Fork over -
Pay out.
Four-flusher
- A cheat or swindler or liar. Someone claiming they
have a "flush" which requires 5 cards ... when they
only have 4 in their hand.
Frump - A
plain or almost ugly lady.
Full as a
tick - Inebriated or at least drunk.
Fuss - A
disturbance. "They had a little fuss at the saloon."
Game -
To
have courage, guts, gumption. "He's game as a wild
boar." Willing to do something daring.
Get a wiggle on - Hurry
up!
Get it in the
neck - Get cheated, misled, or bamboozled.
Get your back up -
To get
angry. "Don't get your back up, he was only joking."
Get the
mitten - To be rejected by a lover. "It looks like
Rainbow just gave that villain Basil Blackthorne the
mitten."
Give in - To
yield.
Gol-Darn -
(or Gol-Dern) - A softer version of the obvious
swear words.
Goner -
Lost
or dead.
Gone up the
flume - Same as goner.
Gospel mill -
A church.
Gospel sharp
- A preacher.
Got the bulge
- To have the advantage. "We'll get the bulge on
him, and take his gun away."
Go through
the mill - To gain experience and doing it the hard
way.
Grand -
Excellent or beautiful. "Oh, the Christmas
decorations look just grand!"
Granger -
A
farmer.
Grinn’ like a possum
eatin’ a yellow jacket - This colorful phrase means
to be happy or embarrassed.
Grass widow -
A divorcee. Not to be confused with the old west
phrase of “to get grassed” which meant to be thrown
from a horse.
Gringo - A
derogatory word for Anglos. It comes from a
shortening of the title of a popular song during the
Mexican War: "Green Grow the Lilacs."
Grubstake -
To provide the materials a prospector needs,
including food and money, in return for a percentage
of any claim that the prospector might find.
Hang fire - Delay. Phrase
comes from a pistol that has a delay in firing a
bullet well after the trigger is pulled and hammer
strikes the cartridge.
Hanker or
Hankering - A strong wish, want or desire.
Hard case -
A
worthless person, bad man.
Hard Knocks -
Hard times or ill use.
Heap -
A lot,
many, a great deal. "He went through a heap of
trouble to get her that piano."
Here's how! -
An old west toast, such as today’s “cheers” or
“Here's to your health you low down cur of a man”.
Heeled - To
be armed with a gun. "He wanted to fight me, but I
told him I was not heeled." Used more in the big
city or by “city slickers”.
Here's how! -
A toast, such as Here's to your health.
High-falutin
- Highbrow or stuck up.
Hill of Beans
- Something of trifling value, as in “it ain’t worth
a hill of beans.”
Homespun -
Homemade.
Hounds -
Rowdies of the gold-rush days of San Francisco.
Hit pay dirt
- Originated as a mining term meaning to find
something of value.
Hobble your
lip - Shut up or shut your mouth.
Hold a candle
to - To measure up or compare to. From the old
method to determine if an egg is fertile or not.
Hold your
horses - Stay calm. "Hold your horses, we're on our
way."
Honky-tonk -
A cheap saloon or dance hall frequented by the
cowboy when in town.
Hoosegow -
Term for jail. From the Spanish word “juzgado”
meaning courthouse.
Horse
feathers - Ridiculous.
In apple pie
order - In top shape.
Iron Horse -
A railroad or train with engine.
Is that a
bluff, or do you mean it for real play? -
Are you
serious?
Jailbird - A
criminal
Jawing -
Another word for talking. "We sat around the
campfire just jawing."
Jig is up -
Used when a villain’s scheme or plan is over or
exposed.
Jumpy as a
toad - Melodrama folk often used colorful phrases to
exaggerate the current situation for effect. “Dry as
a bone” or “Rare as hen’s teeth” or “Ugly as a
bucket of mud” or “Fine as frog’s hair” or even
“Purdy as a new calico dress” or “He’d as soon burn
us at the stake just to light his cigar” or “He’s
the Biggest Toad in the Puddle” or “Slower than
molasses in January” or “Worse off than a cat in a
roomful of rockers” or “Poor as Job's turkey” or
“Smart as a steel trap” or “He could whip his weight
in angry cats” or “Easy ... like lickin' butter off
a knife”.
Jumpin
Jehosaphats - An interjection of “You gots' to be
plumb kiddin’.
Keep that dry
- Keep it secret (from referring to gunpowder or
food stuffs)
Kick up a row
- To create a disturbance.
Lands Sake! -
An acceptable alternative term of profanity that was
used mostly around ladies or children.
Let slide/ let drive/ let
fly - Go ahead, let go. "If you think you want
trouble, then let fly."
Like a
thoroughbred - Like a gentleman.
Like lickin'
butter off a knife - Something that is easy or not
hard to do.
Long-Rider -
An outlaw, someone who usually had to stay in the
saddle for an extended period of time while on the
run from a crime.
Lunger -
Slang for someone with tuberculosis.
Make a mash -
Make a hit, impress someone. (Usually a female)
"Buck's tryin' to make a mash on that new girl."
Mudsill -
Low-life, thoroughly disreputable person.
Man alive -
Exclamation expressing surprise, shock, etc.; alt.,
"sakes alive".
Nailed to the
counter - Proven a lie.
Namby-pamby -
Sickly,
sentimental, saccharin.
No-account -
Worthless. As in “Just ignore that no-account man”.
Odd stick -
Eccentric person. "Ol' Farmer Jones sure is an odd
stick."
Of the first
water - First class. "He's a gentleman of the first
water."
Offish -
Distant, reserved, aloof.
On the shoot
- Looking for trouble. "Looks like he's on the
shoot, tonight."
On the prod -
A man or
critter that is “looking for trouble”.
Ornary -
Mean. Used as in “That ornary cuss of a red-haired,
cross-eyed bar-keep.”
Pay through
the nose - To over-pay or have to pay the
consequences.
Peacemaker or
Colt .45 - The most popular pistol which was used
for killing snakes, kill sick or injured cattle or
even villains at times.
Peter out -
Dwindle away.
Pig Sticker -
Knife or bayonet.
Piled on the
Agony - To add insult to injury.
Play to the
gallery - To show off. "That's just how he is,
always has to play to the gallery."
Played out -
Exhausted.
Plunder -
Personal belongings. "Pack your plunder, Joe, we're
headin' fer San Francisco."
Plumb (or
plum) - Entirely or completely as in “you are plumb
right”.
Picayune -
A
term used to signify something very small or
frivolous. Also a small newspaper.
Pony up -
Hurry up or “get a move on”.
Powerful - Very. "He's a
powerful rich man."
Prairie coal
- Dried cow manure, used to build cook fires in
treeless areas. Transported in a "chip wagon".
Promiscuous -
Reckless or careless. "He was arrested for a
promiscuous display of firearms."
Proud - Glad.
"I'm proud to know you."
Pshaw or Shaw
- An expression of contempt, incredulity, or
disbelief.
Pull in your
horns - Back off or quit looking for trouble.
Put a spoke
in the wheel - To foul up or sabotage something.
Reckon -
To
guess or think. "I reckon that'll do right fine."
Retiracy - Retirement. As
in “If we didn't elect him, he'd go into retiracy.”
Rich -
Amusing, funny, or improbable. As used in the
example … "Oh, that's rich!"
Rip-roaring,
rip-staver, rip-snortin' - An impressive person,
event or thing.
Roostered -
Drunk. "Looks like those cowboys are gettin' all
roostered up."
Sam Hill - A
euphemism for the devil. “What in the sam hill is
that feller yellin’ fer?”
Sawbones -
A
surgeon or doctor or someone the town delegates that
duty.
Scatter gun -
An old west name for a shotgun ... actually a quite
accurate description.
Sharp’s rifle
- A single shot rifle used to hunt big game. It was
later replaced by the Henry and the Winchester
repeater weapons of the 1860’s, but the phrase hung
in for a while as a generic description of a "big
gun".
Shave tail -
A green, inexperienced person.
Shin out - To
run away. (See Vamoose.)
Shindy -
An
uproar or confusion.
Shut pan -
Shut up or be quiet.
Soaked -
Yet
another word for “drunk”.
Shecoonery -
A mispronounced corruption of chicanery.
Shoddy -
Of
poor quality.
Shoot, Luke,
or give up the gun - Do it or quit talking about it.
Shooting iron
and six-shooter - Slang expressions for a gun.
Shoot one's
mouth off - To talk nonsense. "He was shootin' his
mouth off."
Shucks -
A
general mild surprise word almost embarrassed in
nature. Also used means worthless people or things
(corn or pea shucks). “He ain't wuth shucks”.
Skedaddle -
To run like heck or to flee. (See vamoose).
Skeery or
skeerd - To be afraid or cautious.
Square - A
term used to conclude a deal to make good on a debt.
Squatter -
The term for someone who settles on land without
legal title, a widespread practice in the Old West.
Soaked -
Yet
another word that means “to be drunk”.
Soft solder -
Flattery. "All that soft solder won't get you
anywhere."
Someone to
ride the river with - A person to be counted on;
reliable; got it where it counts.
Sound on the
goose - True, staunch, reliable.
Sow belly -
Salt pork taken on the trail for provisions.
Stand the
gaff - Take punishment in good spirit. "He can
really stand the gaff."
Stetson -
A
favorite cowboy hat brand name, used interchangeably
with hat.
Stumped -
Confused.
Superintend -
Oversee, supervise. "He just likes to superintend
everything."
Swamper -
The
job of being a cook's helper or dishwasher on the
trails.
Tack -
One of
the many horse terms that were used for other
meanings. Tack meant a horse's riding equipment,
including saddle and bridle ... but could be used to
define a cowboy's gear also. Here’s some other
ridin' terminology that you’ll want to be familiar
with in the old west. Bridle - horse’s headgear
during riding. Bit - the horse’s mouthpiece. Gaits -
the speeds the horse travels, including walk, trot
and canter. Halter - the equipment worn on horse’s
head for leading or tying.
Thar’ -
A
repetitive word of pointing out something as in …
"them thar’ hills."
Take on -
Grieve. "Don't take on so."
Tarantula
juice, red-eye or anti-fogmatic - Other words for
Whiskey.
Tenderfoot -
A novice cowboy or “city slicker” that ends up on
the trail.
The Old
States - Another way to say … back East.
The whole kit
and caboodle - The entire thing.
The Law - An
alternative to “The Sheriff”.
Throw a
"Sockdologer" - A very powerful punch.
Throw up the sponge -
To
quit, give up or surrender. Comes from fights where
a sponge is thrown up to all the fight to an end.
The modern version of the saying is to "throw in the
towel" which comes from the same sport and the same
intention.
Tie to - Rely on. "He's a
man you can tie to."
Tote - To carry.
Two Whoops and a Holler -
A way of saying “Not far away”.
Tuckered out
- A way to say exhausted. As in “She was plumb
tuckered out”.
Unshucked -
Cowboy talk for naked. An unshucked gun is out of
it’s holster.
Up the spout -
Gone to
waste or to say something is ruined.
Uppity -
Another word for
arrogant.
Varment or Varmint - A
wild animal or objectionable person.
Vamoose -
To disappear or
leave quickly or simply to leave.
Wake snakes -
To raise a
ruckus. ”He was so laud he’d wake snakes”.
Wind up - To settle or
finish something. "Let's wind up this business and
go home."
Whitewash -
To gloss over or hide one's faults or shortcomings.
Yammerin' -
Quit talking. "Drink yer coffee an' quit yer
yammerin'."
Yellow Belly
- A Coward.
Yourn’ - A
form of 'yours', as in "This un's mine, that un's
yourn."
Yup - (Let’s
finish with an easy one.) Slang for agreement … yes
... sure ... why not.