Tarnation! The funniest examples of cowboy slang
Do you ever wonder what some of those words mean when you’re watching a Western, reading a historical novel, or even listening to country music? Cowboys in the old Wild West had an extensive lexicon of slang that’s hard for us to figure out today. Yet other sayings remain in everyday use (albeit primarily in certain regions of the US).
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“bear sign” means donut! in cowboy lingo Bet you didn’t know there were donuts in the Wild West!
howdy” was originally a shortened form of the inquiry “How do ye?” It’s still commonly used across the Southern US.
“Hard money” is a common term for silver and gold, rather than actual paper money.
Hitch in the giddy-up This expression means one isn’t feeling well, as in “I’ve had a hitch in my giddy-up the last couple of days.”
Overland trout In case you were wondering, “overland trout” is cowboy slang for bacon.
Bad egg Don’t confuse this expression with an actual bad egg. In cowboy lingo, “bad egg” is used to describe someone bad, dishonest,
or unreliable.
Desert canary “Desert canary” is cowboy slang for a donkey.
Wobblin’ jaw This expression describes someone who talks a lot. “I like him, but he’s a bit of a wobblin’ jaw.”
All down but nine “All down but nine” described missing the point or not understanding something. It’s a reference for missing all
nine pins in bowling.
That dog won’t hunt “That dog won’t hunt” is a dismissive phrase, used to mean that a particular idea or approach is going to fail.
“Tenderfoot” is used to describe someone young, inexperienced, or new to a job. “Our daughter may be a tenderfoot, but she’s a great horse rider.”
Acknowledge the corn” means to confess or acknowledge a lie or failure.
“Barn sour” describes a horse that wants nothing more than to stay put in the barn.
“Brown gargle” is one of many colorful cowboy terms for coffee.
“Airin’ the lungs” is cussing. “Hey, no airin’ the lungs out here!”