Old West glossary, no. 8

Montana cowboys, c1910

Here’s another set of terms garnered from early western novels. Definitions were discovered in various online dictionaries, as well as Cassell’s Dictionary of Slang, Dictionary of the American West, The Cowboy Dictionary, and The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary.

These are from A. M. Chisholm’s Desert Conquest (1913) and  Herbert Henry Knibbs’ Overland Red (1914). Once again I struck out on a few. If anybody knows the meaning of “string one’s chips,” “dope book,” “kickie pants,” “stick to the bugs,” or “Red Cross beer” leave a comment.

alley = a china marble described as yellowish-white streaked with wavy lines of bluish green.  “She had a regular strawberry-ice-cream-soda complexion, and her eyes looked like a couple of glass alleys with electric lights in ’em.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

Alphonse and Gaston = a comic strip by Frederick Burr Opper, featuring a bumbling pair of Frenchmen with a penchant for politeness; first appeared in William Randolph Hearst's newspaper, the New York Journal, on September 22, 1901. “He’s out to down me, and I know it. There ain’t no Alphonse and Gaston stuff when he comes boilin’ out, pullin’ his gun.” A. M. Chisholm, Desert Conquest.

black dog = A bad mood, characterized by anger, depression, or a mixture of the two. “‘Th’ black dog is on him sure enough,’ he observed. ‘Since his dam was blowed up, he has th’ civil word for nobody.” A. M. Chisholm, Desert Conquest.

black pill = opium. “Faix, ’uts no murder to kill a Chinaman, but a bright jewel in me starry crown, ye long-nailed, rat-eatin’, harrse-haired, pipe-hittin’ slave iv th’ black pill!” A. M. Chisholm, Desert Conquest.

carry a load = to be intoxicated, drunk. “You’re actin’ locoed. Guess you’re carryin’ your load yet.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

Celestial = a Chinese person; derives from Celestial Empire, an ancient name for China. “And when the angry Celestial had gone he lay back in his chair, and laughed till he was weak.” A. M. Chisholm, Desert Conquest.

circuit binding = a style of limp-leather binding, used especially for Bibles and prayer books, in which the edges of the cover bend over to protect the edges of the pages. “He waved a hand at the formidable rows of half-calf and circuit bindings in his bookcase.” A. M. Chisholm, Desert Conquest.

compound = a locomotive steam engine. “Th’ man that invinted dynymite should have a set iv goold medals th’ size iv a compound’s dhrivers.” A. M. Chisholm, Desert Conquest.

cross fencing = fence lines that divide pastures within a piece of property. “There were many miles of it, inclosing some twenty thousand acres of grazing-land, and the cross-fencing of the oat, alfalfa, fruit, and vegetable acreage.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

dub = awkward, unskillful person. “‘Why, you old dub,’ cried Wade, ‘the wire is from Jim Hess, Clyde’s uncle’.” A. M. Chisholm, Desert Conquest.

Photo by mattbuck

dunnage = personal baggage. “You come out o’ there, take your horse and dunnage, and git.” A. M. Chisholm, Desert Conquest.

flannel mouth = a person whose speech is smoothly deceptive. “‘Me savvy you. You Ilishman, all same mick, all same flannel mout’.” A. M. Chisholm, Desert Conquest.

fly cop = plainclothes police man. “You’re worth a thousand bucks to any fly-cop that nips you in this town.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

foretop = a lock of hair growing above or arranged on a person’s forehead, a forelock. “His foretop was long, and he wore it over one ear like a hoss’s when the wind is blowin’.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

Photo by Christopher from Salem, OR, USA

Gat = a gun, short for Gatling gun. “If you’ll just stick me up and extract the .38 automatic I’m packin’ on my hip, - and, believe me, she’s a bad Gat. when she’s in action, - why, I’ll feel lots better.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

good Indian = dead man. “Still, knowing what Tom can do with a gun, I’m inclined to think that Cross is all same good Indian.” A. M. Chisholm, Desert Conquest.

grampus = any of several unpleasant creatures including the killer whale, the giant whip scorpion, and a giant salamander, with a flat body and head, beady dorsal eyes and slimy skin. “‘Nice little woman,’ he reflected. ‘Too nice too associate with that grampus.’” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

half-calf = leather book binding. “He waved a hand at the formidable rows of half-calf and circuit bindings in his bookcase.” A. M. Chisholm, Desert Conquest.

hep = understanding, aware (yeah, this word goes way back). “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her game and get hep to it.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

jimmies = a state of nervous agitation, the jitters; delirium tremens. “I was scared he was goin’ to have the jimmies.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

klootch = an Indian woman. “‘I’’m not a klootch,’ she flashed. ‘I’m a white woman, and when I wear a becoming dress I like somebody to tell me so’.” A. M. Chisholm, Desert Conquest.

lamps = eyes. “She just stood around chewin’ gum and rollin’ her lamps at the head guy.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

Photo by Dave (Dave's Garden)

moon vine = or moon flower (pomoea alba), a species of night-blooming morning-glory. “He waved a gauntleted salute to Aunt Eleanor, who stood on the porch, drawing a leaf of the graceful moon-vine through her slender fingers.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

Mustang Liniment = or Mexican Mustang Liniment, a patent medicine and all-purpose palliative, made in St. Louis (not Mexico) by Dr. A. G. Bragg and later by the Lyon Manufacturing Company; ingredients varied, one recipe calling for equal parts petroleum, olive oil and carbonate of ammonia. “Cut my first tooth on a book of pomes ma got for a premium with Mustang Liniment.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

neck yoke = a bar by which the end of the tongue of a wagon or carriage is suspended from the collars of the harnesses. “You’ll eat apples and sugar out of her hand, and if you so much as lay back our ears at her I’ll frale your sinful heart out with a neck yoke.” A. M. Chisholm, Desert Conquest.

No. 9 = Irish whiskey. “‘A little number nine, Billy. Here’s a ho!’ He set his glass down, and faced Cross.” A. M. Chisholm, Desert Conquest.

pipe = to follow, pursue, inspect. “I think he piped me as I blew in, but I ain’t sure.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

Potlatch, photo by Edward Curtis, 1914

potlatch = a ceremonial feast among certain Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest, involving the giving of gifts. “And as for dress, the average woman piles a lot of truck on her like a klootch at a potlatch.” A. M. Chisholm, Desert Conquest.

rattler = rickety vehicle, esp. a train. “A couple of years after that I was beatin’ it on a rattler goin’ west, and I drops off at that town.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

red-eye = strong, poor quality whisky. “Billy Dime might make it if he didn’t get too much red-eye in him first.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

rifle pit = a pit or short trench affording shelter to riflemen in firing at an enemy. “It was a natural rifle-pit affording him seclusion and shelter.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

Silver dollar, 1899, photo by samjpshen

roller = a dollar. “But don’t forget the eight rollers and four bits. I need ten, but eight-fifty will do.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

Rurales = name commonly used to designate the Mexican Guardia Rural (Rural Guard): a force of mounted police or gendarmerie that existed between 1861 and 1914. “It would take a whole reg’ment of Rurales to keep us from a breakfast if we seen one runnin’ around loose without its pa or ma.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

slashing = very fine, splendid. “Immediately after dinner Casey brought up his road team, two wiry, slashing chestnuts.” A. M. Chisholm, Desert Conquest.

Texas Tommy = a popular dance originating around 1910 in the dancehalls of the Barbary coast in San Francisco. “I’ve been trainin’ some chickens to do the Texas Tommy.” Henry Herbert Knibbs, Overland Red.

Picture credits: wikimedia.org

Coming up: Jack Thorp, Along the Rio Grande