Old West glossary, no. 10

Montana cowboys, c1910

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

These are from Francis Lynde’s railroad novel, The Taming of Red Butte Western (1910), to be reviewed here later this week. Once again I struck out on a few. If anybody knows the Old West meaning of “monkey motions” or “wickerware,” leave a comment.

Locomotive, 1910

backcapper = someone who openly or quietly maligns others, and is therefore disliked. “Some of the backcappers will be telling you presently that I was a train despatcher over in God’s country, and that I put two trains together.” Francis Lynde, The Taming of Red Butte Western. 

bucky = general reference to a male. “You can bully and browbeat a lot of railroad buckies when you’re playing the boss act, but I know you!” Francis Lynde, The Taming of Red Butte Western.

Train wreck, 1911

Chaos and Old Night = deities in John Milton’s Paradise Lost who reign over the realm of Anarchy that lies between Heaven and Hell; used to describe a scene of disorder and confusion. “Chaos and Old Night: a pile of scrap with a hole torn in the middle of it as if by an explosion, and a fire going.” Francis Lynde, The Taming of Red Butte Western. 

deadhead = to make a trip without passengers or freight. “Benson returned from the west, coming in on a light engine that was deadheading from Red Butte to the Angels shops.” Francis Lynde, The Taming of Red Butte Western.

dub = an awkward person or player; a bungler. “I did see him; saw ’em both go through the little door, one after the other, and heard it slam before the other dub turned up.” Francis Lynde, The Taming of Red Butte Western.

Oregon Short Line rail car

flip-flap = a kind of somersault in which the performer throws himself over on his hands and feet alternately. “He will turn flip-flaps trying to make things pleasant for you, if you will give him the chance.” Francis Lynde, The Taming of Red Butte Western.

half-seas over = drunk, intoxicated, inebriated. “Tryon came down a few minutes ago, considerably more than half-seas over, and said he was ready to take his engine and the first section of the east-bound midnight – which would have been his regular run.” Francis Lynde, The Taming of Red Butte Western.

house of call = a place, usually a public house, where unemployed workmen assemble, ready for the call of employers. “Calico being the nearest approach to bunting obtainable at Jake Schleisinger’s emporium, two doors up from Red-Light Sammy’s house of call.” Francis Lynde, The Taming of Red Butte Western.

Man with imperial

imperial = small part of a beard growing below the lower lip. “The snapping black eyes, with the straight brows almost meeting over the nose, suggested Goethe’s Mephistopheles, and Flemister shaved to fit the part, with curling mustaches and a dagger-pointed imperial.” Francis Lynde, The Taming of Red Butte Western.

jerkwater = a train not running on the main line; so called from the jerking (drawing) of water to fill buckets for supplying a steam locomotive. “‘We are in the thick of things over on the jerkwater just now,’ he explained, ‘and I don’t like to stay away any longer than I have to.’” Francis Lynde, The Taming of Red Butte Western.

make a spoon or spoil a horn = make a determined effort to achieve something, whatever the cost; dates from the practice of making spoons out of the horns of cattle or sheep. “We shall either make a spoon or spoil a horn. How would you be fixed in the event of a telegraphers’ strike?” Francis Lynde, The Taming of Red Butte Western. 

Parlor car

mog = to walk or move along gently, slowly, and steadily. “I’m going to take a lantern and mog along up the track to see where they come together.” Francis Lynde, The Taming of Red Butte Western.

not on your tintype = absolutely not; a general term of derision, dismissal, denial. “Want to stay here and keep your feet warm while I go and do it? Not on your tintype, you yapping hound!” Francis Lynde, The Taming of Red Butte Western.

Julius Pintsch, 1815-1884

Pintsch = compressed gas developed by German inventor Julius Pintsch, used for lighting railroad cars. “The draftsman, facing the group under the Pintsch globe at the other end of the open compartment, stopped suddenly and his big jaw grew rigid.” Francis Lynde, The Taming of Red Butte Western.

scamp = to do something in a skimpy or slipshod fashion. “Don’t scamp your meals, Grady.” Francis Lynde, The Taming of Red Butte Western.

shindy = noise or commotion. “I’d have him safe under lock and key before the shindy begins tonight, if it was my job.” Francis Lynde, The Taming of Red Butte Western.

take a flyer = take a chance or risk. “Tell me, what man or men in the company’s service would be likely to be taking a flyer in Red Butte real estate?” Francis Lynde, The Taming of Red Butte Western. 

Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons

Coming up: Johnny D. Boggs, Northfield