A

Adam’s Ale – Water.

Addle-pot – A spoil sport.

Atwixt – Between.

B

Bad Egg – A bad person.

Baker’s Dozen – Thirteen.

Balderdash – Nonsense.

Bamboozle – To deceive, impose upon, confound.

Bend an Elbow – Have a drink.

Bellyache – Complain.

C

Cahoots – Partnership, company or band.

Chap – A boy, lad, a fellow.

Chisel or Chiseler – To cheat or swindle. A cheater.

Close-Fisted – Stingy, mean.

Chow – Food, dinner.

Coon’s Age – A long time.

Cooling Yer Heels – Staying for a while.

D

Dead as a Door Nail – Utterly, completely dead.

Dicker – Barter, trade.

Dilly-Dally – To delay.

Ditty – A which-i-ma-call-it.

Douse-the–Lights – Lights out. Time to hit the hay.

Dyed in The Wool – Ingrained, thorough.

E

Eatin’ Irons – Silverware.

Euchered – To be outwitted or suckered into something.

F

Fetch – Bring, give. “Fetch me that hammer.”

Fiddle-Faddle – Trifling discourse, nonsense.

Firewater – Liquor.

Fish or Cut Bait – Do it or quit talking about it.

Fixin’ – Intending. “I’m fixin’ to get supper started.”

Fixin’s – Cooked food. Arrangements, embellishments, trimmings, garnishings.

G

Gitty-up – Go, move. A term used to get the horse to start moving.

Go the Whole Hog – Out and out in favor of anything.

Gospel Mill – Church.

Gotham – New York City.

Greased Lightning – Anything very fast.

Greenhorn – An easterner, innocent of cowboy ways.

H

Heap – A lot, many, a great deal. “He went through a heap of trouble to get her that piano.”

High-Falutin – Highbrow, fancy, self-important, pompous.

High Tail – To leave or ride off quickly.

Hit Pay Dirt – Mining term. To find something of value.

Ho Down – A party or celebration.

Hoosegow – Jail.

Hornswoggle – To cheat or trick, to pull the wool over one’s eyes.

I

Iron Horse – A railroad train.

J

Jawing – Talking. “We sat around the campfire just jawing.”

Jig is Up – Scheme/game is over, exposed.

John Barleycorn – Beer.

Joy Juice – Whiskey.

K

Knee-high to a… – Humorous description of short stature or youth.

L

Let On – To mention, disclose, betray a knowledge.

Lickety Split – Headlong, at full speed.

Lily Liver – Someone who is a coward.

Loco – Crazy.

Look-See – To investigate. “I think I’ll go have a look-see across that hill.”

M

Mad as a Hornet – Very mad.

Make Hay While the Sun Shines – To make the most of the day, or an opportunity.

Make Tracks – To leave, to walk away.

Mouthpiece – A lawyer.

N

Nary – None, not, zero.

Nigh Unto – Nearly, almost.

O

Odd Fish – A person who is eccentric or odd in his manners.

On the Fence – Neutral or undecided.

Out and Out – Wholly, completely, without reservation.

P

Pack Iron – To carry a revolver or “shooting iron”.

Pan Out – To pay well, prove profitable.

Persnickety – Peculiar, picky.

Pining Away For – Longing for.

Play Second Fiddle – To take an inferior part in any project or undertaking.

Pony Up – Pay over money. “Pony up that account.”

Pray Tell – Tell me.

R

Raisin’ Cain – Loud, noisy boisterous.

Reckon – To guess or think. “I reckon that’ll do right fine.”

Right as Rain – Fine. “After a good night’s rest, he’ll be right as rain.”

Roostered – Drunk.

Row – A fight.

Ruckus – Loud noise, voices, a racket.

S

Scallywag – A mean, rotten or worthless person.

Shindig – A dance, party, celebration.

Skedaddle – Scurry away or run like heck, get, leave, go. “I best skedaddle.”

Slap-Jacks – Pancakes

Spell – Time; for a while.

String – A line of horses.

T

Tarnation – A mild oath or explanation.

Ten Commandments – Fingers or nails.

Tenderfoot – A person new to the job, or a young person.

Timbers – Legs.

Three Ways from Sunday – Moving quickly; high-tailing it out of there.

Tit for Tat – I shall treat you as you treat me.

Tuckered Out – Tired, fatigued.

U

Up a Tree – In difficulty, cornered, unable to do anything.

Upper Story – The brain, the head. “He’s not right in his upper story.”

V

Vamoose – to disappear or leave quickly.

Varmint – A despicable, obnoxious, or annoying person.

W

Whole Kit and Caboodle – The entire thing.

Whapping – Very large.

Whuppin’ – Spanking.

Windies – Tall Tales.

Woolies – Sheep.

Y

Yammerin’ – Talking. “Drink yer coffee an’ quit yer yammerin’.”

Yarn – A story.

Yellow Belly – A coward.