![]() "He sure is cutting a swell with the ladies." "Ol' Bill is a regular curly wolf, especially when he's drinkin' whiskey." Curly wolf: real tough guy, dangerous man.Crowbait: derogatory term for a poor-quality horse."He had big plans to get rich, but it all come a cropper, when the railroad didn't come through." Come a cropper: come to ruin, fail, or fall heavily.Copper a bet: betting to lose, or prepare against loss.Consumption: slang for pulminary tuberculosis.(Would rather sit around the coffee pot than help.) C lean his/your plow: to get or give a thorough whippin'.Chisel, chiseler: to cheat or swindle, a cheater.(From when pioneer men went West, leaving their wives to follow later.) California widow: woman separated from her husband, but not divorced.By hook or crook: to do any way possible.(Used as an exclamation.) "Bully for you!" Bully: Exceptionally good, outstanding."The Alhambra Saloon sells the boss whiskey in town." "He and the missus had a blow-up, but it's over, now." "Don't listen to him, that's just a lot of blow." Big bug: i mportant person, official, boss."There's a dance Saturday, so put on your best bib and tucker." Best bib and tucker: your best clothes.Between hay and grass: neither man nor boy, half-grown."He's been known to bend an elbow with the boys." (From killing a cow to make beef to eat.) "Curly Bill beefed two men in San Antonio." "Quit beatin' the devil around the stump and ask that girl to marry you." Beat the devil around the stump: to evade responsibility or a difficult task."When it comes to understanding women, boys, I am at sea." Arbuckle's: slang for coffee, taken from a popular brand of the time.(Reference to missing all nine pins at bowling.) All down but nine: missed the point, not understood.A lick and a promise: to do haphazardly."We went to the New Year's Eve dance and had us a hog-killin' time." According to Hoyle: Correct, by the book.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |