Old West Words and Phrases

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Someone ta ride the river with-someone ya can trust

the old states-back east

get it in the neck-some thing really bad like gettin it in the neck

odd stick- a single person

mud sill- some thing that won't last.

Well, Del, ya got two correct , but not the other three (see below).

Someone to ride the river with ~ a person to be counted on; reliable; got it where it counts.
The Old States ~ back East.


Mudsill ~ low-life, thoroughly disreputable person.
Odd stick ~ eccentric person. "Ol' Farmer Jones sure is an odd stick."
Get it in the neck ~ get cheated, misled, bamboozled.

What I'm still tryin' to figger out is if Slim is a Mudsill or an Odd Stick, cuz ever time I have dealins with him I think I get it in the neck .

[Delmonico]

Capt. Ya got ta figger out Kansas City Trout before ya get's yer breakfast.  Course it could be Cinncinati Trout instead.   Sumthin' sounds fishy ta me here.  

[Russ T Chambers]

Gotta couple here, only one of which is widlife (sortta):

Bone Orchard

Reno Chowder (Del this is a local thing, and I'd be surprised if you have the recipe)

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Gotta couple here, only one of which is widlife (sortta):

Bone Orchard

Reno Chowder (Del this is a local thing, and I'd be surprised if you have the recipe)

Bone Orchard is a cemetery.  Don't know 'bout the Chowder.

[Delmonico]

Somethin' in tha back a my mind says it ain't nothin' but jackrabbit in potato soup, not sure, but somethin' in some damaged brain cells wants ta come out.  Don't know what else out there would make chowder.

Does any one want Hen Fruit with yer Kansas City Trout?

[Russ T Chambers]

Capt. Has the Bone Orchard right.

As the Reno Chowder is rather local I'll give it up.

When Reno decided to provide running water to some of it's citizens, they ran a canal off the Truckee river into a reservoir.  This had a screened intake to the new water system.  As the screen rotted, fish managed to get into the system.  When the pipes got smaller and smaller to keep up the pressure, they got stuck and died.  People were blessed with fish parts coming out of their nifty indoor plumbing.  Reno Chowder.

[Delmonico]

Sorry not just a local thing, the Romans and many Asian cultures enjoy a sauce made by pilin' fish and salt in a container settin' it in the sun and bottlin' the run off.  The word we refer to as either ketchup or catsup is from a Malaysian word meanin "picked fish sauce" this does not mean the sauce was from pickled fish.

One might be sure ta read the bottle ta make sure it says "Tomato Ketchup."  

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Does any one want Hen Fruit with yer Kansas City Trout?

Can't get much outa your hints but bacon.

[Delmonico]

Bout time, bacon it is.  By the 1870's KC was where most of the bacon and salt pork used in the West was made.  Up until then Cincinati was know as porkopolis, most of the cured pork used in that war between 1861-1865 was made in Cincinati.  Chicago didn't really get goin' good on pork thill the late 1880's ta early 1890's, they were more know for beef up until then.

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

A lick and a promise

Wake up/Woke up the wrong passenger

Sound on the goose

Ride shank's mare

[Russ T Chambers]

A lick and a promise

Wake up/Woke up the wrong passenger

Sound on the goose

Ride shank's mare

Hey more wildlife

Sound on the goose --  dependable

Ride shank's mare     --  walk

[Delmonico]

Lick and a promise- didn't put much effort inta the job or even stated the job and didn't finishit.

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Looks like Russ T and Del got three of 'em down.

A lick and a promise  ~ to do haphazardly. "She just gave it a lick and a promise."

Sound on the goose ~ true, staunch, reliable.

Ride shank's mare ~ to walk or be set afoot.


Some body needs to take a shot at this one.
Wake up/Woke up the wrong passenger

[Russ T Chambers]

Some body needs to take a shot at this one.
Wake up/Woke up the wrong passenger

Tain't wildlife, but we'll give 'er a shot.
irritate the wrong hombre?

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Some body needs to take a shot at this one.
Wake up/Woke up the wrong passenger

Tain't wildlife, but we'll give 'er a shot.
irritate the wrong hombre?

"Bout as close as you can get.

Wake up/Woke up the wrong passenger ~ to trouble or anger the wrong person.

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

"kyacks," "cross-bucks," and "aperejos"

[Delmonico]

aperejos-freight packs fer a mule, like Crook used.

The other two are also a type of pack saddle I believe.

[Russ T Chambers]

cross-bucks

Is this wildlife?

The only thing I can think of is a saw.  Not two or more irritated male deer.

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

No wildlife here.  Del got 'em right (again).

[Delmonico]

Mule skinners sometimes show up in my cook camp.   

For real seriously I know several.