20 Hilarious Slang Terms From The Wild West

Listen Here, You Hoity-Toity Tenderfoot

The American West was filled with colorful phrases. Who knows, your family might still resurrect a few terms now and then. But for those of us with boring dinners, it’s time we broke our horse and rode into the world of hilarious slang. Here are 20 of the best terms from back in the day.

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1. “Above Snakes”

Well, technically, we’re all above snakes—unless you were one of them unlucky cowpokes who lost a duel. Simply put, “above snakes” is a fancy way of saying that you’re alive. In the Old West, people commonly used it as another way to say they were above ground.

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2. “Highfalutin”

Ah, look at that highfalutin city boy. Don’t worry if that didn’t make any sense; this slang term hasn’t been popular since the 19th century! The earliest use of “highfalutin” was way back in 1839, and it was Wild West slang for “pompous” or “pretentious.”

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3. “A Hog-Killin’ Time”

You may remember this little number from Arthur Morgan’s run-in at the pig farm. However, for those of you who spared our cowboy’s fate, this strange phrase is another way of saying you’ll have a great time. You can trace its roots back to 1822.

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4. “A Lick and a Promise”

Born in the 1800s, this hilarious idiom signalled a poorly done job, often one completed in haste. The idea was that someone just gave a quick once-over with the promise to do better later. Not something you wanted to hear about your performance.

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5. “Backdoor Trots”

There’s no beating around the bush with this one, so we’ll cut to the chase—anyone with the runs had the “backdoor trots.” Given a cowboy’s diet back then, we’re guessing this one got used a lot.

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6. “Namby-Pamby”

You may have a few choice words for your enemies, but back in 1725, “namby-pamby” was the best we came up with for saccharine folk. With poets Ambrose Philips and Henry Carey at war, Carey first published his burn in a poem about his nemesis. The term stuck around, and soon those in the Wild West picked it up.

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7. “Taradiddle”

With a name like that, we bet your money’s on some kind of extravagant definition. Sadly, this hilarious term only means “a petty lie.” However, our favorite part about this word is its origins: historians traced its roots back to a book from 1785, Grose's Classical Dictionary of Vulgar Tongue.

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8. “Greasy Belly”

You’d think the camp cook would have garnered a little more respect, but around these parts, he’s only known as a “greasy belly.” We’re not sure what’s worse, “greasy belly” or “cookie,” but either way, those poor cattle drive cooks never stood a chance.

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9. “Hair in the Butter”

No, no. You don’t have a delicate situation on your hands; you have “hair in the butter.” It’s really just an idiom to describe an otherwise easy experience going awry. Its origins have been traced back to the American West, namely in Texas.

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10. “Hoity-Toity”

You’ve probably heard your grandparents say this once or twice (though we doubt grandma was a cowboy). Believe it or not, the earliest uses are from way back in the 1600s, but its definition changed by the time it reached the Wild West. By the 19th century, “hoity-toity” evolved from silly behavior to someone who acts self-important.

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11. “Tenderfoot”

“Tenderfoot” is as Western as it comes. The term was mainly used to describe newcomers, particularly those struggling to adapt to outdoor life. Basically, it was a small jab at people who needed to toughen up.

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12. “Higgledy-Piggledy”

Cowboys and ranchers may have used this term, but it actually traces back to the 1500s. Bizarre as it sounds, it’s a peculiar phrase for disorder or moving around aimlessly, likely originating from the chaotic movements of pig herds. Historians found its first use in 1598 in a book by John Florio.

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13. “Rumbumptious”

Technically, historians believe that this word’s a play on “rumbustious,” but we like the evolution better. Either term can be used to describe a boisterous person, though rumbustious was first to emerge in the 1700s. Rumbumptious didn’t pop up until the mid-1800s.

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14. “Barkin’ at a Knot”

Look at this fool, just barkin’ at a knot. In case you couldn’t glean it from the context, this jolly idiom simply describes a useless task. It can also be used to describe someone who’s wasting their time.

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15. “Paintin’ Your Nose”

Cowboys were hardly the first to use this term, but we think it suits the era a little better than Shakespeare’s time. “Nose paint” was initially discovered in Macbeth; some thought it referred to one’s nose reddening after a night of drink, but the famous playwright meant it as a naughty innuendo. However, official definitions were soon lost in translation, and eventually, it did become a term for getting smashed.

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16. “Scamper Juice”

While we’re on the subject, may we interest you in a glass of scamper juice? Try not to let your mind run wild—this term merely refers to whiskey. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where it came from, though “scamper” can be traced back to the 1600s.

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17. “Beetle-Crushers”

Leave it to the American West to think of colorful phrases for mundane items. It’s not enough to wear boots, no, sir. You have beetle-crushers, a common slang term for boots. To be fair, we can’t entirely blame cowboys; the term was also popular in 1860s Britain.

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18. “Wobblin’ Jaw”

Boy, that feller never shuts up—he’s got a real wobblin’ jaw. Back in the day, yappers were quickly branded with this term, a great way of saying someone talked too much. Don’t get too offended, though; the comment was usually playful.

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19. “Settle Your Hash”

I’ll settle your hash, see! Today, this term wouldn’t make you tremble in your beetle-crushers, but it was a pretty big threat back then. To “settle one’s hash” meant to deal with them violently. It was common in the 1800s, with “hash” referring to some kind of mess.

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20. “Prairie Pancakes”

This isn’t a breakfast option you want on your plate. In the Wild West, “prairie pancakes” referred to cow chips. It sounds a bit crass, but those patties were responsible for heat back then, so you might as well have a fun name for ‘em.

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