Western Word of the Week - The Whole 9 Yards - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

The Whole 9 Yards - everything; a whole lot; all the way

Origin of the term: Hellcat fighters had trays nine yards long that held 400 rounds of 50-caliber ammunition; when they used all the ammunition they "gave them the whole 9 yards"

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Basket Case - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Basket Case - soemone who was emotionally or mentally unstable

Origin of the term: Soldiers with post traumatic syndrom would weave baskets as therapy

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - No Man's Land - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

No Man's Land - land that is unoccupied or disputed

Origin of the term: During World War 1, soldiers would dig trenches on either side of a battlefield. For anyone to jump up out of the trench and move forward would be risking their life. Therefore, that space between the trenches became a deadzone or a no man's land.

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Ironclad - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Ironclad - impenetrable; unbreakable

Origin of the term: War ships in the 1860's were covered with iron plating and considered rock-solid or undestructable

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Going on a Bender - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Going on a Bender - to drink too much alcohol; binge drinking; drinking for a long period

Origin of the term: To bend the elbow to drink whiskey in more frequent drinking

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Pass the Buck - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Pass the Buck - to hand something off onto someone else (usually something unpleasant)

Origin of the term: During poker game, a buck knife would be pssed before a player on his turn

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Showboating - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Showboating - flashy; showing off

Origin of the term: A new class of steamboats were created that were super-fancy and even had theatres.

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Hogwash - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Hogwash - nonsense; dirty food or water

Origin of the term: Before pigs or hogs were allowed onto a ship, they had to be scrubbed. The dirty water was called "hog wash".

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Let Off Steam - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Let Off Steam - to vent or complain to relieve some anger or frustration

Origin of the term: Robert Fulton's steamboat allowed boats to go upriver easily, but they're engines were prone to explosions. So there was a safety valve installed on them to release some steam and prevent an explosion.

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Barge into Someone - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Barge into Someone - run forcefully into someone

Origin of the term: River barges could only go downstream and had little manueverability so they would bang into other boats and barges on their journey

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Bark up the Wrong Tree - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Bark up the Wrong Tree - to follow the wrong course; bothering someone; to pursue a fruitless activity

Origin of the term: Hunting dogs something got distracted by a scent and barked at empty trees

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang Labels: Scotland, Ireland, america, american, cowboy, historic, history, old west, reference, research, west, western, words, writer, writing, vocabulary

Western Word of the Week - Trailblazing - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Trailblazing - being the first to conquer/discover something/somewhere

Origin of the term: People made trails in unexplored woods and marked their tracks with a "blaze" (a white mark) on a tree

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Backwoods - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Backwoods - rural; uneducated; hillbilly

Origin of the term: Colonial Times: Scots-Irish people (who at that time in America were poor, rowdy, uneducated, rebellious, hillbilly) moved into the woods back from the coasts and thus "backwoods" people became associated with hillbillies

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Bury the Hatchet - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Bury the Hatchet - to forgive someone/something

Origin of the term: Iroquois would literally bury a hatchet in the ground to indicate a peace treaty

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Fly off the Handle - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Fly off the Handle - to lose control; lose control of one's anger

Origin of the term: Scots-Irish: Axe heads weren't always well-secured on their handles and could possibly fly off dangerously

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Redneck - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Redneck - a derogatory term for someone from a rural area who was less educated; moron; hillbilly

Origin of the term: In 1600's Scotland, during the religious wars, supporters of the National Covenant and The Solemn League and Covenant, or Covenanters, largely Lowland Presbyterians would wear red cloth around their necks.

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Half-Cocked - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Half-Cocked, Go Off Half-Cocked - ill-prepared; premature; impulsive

Another Revolutionary term dealing with Muskets. The operation of a musket was lengthy and had many steps. If the hammer was half-cocked because the user was in a hurry, it would not drop correctly when triggered and would not fire.

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Skid Row - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share.

Skid Row or skidrow - logging road; came to be known as a poor or impoverished neighborhood

Origins of the term:
For logging road, a "skid" was a greased log.
Neighborhoods used to be known as "rows".

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Pork Barrel - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share. Since we're in the midst of presidential campaigns and races, it seemed like a good time to talk about some of the terms we hear in those all the time...

Pork Barrel or Pork Barrel Projects - funding secured by politicians to go back into their local districts but is paid for by taxpayers who won't necessarily benefit

Origin of the term: During the period of slavery, barrels of salt pork would be set out for slaves who would then clambor to get their shares

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang

Western Word of the Week - Dark Horse - #WesternWordoftheWeek #WesternWednesdays

Howdy!

Thanks for returning to our Western Word of the Day column. The next few weeks I'm drifting a little bit away from what we think of as truly "western" words to focus on some other vocabulary term that I've learned and wanted to share. Since we're in the midst of presidential campaigns and races, it seemed like a good time to talk about some of the terms we hear in those all the time...

Dark Horse - an unknown or little known horse (or candidate) enters the race

Source:
History Channel, "America's Secret Slang" video series
www.history.com/shows/americas-secret-slang