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Stories from the Golden Age reflect the words and expressions used in the 1930s and 1940s, adding unique flavor and authenticity to the tales. While a character’s speech may often reflect regional origins, it also can convey attitudes common in the day. So that readers can better grasp such cultural and historical terms, uncommon words or expressions of the era, the following glossary has been provided. batwings: long chaps (leather leggings the cowboy wears to protect his legs) with big flaps of leather. They usually fasten with rings and snaps. beat, see the: to hear of or to see someone or something better than or surpassing (someone or something else). Chisholm Trail: a cattle trail leading north from San Antonio, Texas, to Abilene, Kansas; used in the late 1800s for about twenty years after the Civil War to drive cattle northward to the railhead of the Kansas Pacific Railway, where they were shipped eastward. Colt: the cowboy’s favorite gun, also known as the Peacemaker. It was the earliest type of revolver, invented and manufactured by Samuel Colt (1814–1862), who revolutionized the firearms industry. combines: combinations of persons or groups for the furtherance of political, commercial or other interests. court to, paid: tried to win somebody’s love. cow town: a town at the end of the trail from which cattle were shipped; later applied to towns in the cattle country that depended upon the cowman and his trade for their existence. coyote: a contemptible person, especially a greedy or dishonest one. Custer’s Last Stand: also known as the Battle of the Little Bighorn, a battle between US Cavalry troops and Native Americans in 1876 near the Little Bighorn River in what is now Montana. The battle was the most famous incident in the Indian Wars, in which a US Cavalry detachment commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer was annihilated. Derringer: a pocket-sized, short-barreled, large-caliber pistol. Named for the US gunsmith Henry Deringer (1786–1868), who designed it. diggings: living quarters; lodgings. ’dobe: short for adobe; a building constructed with sun-dried bricks made from clay. don: (Spanish) Mr.; a title of respect before a man’s first name. dragnet: to systematically search for a wanted person. fastnesses: remote and secluded places; secure places, well protected by natural features. forty-one or .41: Derringer .41-caliber short pistol. Named for the US gunsmith Henry Deringer (1786–1868), who designed it. gumbo: soil that turns very sticky and muddy when it becomes wet; found throughout the central US. hell on skates: also “hell on wheels”; very impressive. Hickok: James Butler Hickok or better known as Wild Bill Hickok (1837–1876), a legendary figure in the American Old West. After fighting in the Union army during the Civil War, he became a famous army scout and, later, lawman and gunfighter. Holliday: John Henry “Doc” Holliday (1851–1887), an American dentist, gambler and gunfighter of the Old West frontier. He is usually remembered for his association with the famous marshal of the Arizona Territory, Wyatt Earp, whom he joined in the gunfight at the OK Corral against members of the Clanton gang of suspected cattle rustlers. hoss: horse. in arms: up in arms; ready to take action; outraged. iron: a handgun, especially a revolver. jasper: a fellow; a guy. jerk: to preserve (meat, especially beef) by cutting in strips and curing by drying in the sun. Judge Colt: a Colt designed by Samuel Colt. This was a handgun with a revolving cylinder of chambers allowing six shots to be fired without reloading. Over the years the revolver was given nicknames including “Judge Colt and his jury of six” or “Judge Colt.” KC: Kansas City. livery stable: a stable that accommodates and looks after horses for their owners. lynch mob: a group of people who capture and hang someone without legal arrest and trial, because they think the person has committed a crime. Madre de Dios: (Spanish) Mother of God. Masterson: William Barclay “Bat” Masterson (1853–1921), a legendary figure of the American West. He lived an adventurous life, which included stints as a buffalo hunter, US Army scout, gambler, frontier lawman, US marshal and, finally, sports editor and columnist for a New York newspaper. mean: unimposing or shabby. mesquite: any of several small spiny trees or shrubs native to the southwestern US and Mexico, and important as plants for bees and forage for cattle. mow: haymow; the upper floor of a barn or stable used for storing hay. muy hidalgo: (Spanish) very noble. neck-reined: guided a horse by pressure of the reins against its neck. Overland: Sanderson’s Overland Stage Company; a well-known firm that ran a mountain stage line that serviced a large portion of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico during the late 1800s. owl-hoot: outlaw. Piedmont: a type of horse bred in the Piedmont region, an area of land lying between the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic coast. pitching hole: refers to a hole that provides access to the haymow (the upper floor of a barn or stable used for storing hay). It is used to pitch hay down to the animals. puncher: a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback. pushing up prickly pear: variation of “pushing up daisies”; to be dead. A prickly pear is a cactus with flattened, jointed, spiny stems and pear-shaped fruits that are edible in some species. quirt: 1. a riding whip with a short handle and a braided leather lash. 2. to use a quirt. ranny: ranahan; a cowboy or top ranch hand. remuda: a group of saddle horses from which ranch hands pick mounts for the day. riata: a long noosed rope used to catch animals. royal flush: in poker, the highest “flush” or sequence of five consecutive cards of the same suit, including an ace, king, queen, jack and ten. saddle boot: a close-fitting covering or case for a gun or other weapon that straps to a saddle. Saint Ignacio: Saint Ignatius of Loyola, a Catholic saint. Used as an exclamation. sand: courage and determination. serape: a long, brightly colored woolen blanket worn as a cloak by some men from Mexico, Central America and South America. seven-day wonder: someone or something that causes interest or excitement for a short period but is then quickly forgotten. tinhorn: a gambler of a cheap, flashy, pretentious kind. willow grate: an open lattice frame for cooking over a fire, made from the tough, pliable branches of a willow tree. Winchester: an early family of repeating rifles; a single-barreled rifle containing multiple rounds of ammunition. Manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, it was widely used in the US during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The 1873 model is often called “the gun that won the West” for its immense popularity at that time, as well as its use in fictional Westerns.
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