As someone who grew up in the Midwest, I was fascinated by cowboy slang. The old west terms and different words I heard in westerns felt like a mysterious language. A language I needed to learn.
While memorizing an entire cowboy glossary feels like an extensive challenge, picking and choosing a few select words to pull out at the right moment? Well, that just sounds like a grand idea (or a grand bee in a bonnet, if you will).
Here are 10 of my favorite pieces of cowboy slang and old west sayings—and how to use them in your daily life. Pair them with these 10 songs about Texas for a truly magical experience.
Acknowledge the corn
One time, I was at a Sprouts grocery store. Prices there tend to be on the high side, so when an in-store announcement declared sweet corn was aggressively on sale, I moseyed on over to the section. You could say I “acknowledged the corn” by buying whatever the sale was (I think it was $2 for 10 ears?), but that wouldn’t be the proper cowboy language use of it. In old west terms, to “acknowledge the corn” means you’re telling the truth or admitting to a lie. It’s also sometimes used to mean you’re identifying an area for improvement within yourself.
Example: “Okay, I’ll acknowledge the corn. It was me who ate all the cookies.”
Bee in your bonnet
Picture yourself wearing a bonnet or a cap. Now picture a bee buzzing around in there. You’d probably want to get both off your head, right? That’s the concept behind this phrase, which means an idea. Generally, it’s a good…ahem, idea to share ideas with others, or to get them out of your head and into the world.
Example: “We need to do something fun this weekend. Got a bee in your bonnet?”
Flannelmouth
Do you know someone who starts speaking and then just won’t stop? That’s a flannelmouth. They’re super talkative, chatty, and want to tell you everything. There are certainly times when this is beneficial, but you may have to tell them you don’t care a continental about some topics to spare yourself a long story.
Example: “Those Gilmore Girls characters sure are flannelmouths, aren’t they?”
Haze a tenderfoot
As I noted in the intro, I grew up outside of the South. Thankfully, I don’t seem like too much of a city slicker, because I haven’t experienced much hazing a tenderfoot activity. That’s when cowboys give a little razz or a hard time to folks from the city. Seems especially applicable with all these California tech companies moving to Texas for tax breaks, doesn’t it?
Example: “Another Silicon Valley company is moving here? Let’s hold on dinner, we’ve gotta go haze a tenderfoot.”
Lickfinger
Aside from tending to an ouchie, seducing someone, or getting rid of excess food (like a nice bolognese sauce, for example) do you think you’ve ever licked your finger? Among old west sayings, it means you’re sucking up to someone, a la a kiss ass or a brown noser.
Example: “That Bentley is being such a lickfinger to secure the promotion. Doesn’t he know that position has already been filled?”
Odd Stick
My favorite phrase to describe someone who’s a little out there is “wackadoo.” I like the flow of letters, it’s fun to say, and despite hardly being used, people know exactly what you’re talking about. However, “odd stick” isn’t too far behind. It simply means an eccentric or strange person, and it sounds cooler to me than “oddball.”
Example: “That woman who’s always throwing avocados at our house is quite the odd stick.”
Old stager
As a basketball fan, I hear the term “old head” a lot. “Those old heads don’t know anything about these young bucks,” you might catch someone saying before immediately changing the channel or holding a hand up to their face to mute them. An old stager isn’t far off — they’re someone who’s really experienced or has been at something for a long while.
Example: “The old stager watched as the newbie banjo player struggled to keep his fingers on the right strings.”
Piece of pudding
This one only recently made my list, and it’s because I had a VERY good bread pudding dish at The Plaid Rabbit in Tyler. And while bread pudding might not be the first thing you picture when you hear “pudding,” I’m here to change the game. Speaking of change, that’s what this bit of cowboy language means. Specifically, a welcome change, something you’d invite into your life.
Example: “Getting more sleep might not be a piece of cake, but man, is it a piece of pudding.”
Shoot the crow
After very much enjoying The Catcher in the Rye when I was growing up, I still use the term “shoot the bull” to this day to mean chatting about mundane topics with someone. I would think “shoot the crow” would be similar, but instead, it means you order a drink at a bar or saloon and leave without paying for it. Don’t do that—if you don’t want to pay for drinks, just go somewhere that allows you to BYOB.
Example: “Hey, if you’re gonna shoot the crow, I’ll go stand on the opposite side of the pub while you get thrown out.”
Spooney
This term has a pair of meanings, but they can also intersect. A spooney is a despicable drunk, but also a silly or dumb person. It’s the kind of guy that would put a lampshade on his head at a party, then blindly dance around and tumble into a table with half-picked-at charcuterie.
Example: “Earl was so busy shooting the crow at every bar around town, and now he’s a spooney.”
There you have it! 10 cowboy slang words and phrases to use in your everyday life around Texas (or wherever you may be). Now go boil your shirt and make us proud out there!