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Begins with “N”
Nailed to the Counter – Proven a lie.
Nairn – None
Namby-pamby – Sickly, sentimental, saccharin.
Nancy or Nancy-boy – An effeminate man.
Nanny – A prostitute.
Nanny Shop – Brothel
Nary – None, not, zero
Nary-One – Neither.
Navy Model – Colt firearms.
Necessary – Outhouse, water closet; bathroom.
Neck Oil – Whiskey.
Necktie Social or Necktie Party – A hanging or lynching, most often referred to in vigilante hangings.
Nester – A squatter who settled on government land, usually to farm.
Nibbler – A petty thief.
Nibble – To take or steal.
Ni**er In a Woodpile – Disappearance, unsolved mystery.
Nigh Unto – Nearly, almost.
Night Hawk – While the rest of the cowboys slept under the stars on a cattle drive, one unlucky soul who drew the short straw, the “night hawk”, had to stay up all night standing guard.
Nippent – Impudent, impertinent.
Nipper – A baby or small child.
Nobby, Nobbish – Fine, stylish.
No Count or No Account – Of no account, worthless. “That no count boy does nothing but get into trouble.”
Nohow – Not at all, no way.
No Odds – No difference, no consequence, no matter.
Nose Paint – Whiskey.
Nosey Parker – Someone who is nosey.
Not By a Jugful – No consideration, on no account, not at all.
Notch – An opening or narrow passage through a mountain or hill.
Nothing To Nobody – Nobody’s business.
Notions – A wide range of miscellaneous articles for sale.
Nubbin – Saddle horn.
Nurly – A corrupt pronunciation of gnarly, i. e. gnarled.
Nymphs du Prairie – Prostitutes.
Begins with “O”
Oats – To feel one’s oats, is to feel one’s importance.
Odd Fish or Odd Stick – A person who is eccentric or odd in his manners. “Ol’ Farmer Jones sure is an odd stick.”
Off his nut, off his rocker, off his chump – Weak in the head, crazy, illogical; someone who behaves strangely.
Offish – Distant, reserved, aloof.
Off one’s feed – Unable to eat, having no appetite.
Of the First Water – First class. “He’s a gentleman of the first water.”
Oh-be-joyful – Liquor, beer, intoxicating spirits. “Give me another snort of that oh-be-joyful.”
Old – Crafty, cunning. If someone tries to take advantage of someone else, who is too cunning to be deceived, he might say “I’m a little too old for you.”
Old Betsy or Old Blue – A gun.
Old Country – A term applied to Great Britain, originally by natives from that country, who had immigrated to the United States.
Old Countryman – A native of England, Scotland, Ireland, or Wales. The term was never applied to persons from the Continent of Europe.
Old Dan – Often used to refer to a trustworthy mule.
Old Epharim – A term that mountain men called both male or female grizzly bears.
Old Man – The ridge found between two sleepers in a feather bed.
Old Orchard – Whiskey.
Old Pie – An expression of admiration or approval.
Old Pod – Old man.
Old Rackatee – A gun.
Old Rats – Equivalent to “one of the boys,” a hearty old fellow.
Old Scratch – The devil.
Old Stager – One well initiated in anything.
Old States – Back East.
Old Tom – Gin.
Old Towse – Whiskey
Oldermost – Oldest. “He’s the oldermost fellow at the reunion.”
On One’s Own Hook – On one’s own account, for himself. “He is doing business on his own hook.
Onplush – Nonplus.
Old Woman – The cowboy’s cook. Though the cook was often the most popular man on the cattle drive, cooking was still considered to be “women work.”
Oil – Nitroglycerine. Was often used to open bank vault. Also called “soup.”
One-horse – Small, limited, inferior. “Well, if that ain’t a one-horse town.”
On or In A Pinch – On an emergency.
On the Dead – Gratis, free.
On the Dodge – Hiding out somewhere; laying low for a while.
On the half-shell – Applied to anything prepared and ready for use.
On the Prod – Full of piss and vinegar, looking for trouble, spoiling for a fight. Said of both people and critters.
On the Shoot – Looking for trouble. “Looks like he’s on the shoot, tonight.”
On the Win – Winning or making money.
Oof – Money
Opine – To be of the opinion.
Ourn – Ours.
Outlaw – A horse that cannot be tamed to ride.
Over Head And Ears – Completely overwhelmed. “He was over head and ears in debt.”
Out And Out – Wholly, completely, without reservation.
Out-and-outer – First-class.
On The Fence – Neutral or undecided.
Out Of Fix or Out of Sorts – Disarranged, in a state of disorder.
Over-Careful – Very careful.
Overland Trout – Bacon.
Owdacious – Audacious.
Owl Hoot – An outlaw
Owl Hoot Trail – The outlaw way of life.
Oxbows – Large, old-time wooden stirrups. Also known as oxyokes.
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