Western Slang & Phrases - A Writer's Guide to the Old West

Western Slang & Phrases - "N-O"

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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.

Nigger In a Woodpile - Disappearance, unsolved mystery.

This cowboy rode up on the site of a "necktie social."

This image available for photographic prints HERE!

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.

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.

Pretty Polly Pouter

Is a reg'lar out-and-outer.

Whiskey was called lots of names, one of which

was "Old Orchard."

This image available for photographic prints and

downloads HERE!

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.”

John Wesley Hardin was one bad "owl hoot."

This image available for photographic prints HERE!

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.

Continued Next Page

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There is no Sunday west of St. Louis - and no God west of Fort Smith.

-- Frontier adage used to describe the Western frontier