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western idioms > Idioms > Flashcards

Idioms Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

Abandons

A

Foundlings. Also applied to a street prostitute.

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2
Q

Above One’s Bend

A

Out of one’s power, beyond reach.

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3
Q

Airin’ the Paunch

A

Vomit, throw-up, regurgitate. He’s “airing the paunch” after a heavy bout of drinking.

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4
Q

Airtights

A

Canned goods, such as canned beans, milk, or fruit.

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5
Q

A Lick and a Promise

A

To do a haphazard job. “She just gave it a lick and a promise.”

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6
Q

All Abroad

A

At a loss, not comprehending.

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7
Q

All Beer and Skittles

A

Often used as a negative, “It’s not all beer and skittles,” meaning it’s not easy.

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8
Q

All-fired

A

Very, great, immensely; used for emphasis. He is just too all-fired lazy to get any work done around here. Also “hell-fired” and “jo-fired.”

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9
Q

Allers

A

Always

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10
Q

Allot Upon

A

To intend, to form a purpose. “I allot upon going to Boston.”

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11
Q

Among the Willows

A

Dodging the Law.

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12
Q

Ask No Adds

A

Ask no favor.

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13
Q

Atwixt

A

Between. “There were hard feelings atwixt them.”

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14
Q

In a Bad Box

A

To be in a bad box, is to be in a bad predicament.

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15
Q

Bad Medicine

A

Bad news or a bad omen.

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16
Q

Bag of Nails

A

Everything in confusion, topsy-turvy.

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17
Q

Banded

A

Hungry

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18
Q

Barber’s Cat

A

Half-starved, sickly-looking person.

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19
Q

Barkin’ at a Knot

A

Doing something useless; wasting your time, trying something impossible.

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20
Q

Bed Him Down

A

To kill a man.

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21
Q

Beat the Devil around the Stump

A

To evade responsibility or a difficult task. “Quit beatin’ the devil around the stump and ask that girl to marry you.”

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22
Q

Belly Through the Brush

A

Dodge the law

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23
Q

Biddable

A

Docile, obedient, tractable.

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24
Q

Bilk

A

Cheat

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25
Q

Bime-By

A

By-and-by, soon, in a short time.

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26
Q

Bite the Ground

A

To be killed.

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27
Q

To Look Blue At Someone

A

To look at one with displeasure or dissatisfaction.

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28
Q

Born Days

A

All one’s lifetime; since one was born. “In all my born days I never saw a man so big.”

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29
Q

Bosh

A

Nonsense. “It was absolute bosh what he said.”

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30
Q

Brush

A

A skirmish, or fight.

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31
Q

Bull

A

An officer of the law.

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32
Q

Candle-light

A

Dusk. The dance will start at early candle-light.

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33
Q

Can’t Come It

A

Cannot do it. “You can’t come it over me so.”

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34
Q

The Clean Thing

A

Denotes propriety or what is honorable. “He did the “clean thing” and turned himself in.”

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35
Q

Coffin Varnish

A

Whiskey.

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36
Q

Copperhead

A

Northern person with Southern, anti-Union sympathies.

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37
Q

Cracklings

A

Cinders, the remains of a wood fire

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38
Q

Cut Dirt

A

To run; to go fast.

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39
Q

Dicker

A

Barter, trade.

40
Q

Directly

A

Soon. “She’ll be down, directly.”

41
Q

Dish

A

To ruin, to frustrate. “He dished us too.”

42
Q

Docity

A

Quick comprehension, usually used in a negative way. “He has no docity.”

43
Q

Doings

A

Cooked food, also called fixins.

44
Q

Drabble

A

To make dirty by dragging in dirt and water, to wet and befoul, as, to drabble a gown or cloak.

45
Q

Dusted

A

Thrown from a horse.

46
Q

Dyed In The Wool

A

unchanging in a particular belief or opinion; inveterate.

47
Q

E’en A’most

A

Almost.

48
Q

Fat In The Fire

A

To have one’s plans frustrated. “If I don’t get this job completed, the fat’s going to be in the fire.”

49
Q

Five Beans in the Wheel

A

Five cartridges in the six chambers of a rvolver. Westerners often left the chamber under the hammer empty for safety reason.

50
Q

Fix

A

A condition, predicament, dilemma.

51
Q

Fork a Hoss

A

To ride a horse.

52
Q

Full Split

A

With the greatest violence and impetuosity

53
Q

Game Leg

A

A lame leg.

54
Q

Get Gaited

A

Get going in a hurry. Gait refers to the rate a horse moves, which is far faster, so “get going.”

55
Q

Get my/your back up

A

To get angry. “Don’t get your back up, he was only joking.”

56
Q

Get Shed of

A

Get rid of.

57
Q

Go Heeled

A

To carry a six-shooter, also “packing iron.”

58
Q

Got the Bulge

A

Have the advantage. “We’ll get the bulge on him, and take his gun away.”

59
Q

Gull

A

A cheat, fraud or trick. Also, refers to a stupid animal or person, one easily cheated.

60
Q

Hanger-On

A

A dependant, one who eats and drinks without payment.

61
Q

Hang Fire

A

Delay.

62
Q

Here’s how!

A

A toast, such as Here’s to your health.

63
Q

Hobble your lip

A

Shut up.

64
Q

Hook

A

To steal.

65
Q

Hull

A

Saddle

66
Q

Indian Broke

A

A horse trained to be mounted from the right side. Cowboys mounted from the left side.

67
Q

Keep That Dry

A

Keep it secret.

68
Q

Leather-necks

A

Soldiers

69
Q

Leg Bail

A

To give leg bail, is to run away.

70
Q

Light (or lighting) a shuck

A

To get the hell out of here in a hurry. “I’m lightin’ a shuck for California.”

71
Q

Make Hay While the Sun Shines

A

To make the most of the day, or an opportunity.

72
Q

Manner Born, To the

A

A natural. “He’s a horseman to the manner born.”

73
Q

May Can

A

May be able to.

74
Q

Mop

A

A habitual drunk.

75
Q

On the Dead

A

Gratis, free.

76
Q

Opine

A

To be of the opinion.

77
Q

Peaked

A

Thin or sickly in appearance.

78
Q

Pill

A

A doctor.

79
Q

Prat

A

Buttock, behind.

80
Q

Pull in your Horns

A

Back off, quit looking for trouble.

81
Q

Rattle Your Hocks

A

Hurry up, get a move on.

82
Q

Red Eye

A

Whiskey

83
Q

Rode Hard and Put Up Wet

A

Ugly, rough or hard looking. “She looks like she’s been rode hard and put up wet!”

84
Q

Run against a pill

A

To be shot, to take a bullet.

85
Q

Sam Hill

A

A euphemism for the devil. “What in the Sam Hill are you doing?”

86
Q

Sand

A

Guts; courage; toughness. “You got sand, that’s fer shore.”

87
Q

Scare Up

A

To obtain, get. “Can you scare up five dollars?”

88
Q

Shoot, Luke, or Give up the Gun

A

Do it or quit talking about it.

89
Q

Shut

A

Quit, rid. “I want to be shut of you!”

90
Q

Skull

A

The head man anywhere, such as a miner owner or the president.

91
Q

Take on

A

Grieve. “Don’t take on so.”

92
Q

Be On One’s Taps

A

To be on one’s taps is to be on one’s feet, on the move, ready to move.

93
Q

That Dog Won’t Hunt

A

That idea or argument isn’t going to work. Or, the person saying it doesn’t believe what you’re saying. After I broke curfew for the second time and blamed it on my car catching fire, my daddy said to me, “Traci, that dog won’t hunt.”

94
Q

Up a Tree

A

In difficulty, cornered, unable to do anything.

95
Q

Wood

A

Saddle

96
Q

Yarn

A

A story.

western idioms (1 decks)

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