Idioms Flashcards
Abandons
Foundlings. Also applied to a street prostitute.
Above One’s Bend
Out of one’s power, beyond reach.
Airin’ the Paunch
Vomit, throw-up, regurgitate. He’s “airing the paunch” after a heavy bout of drinking.
Airtights
Canned goods, such as canned beans, milk, or fruit.
A Lick and a Promise
To do a haphazard job. “She just gave it a lick and a promise.”
All Abroad
At a loss, not comprehending.
All Beer and Skittles
Often used as a negative, “It’s not all beer and skittles,” meaning it’s not easy.
All-fired
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.”
Allers
Always
Allot Upon
To intend, to form a purpose. “I allot upon going to Boston.”
Among the Willows
Dodging the Law.
Ask No Adds
Ask no favor.
Atwixt
Between. “There were hard feelings atwixt them.”
In a Bad Box
To be in a bad box, is to be in a bad predicament.
Bad Medicine
Bad news or a bad omen.
Bag of Nails
Everything in confusion, topsy-turvy.
Banded
Hungry
Barber’s Cat
Half-starved, sickly-looking person.
Barkin’ at a Knot
Doing something useless; wasting your time, trying something impossible.
Bed Him Down
To kill a man.
Beat the Devil around the Stump
To evade responsibility or a difficult task. “Quit beatin’ the devil around the stump and ask that girl to marry you.”
Belly Through the Brush
Dodge the law
Biddable
Docile, obedient, tractable.
Bilk
Cheat
Bime-By
By-and-by, soon, in a short time.
Bite the Ground
To be killed.
To Look Blue At Someone
To look at one with displeasure or dissatisfaction.
Born Days
All one’s lifetime; since one was born. “In all my born days I never saw a man so big.”
Bosh
Nonsense. “It was absolute bosh what he said.”
Brush
A skirmish, or fight.
Bull
An officer of the law.
Candle-light
Dusk. The dance will start at early candle-light.
Can’t Come It
Cannot do it. “You can’t come it over me so.”
The Clean Thing
Denotes propriety or what is honorable. “He did the “clean thing” and turned himself in.”
Coffin Varnish
Whiskey.
Copperhead
Northern person with Southern, anti-Union sympathies.
Cracklings
Cinders, the remains of a wood fire
Cut Dirt
To run; to go fast.
Dicker
Barter, trade.
Directly
Soon. “She’ll be down, directly.”
Dish
To ruin, to frustrate. “He dished us too.”
Docity
Quick comprehension, usually used in a negative way. “He has no docity.”
Doings
Cooked food, also called fixins.
Drabble
To make dirty by dragging in dirt and water, to wet and befoul, as, to drabble a gown or cloak.
Dusted
Thrown from a horse.
Dyed In The Wool
unchanging in a particular belief or opinion; inveterate.
E’en A’most
Almost.
Fat In The Fire
To have one’s plans frustrated. “If I don’t get this job completed, the fat’s going to be in the fire.”
Five Beans in the Wheel
Five cartridges in the six chambers of a rvolver. Westerners often left the chamber under the hammer empty for safety reason.
Fix
A condition, predicament, dilemma.
Fork a Hoss
To ride a horse.
Full Split
With the greatest violence and impetuosity
Game Leg
A lame leg.
Get Gaited
Get going in a hurry. Gait refers to the rate a horse moves, which is far faster, so “get going.”
Get my/your back up
To get angry. “Don’t get your back up, he was only joking.”
Get Shed of
Get rid of.
Go Heeled
To carry a six-shooter, also “packing iron.”
Got the Bulge
Have the advantage. “We’ll get the bulge on him, and take his gun away.”
Gull
A cheat, fraud or trick. Also, refers to a stupid animal or person, one easily cheated.
Hanger-On
A dependant, one who eats and drinks without payment.
Hang Fire
Delay.
Here’s how!
A toast, such as Here’s to your health.
Hobble your lip
Shut up.
Hook
To steal.
Hull
Saddle
Indian Broke
A horse trained to be mounted from the right side. Cowboys mounted from the left side.
Keep That Dry
Keep it secret.
Leather-necks
Soldiers
Leg Bail
To give leg bail, is to run away.
Light (or lighting) a shuck
To get the hell out of here in a hurry. “I’m lightin’ a shuck for California.”
Make Hay While the Sun Shines
To make the most of the day, or an opportunity.
Manner Born, To the
A natural. “He’s a horseman to the manner born.”
May Can
May be able to.
Mop
A habitual drunk.
On the Dead
Gratis, free.
Opine
To be of the opinion.
Peaked
Thin or sickly in appearance.
Pill
A doctor.
Prat
Buttock, behind.
Pull in your Horns
Back off, quit looking for trouble.
Rattle Your Hocks
Hurry up, get a move on.
Red Eye
Whiskey
Rode Hard and Put Up Wet
Ugly, rough or hard looking. “She looks like she’s been rode hard and put up wet!”
Run against a pill
To be shot, to take a bullet.
Sam Hill
A euphemism for the devil. “What in the Sam Hill are you doing?”
Sand
Guts; courage; toughness. “You got sand, that’s fer shore.”
Scare Up
To obtain, get. “Can you scare up five dollars?”
Shoot, Luke, or Give up the Gun
Do it or quit talking about it.
Shut
Quit, rid. “I want to be shut of you!”
Skull
The head man anywhere, such as a miner owner or the president.
Take on
Grieve. “Don’t take on so.”
Be On One’s Taps
To be on one’s taps is to be on one’s feet, on the move, ready to move.
That Dog Won’t Hunt
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.”
Up a Tree
In difficulty, cornered, unable to do anything.
Wood
Saddle
Yarn
A story.
