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While at a customer’s office, some how we starting talking about bad commercials. One that always comes to my mind when thinking business-to-business and bad, are the old EDS commercials. These commercials characterize and personify its customers as cats, squirrels, or airplanes (my blog post including links to the commercials).

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The underlying message in each commercial is EDS makes the complex world of technology and consulting easier. The rub is that with each commercial, EDS pokes fun at its customers. This is what makes the commercials “bad.” While they are 1,000% on message and hilarious, they make fun of the customer.

After I shared my EDS Cat Herders as a suggestion on bad commercials, someone in the group said she loved those commercials for the same reasons. And interestingly, she looked up cowboy slang after first watching those commercials. All she remembered was one phrase, “Chew gravel,” which means “thrown from a horse” (see #33).

This got me thinking about cowboy slang and jargon. I thought it would be a fun blog post. I then curated the cowboy phrases from the sites listed below the list. Visit those sites to enjoy a lot more slang with cowboy/old west history as well.

COWBOY SLANG, LINGO, AND JARGON

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1. A hog-killin’ time: a real good time¹
2. A lick and a promise: to do haphazardly. “Bill just gave it a lick and a promise”^{3, 4}
3. Above Snakes: If you were “above snakes,” you were above ground – meaning still alive⁴
4. Ace-high: first class, respected^{1, 3, 4}
5. Ace in the Hole: hideout or a hidden gun⁴
6. Acknowledge the Corn: admit the truth, to confess a lie, or acknowledge an obvious personal shortcoming⁴
7. Adam’s Ale: water⁴
8. Airin’ the Lungs: term for cussing⁴
9. A lick and a promise: to do haphazardly. “Bill just gave it a lick and a promise”^{3, 4}
10. All down but nine: missed the point, not understood. This is a reference to missing all nine pins at bowling³
11. At sea: at a loss, not comprehending. “When it comes to understanding women, I am at sea”^{3, 4}
12. An invite to a dance: could mean shooting at a man’s feet to make him dance¹
13. Bad plum/Lead plum/Blue whistler: bullet¹
14. Bag of Nails: Everything in confusion, topsy-turvy⁴
15. Bake: to overheat a horse by riding too fast, long, or hard^{2, 4}
16. Bangtail: wild horse; mustang^{2, 4}
17. Barkin’ at a Knot: Doing something useless; wasting your time, trying something impossible⁴
18. Barn sour: horse that loves his stall; speeds up the pace as he nears the barn on the journey home²
19. Batwings: long chaps with broad leather flaps^{2, 4}
20. Bazoo: mouth. “Shut your big bazoo”³
21. Bear sign: donuts. A cook who could and would make them, was highly regarded^{3, 4}
22. Bee: gathering of friends, family and neighbors to get a specific job done. Usually used with women’s quilting get togethers as in a quilting bee
23. Bee in Your Bonnet: An idea⁴
24. Best bib and tucker: best clothes. “There’s a dance Saturday, so put on your best bib and tucker”³
25. Big bug: the boss, an important person^{1, 3}
26. Boil over: horse that starts bucking²
27. Bone orchard: cemetery^{3, 4}
28. Broom-tail: a negative term for an ill-behaved or ugly horse, often a horse that looks or acts like a mustang²
29. Burn the breeze: ride at full speed²
30. Busted off: bucked off²
31. Caterwauling: usually terrible singing, or complaining¹
32. Cayuse: cowboy’s steed²
33. Chew gravel: thrown from a horse²
34. Chisel/Chiseler: cheat or swindle, a cheater^{3, 4}
35. Choke Strap: A necktie⁴
36. Clean his/your plow: get or give a thorough whippin’^{3, 4}
37. Clipped his horns: took him down a notch or two; referring to a fight or a braggart¹
38. Coffee boiler: shirker, lazy person. (Would rather sit around the coffee pot than help)^{3, 4}
39. Cow sense: a horse that knows what to do around cows²
40. Crowbait: derogatory term for a poor-quality horse^{1, 3}
41. Curly wolf: real tough guy, dangerous man. “Ol’ Bill is a regular curly wolf, especially when he’s drinkin’ whiskey”^{3, 4}
42. Dug for his cannon: reached for his gun¹
43. Eatin Irons: Silverware⁴
44. Fish: cowboy’s rain jacket, from a rain gear manufacturer whose trademark was a fish logo. “We told him it looked like rain, but left his fish in the wagon anyhow”^{3, 4}
45. Fit to be tied: angry¹
46. Flannel mouth: overly smooth or fancy talker, especially politicians or salesmen. “I swear that man is a flannel-mouthed liar”³
47. Fly at it: cook says this when his food is ready¹
48. Full as a tick: drunk or over eating^{1, 3}
49. Get a wiggle on: hurry⁴
50. Hang fire: delay, lets hang fire before we make up our minds¹
51. Hazing a tenderfoot: giving a city man a hard time¹
52. Hoosegow: jail³
53. I can set with that: I can agree with that, I can handle that¹
54. In apple pie order: in top shape³
55. Lickety Split: Headlong, at full speed⁴
56. Light a shuck: to get the heck out of here, lets light a shuck¹
57. Nailed to the counter: proven a lie^{3, 4}
58. Odd stick: eccentric person. “Ol’ Farmer Jones sure is an odd stick”³
59. Of the First Water: First class. “He’s a gentleman of the first water”⁴
60. Owl headed: horse that won’t stop looking around²
61. Plumb: meaning completely or totally (plumb tuckered out)¹
62. Prairie coal: dried cow manure, used to build fires¹
63. Pull in your horns: back off, quit looking for trouble³
64. Quirley: roll-your-own cigarette³
65. Rocky Mountain canary: burro used by the miners in the Rocky Mountains²
66. Roostered: drunk. “Looks like those cowboys are in there gettin’ all roostered up”³
67. Scratching Rake: A comb⁴
68. Shooting iron, six shooter: gun, pistol¹
69. Simon pure: the real thing, a genuine fact. “This is the Simon pure”³
70. Squinny: To cause a laugh, to laugh, wink, smile⁴
71. Taradiddles: Falsehoods, traveler’s yarns or tales⁴
72. Ten-cent Man: a small, narrow-minded, trifling man⁴
73. 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 saying⁴
74. Thunderation: non-profane curse¹
75. Too Much Mustard: a braggart⁴
76. Uncorkin’ a bronc: breaking a horse²
77. Varmint or Varment: wild animal or a bad man¹
78. Waddie: hired man, especially in the western United States, who tends cattle and performs many of his duties on horseback; sometimes refers to a cattle rustler; especially a cowboy who drifted from ranch to ranch and helped out in busy times²
79. Wanna snort? Want a drink¹
80. Wild West Weekly: Pulp or “dime” novels⁴
81. Will die standin’ up: brave¹
82. Wobblin’ jaw: talks to much¹
83. Yarn the hours away: tell stories¹

SOURCES

1 Cowboy Kisses
2 The Long Riders Guild Academic Foundation
3 A Writer’s Guide to the Old West
4 Legends of America

Photography Source: Texas Ccowboys, circa 1901, Wikimedia – Library of Congress
#chiefstoryteller #communication #culture

John Terry is the favourite with the new Derby owners to become their new manager, while the injuries are racking up for Manchester United. All of Tuesday's football gossip in Paper Talk.

DAILY MAIL

• John Terry is a contender to be the next Derby manager, with key figures among the club's prospective new owners impressed by the former England captain, who is now assistant coach at Aston Villa.
• David de Gea had a scan on his knee on Monday ahead of Manchester United's Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain.
• Inter Milan are interested in signing Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud in January on a six-month loan deal with an option to buy.
• Newcastle United were forced to cancel training on Monday and have closed the club's Benton headquarters amid a Covid-19 outbreak - leaving Friday's trip to Aston Villa in doubt.

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DAILY TELEGRAPH

• After a nine-month wait, the Rugby Football Union will on Tuesday announce the return of an adapted 15-a-side rugby in the grassroots game.
• The English Football League has asked the Government for the 35-year ban preventing fans drinking alcohol in view of the pitch to be suspended.
• Newcastle United have been forced to close their training ground until Wednesday following a Covid outbreak at the club, placing a huge question mark over Friday night's Premier League fixture against Aston Villa.
• France's Stephanie Frappart will become the first female official to take charge of a men's Champions League game when Juventus host Dynamo Kyiv on Wednesday.
• Hakim Ziyech has said that Chelsea's players believe they can win the Premier League title this season.
• Football has been urged to introduce neutral doctors as part of an immediate and radical overhaul of its 'dangerous' head injury protocol.

DAILY MIRROR

• Lyon's Houssem Aouar has claimed he has no regrets over his failed summer move to Arsenal.
• Anthony Martial is a major doubt for Manchester United's crunch Champions League game against PSG after he was seen leaving the training ground.
• Hakim Ziyech has revealed how he has learned a lot from Eden Hazard after calling him an inspiration.

THE SUN

• Chelsea will open talks with David Alaba in January as they aim to sign the Bayern Munich defender on a free transfer when his contract expires next summer.

THE TIMES

• Football fans who are allowed in stadiums this week will be able to drink alcohol only while seated - but not in their seats in the stands.
• Pep Guardiola has told Benjamin Mendy that he faces stern competition from Joao Cancelo for his place in the Manchester City starting XI.

DAILY STAR

• Manchester United and Chelsea will have to contend with Manchester City for the signature of Denis Zakaria in the transfer window.

THE SUN

• Watford ace Andre Gray has apologised for holding a Covid poker party with pals - months after previously flouting lockdown rules.

THE INDEPENDENT

• Barcelona will be fined €3,000 (£2,692) for Lionel Messi's tribute to Diego Maradona after scoring in the win over Osasuna.

DAILY RECORD

• Celtic have revealed a winter training camp was behind the club's request for their New Year clash with Hibs to be rearranged.
• Promotion chasers Hearts have published their annual accounts for 2020 - posting a small profit despite the raging Covid crisis.

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SCOTTISH SUN

• Ex-Rangers and Kilmarnock 'keeper Cammy Bell has told Queen's Park he's set to retire from football.
• Police are scouring social media footage of the Celtic fan protests to identify yobs who pelted officers with missiles.

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