Western Vocabulary: Words Used in Westerns （閱讀班）

Western Vocabulary

Here are some words that you will see and hear when you read westerns or watch cowboy movies. 

adios || "Adios" is a Spanish word = "Goodbye!"

ain't || In comics, "ain't" = "isn't/aren't" This spelling usually means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

bloodhound || A kind of dog. Bloodhounds have very good noses. They can help the police find bad guys.

bullet || The thing that shoots out (= comes out very quickly) from a gun

bushwhack || To attack somebody by surprise.

bushwhacker || In westerns, bushwhackers are usually bad guys who surprise people by shooting them from a hidden place.

buzzard || 1. A buzzard is a bird that eats dead animals OR a bird that attacks other animals; 2. A bad guy

canyon || A low place between two mountains

cattle || Cows and bulls

cayuse || A kind of horse

Conchita || A Spanish woman's name (short form of Concepción, referring to Maria, the mother of Jesus; she was conceived/born [= Concepción] without sin).

cowpoke || A cowboy

coyote || 1 = an animal like a small wolf; 2 = bad guy

critter || 1. In comics, "critter" = "creature" (usually an unpleasant animal). This wrong spelling means that the person who is talking did not go to school.; 2. A bad guy

deed || A deed is a piece of paper from the government. The paper says that (this house/land etc.) belongs to you.

deputy || A deputy is a "policeman's" helper in the west (A sheriff's deputy, a marshal's deputy)

drygulch || When bad guys attack somebody by surprise in a lonely place (like a dry river or the desert), they "drygulch" them.

fast on the draw || A man who is "fast on the draw" is able to take his gun out very quickly

fer || In comics, "fer" = "for" This wrong spelling usually means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

fixing to || "Getting ready to ..."

foller || In comics, "foller" = "follow" This wrong spelling usually means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

foreman || A foreman is somebody who watches workers. He doesn't let them be lazy.

giddyap || When a cowboy speaks to a horse, "Giddyap!" means "Start moving fast!"

git || In comics, "git" = "get" This wrong spelling usually means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

grand || A grand = $1000

grub || In western comics, "grub" = "food"

gunsel || A gunsel works for a bad guy. He shoots good guys to help his boss.

gunshy || A gunshy dog is a dog that is afraid of guns (so it is not a good hunting dog)

gunslick || A gunslick works for a bad guy. He shoots good guys to help his boss.

gunslinger || A gunslinger works for a bad guy. He shoots good guys to help his boss.

hardware || In westerns, "hardware" is sometimes a slang word = guns

herd || A group of animals such as cattle

holster || 1. NOUN = A strong "pocket" for guns made of animal skin (like a wallet for money); 2. VERB = if you holster your gun, you put it back in its holster

hombre || A man (borrowed from a Spanish word; "hombre" sounds like /ɔmbrɛ/; There is no "h" sound in Spanish)

hoof || A horse's foot

hoosegow || A jail (a "house" for bad guys)

horseshoes || A U-shaped piece of iron to keep horse's feet safe

hyar || In western comics, "hyar" = "here" This wrong spelling usually means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

ketch || In western comics, "ketch" = "catch" This wrong spelling means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

kin || In comics, "kin" sometimes means "can" This wrong spelling usually means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

loco || Crazy (borrowed from a Spanish word)

marshal || A "policeman" sent by the US government (= police for the whole country)

mebbe || In western comics, "mebbe" = "maybe" This wrong spelling usually means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

mortgage || When most people want a house, they ask a bank to buy it for them. They then pay the bank every month for 15, 20 or even 30 years. This is called "paying a mortgage."

muh || In comics, "muh" = "the." This wrong spelling usually means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

pea shooter || 1 A child's toy gun; 2 Any gun

pinto || A kind of horse

play possum || Pretend to be dead

polecat || 1. A skunk (= An animal that fights by making a very bad smell); 2. A bad guy

pull iron || If bad guys "pull iron" they take their guns out and get ready to shoot somebody

purty || In comics, "purty" = "pretty." This wrong spelling usually means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

ranch || A "farm" where ranchers raise cattle and horses

ranny || 1. A young cow (calf) that is not strong and healthy; 2. Somebody that a cowboy doesn't like

reach || In westerns, "Reach!" sometimes means "hold your hands up above your heads" (away from your guns)

ride shotgun || If somebody with a gun rides shotgun, they ride with a stagecoach (bus, car, truck etc) to keep the coach safe from bad guys

rustler || Someone who steals cattle or horses

saddle || A "chair" on a horse (a special seat) (shy = afraid; saddle-shy = afraid to ride on a horse)

savvy || Know, understand (borrowed from a Spanish word "sabe" [sounds like /sɑβɛ/])

sheriff || A local policeman, especially in the west. In the US, people vote for a sheriff.

shoes || = horseshoes

shooting iron || A gun

shore || In comics "shore" sometimes means "sure" ("certainly"). This wrong spelling usually means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

sidewinder || 1. A dangerous snake that moves sideways in the desert; 2. A bad guy

spurs || The sharp small stars on a cowboy's boots. Cowboys use spurs to make horses move.

stagecoach || A travel service which is like a small bus which is pulled by horses. When the stagecoach comes to a special town, the horses rest and new horses start pulling.

stampede || Make cows and horses start running (because they are afraid)

steers || cattle (= cows, bulls and calfs)

tenderfoot || Newcomer who doesn't know about cowboy life (guns, horses, etc.)

thar || In western comics, "thar" = "there" (western pronunciation). This spelling means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

thet || In comics, "thet" = "that" This wrong spelling usually means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

thuh || In comics, "thuh" = "the." This wrong spelling usually means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

tinhorn || A small unimportant person who likes to tell other people that he is rich and important

tuh || In comics, "tuh" = "to" This spelling usually means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

vamoose || = (in western comics) You go/Let's go ("Vamoose" is a word borrowed from Spanish "Vamos" /ˈβɑmɔs/)

varmint || 1 = Unpleasant animal; 2 = Bad guy

whoa || "Whoa" tells a horse to stop

whut || In comics, "whut" = "what" This wrong spelling usually means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

yonder || Over there

yore || In comics, "yore" sometimes means "you're" This wrong spelling usually means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

yuh || In comics, "yuh" = "you" This wrong spelling usually means that the person who is talking did not go to school.

When you are reading, if you see a western-related word which is not on this list, please tell me about it in a comment. I will try to help you. Have fun reading!