# Cowboy?Western slang in General

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-western-slang-in-general/272141>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 31, 2004, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-western-slang-in-general/272141 "2004-10-31T06:33:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dr.Starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dr.Starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Starfish)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-western-slang-in-general/272141/1 "2004-10-31T06:33:05Z")

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What are synonyms for curly wolf, bugheway, desperado, vigilante. bad man? Terms for good cowboys?  
Besides coyote and longhorn, chapperal fox and rattlesnake, what other animals are used as cowboy nicknames?  
Any other Spianish terms besides cimmeron?

What terms do they use for tough men and women, heroes, heroines, troublemakers, good men, good women, smart and seasoned people and terms of endearment?

And other terms that are reflective of their personalities or characteristics?  
And terms for good-looking or attractive men and women, charmers, sweet men and women, clever men and women, and men and women physically fit or endowed?

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**Author:** ![Dr.Starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dr.Starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Starfish)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-western-slang-in-general/272141/2 "2004-10-31T06:35:00Z")

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Is “colt” a westernism?

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**Author:** ![Chimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@Chimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimpy)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-western-slang-in-general/272141/3 "2004-10-31T13:01:15Z")

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Colt, according to [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) comes from the old English, so is not a westernism per se. Just out of interest **Dr. Starfish** why do you have such an avid interest in slang?

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**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-western-slang-in-general/272141/4 "2004-10-31T13:44:38Z")

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And has it occurred to you that your avid demands for help and uncritical receptiveness are probably going to eventually result in people making up fake slang just to see you swallow it? 🙂

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboy-western-slang-in-general/272141/5 "2004-10-31T15:31:40Z")

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**Dr. Starfish**.

Please try to narrow the scope of your original posts. Asking this many questions in one post isn’t the way to go.

I’m closing this thread, but feel free to open new ones.

**samclem** GQ moderator