Is that the female equivalent of a “Curly wolf”?
What are terms that they used for cowgirls and women/girls in the Old West, that weren’t synonyms for prositutes (or other terms of disparagement)?
What are terms for lively, sprightly, comely and/or energetic cowgirls, women/girls?
Annie was the star of Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show. She was supposedly a cute li’ philly that was a hell of a shot and could rope and ride as well or better’n most Cowboys. She toured the world in her day.
There was also Calamity…don’t forget about Jane her nickname fit her well.
of course whores were just that…
You might call a girl or tomboy a “rounder”.
How about “Sagebrush Sallys?” Or “Pistol-Packin’ Mamas?”
Fun fact about Annie Oakley: She was no product of the Old West. An Ohio native, she never even went out West except as part of Buffalo Bill’s show.
True, but she was an EXTREMELY good shot, so she gets to be an honorary cowgirl. The musical *Annie Get Your Gun * is very loosely based on her.
She was a little before your time. 
sure-
Buckle Bunnys are basically rodeo groupies. Rodeo awards are often belt buckles and there are young women who find a man with a newly won belt buckle very sexy. Not unlike cheerleaders and the quarterback of the football team. Often, but not always they are not even that adept on a horse. They just like to hang out with men who are.
Cow belles - actually has become an official group of older women who are the matarfamilis of ranch families. But the term is still used to describe the grand dames of ranching women. (has nothing to do with Belle Starr).
Cattle women - Usually wives, daughters or sisters of cattle men (the real term for cowboys) they can mend a fence, brand, cut and dehorn with any man, yet you know they are women. They usually handle most of the business of the ranch and know more about the day-to-working of a cattle operation than any male in the family.
Cattle Annies - your basic ranch tomboy. member of FFA, 4H, goes roping every day, half the guys would rather have her as a header (roping term not sexual) than their brothers. So much one of the guys often you forget she’s a girl and most of the time she prefers it that way.
There are also such terms as goaters for young women who compete in rodeo events that involve goats–Except for roping most events are are pretty exclusively male (and even that is about 95 percent male). Women compete in things like goat ropings and goat tyings. Thus the term. Recently I heard the term “Barrel Bonnie” for a young woman who almost exclusively competes in barrel races which is pretty much the glamour event at rodeo competitions. It takes a great deal of skill, a fair amount of courage and a horse that can sense every thought in your head.
A lady named Charmaine James was the top barrel racer in the nation for about a decade or so (think Tiger Woods and Babe Ruth for fame in a sport). She used to be down in New Mexico. I heard she moved to Amarillo though.
I hope I was of some use. Why are you asking about this sort of stuff anyway?
TV
What’s a Buffalo Gal?
Okay, what’s a Sagebrush Sally? A Pistol-Packin Mama?
I reiterate, what were terms that they used for women and cowgirls in the Old West? What terms did they use for lively, sprightly, and/or pert women/girls? What terms were used as terms of affection? Troublemakers? Heroines and Tomboys?
Around here, if you call a woman a heifer you’re likely to have part of your anatomy served up as Rocky Mountain oysters for dinner that night. I’ve heard the term “filly” used, but usually not to the woman’s face.
Why are the terms heifer and filly considered offensive?
“Sagebrush Sally” means cowgirl (or, in some circumstances, a lesbian who afffects western stylings). “Pistol Packin’ Mama” was a line from a song in “Annie Get Your Gun”:
Men don’t buy pajamas
Fer Pistol Packin’ Mamas
Oh you can’t get a man with a gun
Filly and heiffer are both terms that have to do with animals. That is why they would be somewhat derogatory.
A filly is a young female horse that has not been bred or has not yet had a colt. Heiffer would be the same from the bovine perspective.
Yes, but a filly also means a “Lively, sprightly girl.” Nicknames that derive from horses seem more appropraite for males. (This is my opinion.)
Referring to any female as a “cow” in any subculture would be deemed offensive.
Can anyone list any terms for women/cowgirls that were used in the Old West?
TV Time, that was a great analysis! But I’ve never heard goat ropers called “goaters”; they’re “nanny slammers” around here. As would be a really bad calf roper! Might be a regional term.
But I concur on all of the rest of your definitions. I myself am more of a cattle woman - I don’t rope, but I do all the rest of it with my family. And buckle bunny is definitely an insult, unless you’re a horny young cowboy. Many of them still look down on the “bunnies”, although that doesn’t stop them. And you know most of us women aren’t real fond of them.
Dr. Starfish, since I’m not a cowgirl in the Old West, none of my terms are going to be relevant to you. I’d have to guess based on old Hollywood movies and Western books, and I’m sure you could do just as well there.
I am trying to recall what my grandfather said about the women of the “Old West”. He was alive at the time and we used to talk a lot about it. I was fascinated by it. But I was pretty young and he was pretty old at the time.
My best recollection is that he said that there were so few women, they were all held in pretty high regard. Even as an old man he was referring to many of them as Miss Lilly or Miss Winnie or Mrs. Lathrup. I seem to remember that he even referred to some of the women of easy virtue that way.
I cannot remember him ever using a slang term about a woman. They were always “ladies” in his discriptions. Now, part of this could have been because he was talking to a little kid at the time, but he was not always quite so polite when it came to discribing men.
I remember him saying someone was a “tough old lady,” or someone else was a “big lady” but it always seemed to be “lady”.
But as I said it was many, many years ago.
TV
Do you know what terms they use in Hollywood?