Language is such an interesting subject and I’m always intrigued by the older terms and words. Our forefathers sure had a more colorful way of speaking. In fact, the vivid words drew pictures a lot better than today’s jargon. Since I write historicals I love finding one or two to throw in. Too many can make for difficult reading though. See how many you know. Some may be familiar.
Tub-thump – a forceful or violent way of speaking such as a politician
Carking – causing distress or worry such as: the carking of the homeless
Purse-proud – a showy or arrogant manner
Thunderstone – flint arrowheads or axes turned up by a plow and thought to have fallen from the sky
Slang-whanger – a political rant or a noisy talker (I know a lot of these!)
Sixes and Sevens – a condition of confusion or disarray
Mercurial – sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind
Omnishambles – a situation full of a string of blunders or miscalculations
Blue Skins – Presbyterians
Black leg – a gambler
Stanchion – a strong or durable support or barrier
Snipper-Snapper – an insignificant but pretentious person; a trifler
Booklore – book learning
Cactus-bloomers – longhorn cattle
Corpse and Cartridge Occasion – gun battle
Not born in the woods to be scared by an owl – not easily frightened
Do you have any to add to these? I’m giving away a 2019 calendar to two people.
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Now that we’ve had some fun, I want to tell you about a Christmas movie that John Wayne starred in. How many have seen or heard of “The 3 Godfathers?” It came out in 1948 and was about three bank robbers running from a marshal when they stumble across a woman alone in a covered wagon giving birth. Before she dies, she makes them promise to take care of her baby and get him to the town of New Jerusalem. It’s a story of redemption. I watched it when I was young and remember some funny scenes as they try to take care of this infant. So if you’re wanting a different Christmas movie, you might try to find it. The trailer is on YouTube and the movie is on Amazon.
