What do Horses, Arguments, and Stonehenge Have in Common? (Wild West Sayings We Use Today)

Welcome back for more fun with words. New around here? All you need is to a) enjoy history and b) love words, and you'll fit right in. One of the sayings we'll study today touched on research I did for a blog post. I think you'll enjoy reading about Sam Hill. So pull up a chair and sit a spell as we discover more Wild West sayings we use today. 

Wild West Sayings We Use Today, Part 28

Rode Hard and Put Away Wet

Horses and people have a lot in common.

This quaint expression refers to horseback riding. A horse that works up a sweat after running needs to cool down before resting. If stabled without being walked and brushed, the horse can suffer chills, stiffness, and lameness—resulting in resentment and ill-temper. It’s not hard to imagine how the term, ‘rode hard and put away wet’ broadened to include people who look rough, weary, sickly, and out of sorts, possibly due to abuse or neglect. The phrase might describe a particular incident (a bad night) or a long-term condition (having lived a hard life).

Historical Reference: The exact origins of this phrase are uncertain, but it most likely originated in the American South. Use of the past form of a verb as a past participle (‘been rode’ rather than ‘been ridden’) points to the South’s linguistic connection to Scotland.

Example: After digging ditches all day, Henry looks like he’s been rode hard and put away wet.

Ruckus

A ruckus is a noisy commotion.

Today, as in the Wild West, we consider a noisy uproar or an argument a ‘ruckus.’ 

Historical Reference: The “Cherokee Advocate,” an Oklahoma newspaper, included a variant spelling in the February 24th, 1882 edition: “It is but right that they should know how the matter stands, and have fair warning to avoid a ‘pending’ rucus of some sort.”
Note: Other spellings (rookus, rukus and rucus) may hint at the way this word was pronounced in various parts of America.

Ruckus is an American term with uncertain origins. The word most likely evolved from blending ‘rumpus’ (a playful commotion) and ‘ruction’ (a disorderly tumult), but other theories exist. Ruckus may have derived from ‘rook,’ a Scottish word for a quarrel or uproar that dates from at least 1808. Another idea is that ‘ruck,’ a British rugby play, birthed ‘ruckus.’

What in the Sam Hill…

Sam Hill's Stonehenge Memorial, Image by Janalyn Voigt

Substituting ‘Sam Hill’ for a four-letter word beginning with ‘h,’ this phrase has various endings: "…just happened?”; “…do you think you’re doing?”; and so forth. This idiom was used more in the 1800s than today, but it is still known, and I couldn’t resist including it. 

Historical Reference: According to the Oxford English Dictionary, on Aug. 1, 1839, the Havana, New York, Republican newspaper carried this line: "What in sam hill is that feller ballin' about?" This is the first known print citation for our phrase.

Various stories about the origin of 'What in the Sam Hill' include one Colonel Samuel Hill who consistently ran for office in Connecticut. However, no other records have turned up to confirm his existence. However, other names have been bandied about. Samuel Ewing Hill, an adjutant general from Kentucky investigated the feud between the Hatfields and McCoys in 1887. Mystified reporters wanted to know what in the Sam Hill was going on. H.L. Mencken, an American journalist and scholar, posed that the phrase derived from 'Samiel,' the devil's name in the opera, "Der Freischutz" (1825). A surveyor by the name of Sam Hill who lived between 1819 and 1889 is noted as liberally sprinkling his speech with cuss words. Folks who quoted him in more polite society had to substitute 'sam hill' for his colorful epithets. Another idea is that Sam Hill never existed as a person at all. I have by no means exhausted the possibilities, but you get the picture. 

My own opinion of the origins of our expression came about because of a road trip I took with my husband. Little did I know that it would turned into a voyage of discovery, complete with an epiphany. You can read about my experience in When Dreams Don’t Make Sense at my website. This was when I met Samuel Hill, American lawyer, businessman, and railroad executive. I use 'met' euphemistically, because this Sam Hill lived between 1857 and 1931, which means he left this world before I entered it. We can blame it on my being a historical fiction author, but the historical figures I study often become so real that it seems I know them. But I digress.

The Sam Hill I discovered in my travels is only one of the characters recognized (or blamed, as the case may be) for the saying in question. Let me explain why I can’t imagine it originating with anyone else. 

Sam Hill had a knack for creating things that made sense in his own mind but often left others baffled. He envisioned the ‘Promised Land,' a farming utopia in a part of Washington state that was so arid it was almost a desert. Undeterred by criticism that his vision was impractical, he bought 7,000 acres of arid land in the Columbia Gorge. Sam built an expansive mansion overlooking the Columbia River and named it Maryhill after his daughter, Mary. He founded a town by the same name and invited some Quaker farmers to settle it. 

No one came. 

After the town burned in a fire, Sam abandoned the Maryhill mansion. The building stands today, a solid concrete behemoth that appears sturdy enough to withstand a nuclear blast. Go inside for a small fee, like I did, and lose yourself in extensive collections of art. Sam dedicated his abandoned home to artistic endeavors, a fate that strikes me as appropriate for the remnant of a broken dream.

Arguably the oddest of Sam Hill’s projects is the miniature Stonehenge replica he erected a short distance from Maryhill. It still stands. That's right. You can come to Washington state and see Stonehenge, at least in miniature. Visiting the memorial can be a windy prospect but well worth the trouble. I found the experience moving. Sam Hill built his Stonehenge to commemorate the brave souls who lost their lives in World War I. He also meant it to protest war in general. But, why Stonehenge? 

I mean, doesn't every war protestor recreate an ancient megalith? Maybe not. This is where we gain a glimpse into Sam Hill's thinking. You see, he traveled to the original Stonehenge in 1915. There he learned that the Britons once used the site for "bloody sacrifices to their heathen gods of war." Struck by this, Sam decided that his replica would be a reminder that "humanity is still being sacrificed to the god of war." His logic is impeccable, if not immediately accessible to most people. I’m sure Sam Hill's Stonehenge came across as another anomaly from a man with too much money.

We can’t speak of the curiosities Sam Hill introduced to a puzzled world without mentioning that he also built the Cascade Highway. This feat of construction benefited farmers in particular. It removed from them the burden of navigating their carts along muddy roads. Not too shabby for a misunderstood man people laughed at. At the Stonehenge Memorial, if you look down the hill to the banks of the Columbia, you'll notice a farm. Modern irrigation practices have made Sam Hill's dream possible. Perhaps it is justice that ‘What in the Sam Hill…’ is fading into memory.

View from Sam Hill's Stonehenge Memorial that shows the farm below; image by Janalyn Voigt  

Example: “What in the Sam Hill was that about?”

Question for You

Can you relate to Sam Hill's quirky mindset or does it baffle you? 

What's New With Janalyn Voigt

Like perhaps many of you, I struggle with events in our world today. My reaction doesn't change my deadlines as an author, but being forced to focus on writing has turned into a blessing. I think of what Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastis 2:24: "There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God" (World English Bible). I had to recommit myself to work diligently at the tasks to which I am called, refusing to be pulled aside by temporal worries. 

Let us place our unwavering trust in God, who loves us all. 

Learn more about Janalyn Voigt. 

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Wild West Sayings We Use Today, Part 9

Candles, crochet, a miserly corn merchant, and a mythical French horse all come into play when considering the latest installment in Wild West Sayings We Use Today. Enjoy! 

This post is brought to you by Janalyn Voigt.

Wild West Sayings We Use Today, Part 9

Can’t hold a candle to…

This expression describes someone who doesn’t measure up to a person so superior that even a subordinate position out of the question. 

During the 1600s, an apprentice held a candle so an experienced craftsman could see to work. A truly useless person couldn’t do even that.

Historical Reference: A similar phrase, 'to hold the candle,' appeared in “The foure cardinall-vertues of a Carmelite-fryar observed by Sir Edvvard Dering, knight and baronet in 1641: "Though I be not worthy to hold the candle to Aristotle."

Example: His poor supper can’t hold a candle to the delights of Judith’s kitchen.

Crotchety

The word, 'crotchet,’ once meant "whim or fancy." This sense of the word gave rise to ‘crotchety’ as a term for an irritable older person. It’s not hard to see the connection between a person made cantankerous by vain imaginations.

Historical Reference:

Both words (crochet and crotchet) came from the Middle French word, ‘crochet.’ It has connections to ‘croche’ and ‘krokr, which mean ‘hook’ in Scandinavian and Norse, respectively.

Example: A crotchety old man stomped down the street, muttering and waving a cane.

Curmudgeon

This word to describe a disagreeable man comes to modern times courtesy of the 1500s. Various theories have suggested that it means ‘evil heart’ and a miserly corn merchant have been discarded. The word probably originated from the Gaelic ‘muigean,’ which means a disagreeable person.

Historical Reference: The origin of this term remains unknown.

Example: The curmudgeon railed at his nephew for the better part of an hour.

Curry Favor

A person who uses flattery to gain an advantage is said to curry favor. Curry comes from the Old French verb conraier, meaning “to prepare' or 'put in order.' This is the same root word that gave birth to the word we use for brushing a horse with a curry-comb. The term first described using a curry-comb to groom a mythical French horse named Fauvel – to curry Fauvel.

Historical Reference: ‘Curry favor’ derived from The Romance of Fauvell, a satirical French poem written in 1310 by Gervais du Bus.

Example: She flattered the boss in a failed attempt to curry favor.

Thanks for celebrating the history of words and sayings with me. Tune in next month for the next installment in Wild West Sayings We Use Today.

About Janalyn Voigt

Janalyn Voigt fell in love with literature at an early age when her father read chapters from classics as bedtime stories. When Janalyn grew older, she put herself to sleep with tales "written" in her head. Today Janalyn is a storyteller who writes in several genres. Romance, mystery, adventure, history, and whimsy appear in all her novels in proportions dictated by their genre. Janalyn Voigt is represented by Wordserve Literary.

Learn more about Janalyn Voigt.

Discover Montana Gold

Based on actual historical events during a time of unrest in America, the Montana gold series explores faith, love, and courage in the wild west.

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Wild West Sayings We Use Today, Part 4

Our exploration into the history of words used in the Wild West and today has uncovered some interesting stories. In “Wild West Sayings We Use Today, Part 3,” we learned that ‘brown’ once described sadness much as ‘blue’ does today. In “Wild West Sayings We Use Today, Part 2,” the color blue, applied to stockings, stands for something entirely different. Ah, but when it comes to the history of words, things aren’t always what they seem. In “Wild West Sayings We Use Today, Part 1,” we discovered that apple-pie order may have more to do with napkins that apples. Who knew? Today’s post comes to you on a different day this month, but you’ll see more posts about word history on the 20th of each month. This may take a while. We’re still in the ‘b’s,’ and by that I mean the letter.

Wild West Sayings We Use Today, Part 4

By Hook or by Crook

Shepherd and Shepherdesses Tapestry; Metropolitan Museum of Art [CC0]

Doing something by hook or by crook accomplishes it any way possible--by fair means or foul. This phrase is quite old and was well-known by the fourteenth century. Its origin is unknown, although theories exist. The most likely refers to the medieval practice of fire-bote. The king they served owned the forests, but the peasants could harvest deadwood for their fires. Anything picked up from the ground or pulled down from the trees with a billhook or shepherd’s crook was fair game. 

Example: Whether by hook or by crook, she’d get him to propose to her.

Historical Reference: The first substantiated use of this phrase is in the 1583 "Anatomie of Abuses," in which Philip Stubbes, the pamphlet’s author, railed against societal immorality and called for reform.

By the By

'By the by' is considered old-fashioned nowadays, but most people recognize it. The background is particularly interesting, so I decided to include it. First, let’s deal with the spelling issue. This phrase is sometimes spelled ‘by the bye’ or ‘bye the bye.’ Those are misspellings, according to The Grammarist. When you understand the origin of the term, that becomes clear. ‘Bye’ is short for ‘goodbye,’ whereas ‘by’ means ‘beside.’

'By the by' crops up to insert a quick aside, usually on a loosely-related topic, into the main conversation. We use it like ‘byway,’ which is a less-important road that runs alongside a highway. Another way of saying this is 'by the way.' “The Sweet By-and-By," a nineteenth-century hymn written by S. Fillmore Bennett and Joseph P. Webster, uses an earlier form of this phrase to represent heaven.

Example: By the by, I wanted to ask you a quick question about something else.

Historical Reference: Chaucer used ‘by and by’ in its original sense meaning ‘one by one’ in the late 14th century. Shakespeare used this term as we do now in the 16th century. It also shows up in the King James Bible. ‘By the by’ came on the scene in the 18th century and reached its peak in the 19th century. 

By The Skin Of One’s Teeth

To escape by the skin of your teeth means to narrowly avert disaster. It seems fitting that this expression was uttered in the Wild West, a time conducive to close shaves with danger. The term is actually much older, having originated in Biblical times.

Teeth aren’t covered by skin, which perhaps illustrates the slim margin for avoiding calamity.

Example: I avoided a collision by the skin of my teeth.

Historical Reference: We learn of Job’s sufferings and eventual deliverance by God in the Biblical Book of Job. The term first appears in English in 1560 with the Geneva Bible’s translation of the original Hebrew: "I haue escaped with the skinne of my tethe" Job 19:20.

Note from Janalyn

Exploring the meaning and history of words connects us with people who lived before us. It brings the bygone eras into tantalizing focus. If you enjoyed this post, check back on the 20th of each month for the next installment.

About Janalyn Voigt

Janalyn Voigt's unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and whimsy creates breathtaking fictional worlds for readers. Known for her vivid writing, this multi-faceted author writes in the western historical romance, medieval epic fantasy, and romantic suspense genres.

Janalyn is represented by Wordserve Literary Agency. Her memberships include ACFW and NCWA. When she's not writing, she loves to garden and explore the great outdoors with her family.

Learn more about Janalyn Voigt and her books.

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Wild West Sayings We Use Today, Part 2

Bodie, California

As a child, while reading dictionaries for fun. I learned to my utter fascination that words contain hidden facets of meaning that glitter when brought to light. If that wasn’t enough to make a future author giddy, the fact that words have a history all their own certainly did.

I don’t know when I first became aware of history as a record of real lives. It didn’t happen in grade school, where I read dry text books and memorized data that held no power of connection to my existence. Perhaps my interest quickened when my family visited Bodie, a California ghost town that made quite an impression. You could walk onto the porches of long-vacated homes, see the tatters of curtains still hanging in the windows, even open the door and walk into a few of the buildings. Whenever it happened, history came alive to me at some point.

I suspect you can tell a similar tale. Let’s step back into history together, shall we? This is the second installment in our blog series. Did you miss the previous post? No worries. The words are in alphabetical order, but the posts themselves can be read in any order. If that would bug you, read “Wild West Words We Use Today” then come back here for today’s sampling of sayings used in the Wild West that are still used today. 

This article is brought to you by Janalyn Voigt.

Wild West Sayings We Use Today, Part 2

Baker’s Dozen: this term had its origin during the Middle Ages but carried through Wild West times to us today. If you aren’t familiar with this saying, it refers to a group of thirteen—rather than twelve—bakery items. It might be tempting to picture a generous baker, his faced wreathed in layers of fat gleaned from sampling his own wares. However, the strongest argument for the expression’s origin hearkens to a time when dishonesty sparked regulations on what a loaf of bread should weigh. Handmade bread being hard to regulate, this presented a quite a problem for bakers. 

Accidentally cutting a customer short could land a baker in the pillary, which was a wooden framework with holes for the head and hands. While forced to stand in this device, a person endured public humiliation and abuse. A wise baker avoided this fate by throwing in a couple of extra slices with every loaf and an extra loaf with every dozen. This cautionary practice gave rise to the term ‘baker’s dozen.’

Balderdash: I can’t imagine a grander word for ‘exaggerated spoken nonsense.’ This word’s origin is obscure, but the earliest references from the 1600’s, link it to a muddled drink of beer or other spirits and milk. Synonyms include ‘claptrap,’ ‘blarney,’ ‘poppycock,’ and ‘tripe.’ I’m sure you get the picture.

Nowadays ‘balderdash’ has an antiquated, even comical feel. Treasure it while it’s here. This word is fading into history.

Bee in Your Bonnet:

If an idea has ever buzzed about inside your head, much like a bee’s pestering after you unwisely use a shampoo smelling of flowers, you can understand this expression. Having a bee in your bonnet is to be obsessed with an idea that won’t leave you alone. It was used in Wild West days, and due to the bonnet reference, you might think it originated during that era. However, Grammarphobia indicates that this phrase evolved from a saying first recorded in Virgil’s Eneados, Gavin Douglas’s Middle Scots version of the Aeneid: “Quhat berne be thou in bed, with hede full of beis?” (“What, man, rot thou in bed with thy head full of bees?”)

According to The Phrase Finder, the country of origin may well be Scotland. “Early bonnets were caps worn by men and boys and had gone out of use in England by the time the phrase emerged but continued to be used in Scotland.” Whatever it’s origin, this charming phrase isn’t used much these days and may be on its way out.

Blue Stocking: You may have come across this term applied in a derogatory fashion to a class of educated, privileged women. It’s origins place it in 1750, at the birth of London’s Blue Stockings Society, when a group of women began meeting to discuss literature, politics, or other topics of the day. The meetings were informal, and many of the ladies adopted blue worsted stockings instead of formal black silk. Members of the Blue Stockings Society encountered scorn until attitudes about women being educated changed.

The Blue Stocking Society ended in the mid-eighteen-hundreds, but the term is still used to describe literary women.

Bonanza:

At last we come to a word that originated in the Wild West. It came from a Mexican word meaning ‘a rich lode.’ The Spanish word derived from the Latin bonacia, which meant ‘fair weather at sea; prosperity,’ according to the Online Etymology Dictionary. ‘Bonus’ is a related word also in use today. I'm sure the Cartwrights from 'Bonanza,' the popular television show, would be pleased.

Note from Janalyn: Thanks for reading! Watch for next month’s post on the 20th as we continue our list of words popular in the Wild West that we still use today.

About Janalyn Voigt

Janalyn Voigt's unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and whimsy creates breathtaking fictional worlds for readers. Known for her vivid writing, this multi-faceted author writes in the western historical romance, medieval epic fantasy, and romantic suspense genres.

Janalyn is represented by Wordserve Literary Agency. Her memberships include ACFW and NCWA. When she's not writing, she loves to garden and explore the great outdoors with her family.

Learn more about Janalyn Voigt and her books.

Americanisms And Western Slang

Right from the beginning, as soon as pilgrims from England and other parts of Europe hit North American shores, the language began to evolve. 

Many words were borrowed from Native Americans and immigrants from other European countries. New words created explained the early pioneers encounters with unfamiliar landscape, weather, animals, plants, and living conditions. Also, the change of diet with different foods available.

An Americanism was and still is any word or expression originated in the United States. That included variations of any foreign words, a pronunciation slant, and old words revised with different meanings.

People from across the pond referred to American dialect as an insult. It was considered barbaric for more than a century after the Revolutionary War. Besides their dress in not keeping up with the latest London fashions, an American could be recognized by words and phrases as simple as reckon, bureau (chest of drawers), lightning rod (for whiskey) or bamboozle.

Yet Americans considered their version of the English language as a badge of pride, another form of

western slang

independence from the mother country. Speech constituted both an aggressively conscious or subtle way to rebel and be part of the ongoing revolution.

Language changes around the uniqueness, individuality, and independence of each generation. 

As pioneers migrated out west, the vernacular eroded even more into the slang and lingo that provided some of the charm and character of that era.

Westerners stood apart from Englanders and easterners with references to ranching or mining terms. 

beef jerky

Their talk incorporated the lifestyle. Some common cowboy jargon included hornswoggle and jamboree, jerky and jawbone credit, and gotta high-tail it outa there, to name a few. Some good sources can be extracted from period newspapers, books, and memoirs.

Writes Kathy Weiser of Legends of America, “Ironically, after centuries of forming our ‘own’ language, the English and American versions are once again beginning to blend as movies, songs, electronics, and global traveling bring the two ‘languages’ closer together once again.”

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Does your family or citizens in your region speak certain words or phrases uniquely your/their own? From what source did they originate?

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