Americanisms

The following are some of the phrases common in the United States, of which many are acknowledged as " slang" and not in use by careful speakers. Acknowledge the corn, to admit or confess a thing. All-fired, great, excessive. AU-possessed, acting as though possessed by an evil spirit. Allow, to concede. Among the missing, disappeared, run away. Any how you can fa it, meaning it is so and cannot be otherwise. Appreciate, to increase in value. As good as, for "as well as;" "I might as good as give lip." Backbone, courage, moral or political. Back down, or out, or take the back track, or back seat; to submit to defeat. Barking up the wrong tree, operating in the wrong direction. Beat, to excel ; "it beats all creation." Blow, gasconade. Blower, a braggart. Blow out, usually a festive entertainment. Bogus, counterfeit, bad, untrue. Buck, a male Indian or negro. Brick in his hat, tipsy. Bust, busted; failed, out of money. On (I bust, getting drunk. Caboodle, the whole company or array. Cahoot, to go in partner ship. Can t come it, you cannot deceive me. Caps all, or caps the climax, surpasses everything. Carryings on, wild or extravagant actions. Cave in, for yield, or fail. Chalk, the right thing; "that's the chalk;" "you can't fool me, by a long chalk." Olisci, to cheat. Choke off, to stop one's operations. Come around, come over, to coax or to wheedle; "you can't come it over me." Considerable, in a great degree; " that's considerable of a yarn." Coen, a smart or cunning fellow; "he's a coon." Corner, to get advantage of; "I cornered him." Crowd, any number of persons in a place or party; " he goes with the crowd." Out up, cut up dodoes, or shindies, frolicsome or mischiev ous acts. Out stick, cut dirt, cut your lucky, to run away. Cut a swath, or a swell, or a big figure, to appear or act extravagantly. Out it too fat, overdid it. Death on a thing, for superior in it; "he's death on billiards." Desperate, very; " I'm desperate glad you came." Diggings, for region; "in the diggings," here, or hereabouts. Do, or Du, tell, interrogations of surprise. Done, for did; "John done it." Down- upon, opposed to; "I'm down on that like a thousand of brick." Dreadful, very or really; "he's dreadful good." Driving, for following a purpose; "what's he drivin' at?" East, for right; "that's about east." Eating, for to be eaten; " them's good eatin' apples." Everlasting, great, superior; "this is an everlasting big country." Eye skinned, watchful, cautious. Face the music, to meet the emergency. Fair shake, fair show, fair dealing, a fair chance. Female, misused for woman. Fence, on the fence, one undecided which party or side of a question to take. Few, somewhat; "I was scared a few." Fire away, go on. Fix his flint, to prevent one from doing a thing. Fizzle, a wretched failure. Flash in the pan, a failure. Flat broke, out of money. Flat-footed, extreme or unmistakable. Fly of the handle, to get excited. Forehanded, having money laid aside. Fork over, to pay up. Freeze to, ardently desiring, accepting, seizing. Full chisel, with all speed or force. Funeral, for concern; "it's none of our funeral." Got his back up, became angry. Got the wrong pig by the ear, or tail, accusing the wrong person. Go-aheadativeness, force, enterprise, efficiency. Go for him., to attack vigorously. Goes with a looseness, with a rush, goes his pile, or his death, goes the whole hog on it, working zealously for a purpose. Gone under, gone WW1, gone goose, failed or dead. Goose, sound on the goose, to be depended upon, usually in a party sense. Grass widow, one separated from a husband who still lives. Green, unsophisticated; "he's a green horn;" "as green as grass." Grit, courage or endurance. Gm, game, trick, deception. Gumption, common sense. Gush, voluble talk; gusher, one who is profuse or ardent in words. Hang of, mastery of, understanding of; "he's got the hang of it." Hang up the fiddle, to go out of the business in hand. Hard up, out of money. Heap, a great amount ; "there's a heap of folks at the meeting." Heft, weight. High, fulutin, ornate, bombastic. Hitch horses, to join in partnership. Honegfugle, to cajole or deceive. Hook, to steal. applied to unauthorized absence from school. Hook, on his own, by himself. Hooter, probably a mispronunciation of "iota;" "I don't care a hooter." Horn, in a, "I believe it, in a horn ;" i.e., I don't believe it at all; the same as over the left. Hoes, a senseless vulgarism of personal address; "how are you, old hogs?" or "old hors fly." Hunk, a large piece; "all hunky," all right; also "hunky dory." flurry up the cakes, be quick. Jam up, complete. Jesse, give him, to thrash or overcome him. Jig is up, the affair or attempt is ended. Jug full, not by a, an expression of contemptuous doubt. Keep the pot boiling, keep at your business. Keep company, applied to "courting." Kick up a row, to raise a disturbance. To kill, extremely; "that cat runs to kill," or very fast. Kind o', kind er, as it were. Kink, a notion; "I've got a kink in my head." Knocked into a cocked hat, used up. Knock down, a rebuff; "that was a knock down for him." Larrup, flog. Law sakes alive! exclamation by old women, like "mercy sakes alive!" Lay, purpose or design; "what lay are you on now?" Let on, tell or disclose. Let up, release. Lickety split, with all speed. Lift, or raise, his hair, scalp. Like I do, for "as I do." Like a book, right, regular, correct. Little end of the horn, to come out at the, to fail after a promising start. Logrolling; at first, the reciprocal aid of neighbors in gathering and piling logs; now, combinations of legislators and outsiders to procure the passage or defeat of laws. Logy, heavy, stupid. Looseness, recklessness; "he goes it with a per fect looseness." Lore, for like; " I love apple pie." Make his mark, succeed. Make tracks, run away. Make a raise, get money. Middling well, in moderately good health. Mill, "he has been through the mill," i.e., has had experience. Mind your eye, keep good watch. Mind the baby, take care of the child. Missing, among the, a runaway, particularly a debtor. Monstrous, for "very;" "she's monstrous pretty." Mortal, very; its mortal hot." Mosey, run away. Most is used where "almost" should be. Mourn ers, crowding the, pressing hard upon the weak or unresisting. Nary red (not any red),

not a cent. Rip-and-tuck, neck and neck; an even race. No (doubled); double negatives are common in ordinary conversation; as "that won't do, no how." No sir-ree an emphatic negative. Nothing else, an emphatic affirmative; "will you wear your new bonnet to church?" "Well, I ain't goin' to wear nothin' else." Of, for from; "he's borrowed a quarter off me." Of the handle, or track; gone wrong. One of 'em, for a person well informed, active and self-possessed; same meaning as "he will do," "he can travel," "he'll pass." On hand, always ready. Opinionated, fixed in his sentiments. with a will of his own. Overslaugh, to defeat, usually in political action, and by crooked means. Partly, nearly; " his house was partly opposite mine." Pesky, very, extreme or troublesome. Plaguy sight, considerable. Poky, dull, stupid. Powerful, very; "she's powerful weak." Predicate, found upon. Pretty considerable, a large quantity. Prospect, look for land, or mines. Proud, glad; " I'm proud to see you." large foot, or heel; run off. Pull up stakes, move to another place. Pull the wool over his eyes, deceive a man. Rag of the bush, to take the, to excel. Reckon, think; "I reckon he will come." Pull through, succeed. Rendition, rendering. Right (limy, soon. Rip out, speak violently. Rip-tearing mad, very angry. Rip-snorter, thorough going, Rieky. doubtful or danger ous. Roorhack, a false political report. Rouser, superior; "lie's a rouser." Row up, scold; "the old woman will give you a rowing up." Row to hoe, the work in hand. Rub out, deny; "there's no use of trying to rub it out." Scallairag, a good-for-nothing. Scare up, find. Scoot, run around or away. Scrape, difficulty; " I'm in a serape." Screamer, superior; "that gal's a screamer." Screw, severe opposition; "I'll put the screws to him." Scrumptious, fine, excellent. Semi-occasionally, once in awhile. Sense, understand; "do you sense it?" Shake, in a brief period; "I'll be there in a brace of shakes." Shake a stick at, enumerate or estimate; "there are more clams than you can shake a stick at." Shaky, wavering, not to be depended upon. Sharp stick, urgent pursuit; "I am after him with a sharp stick." Sharer, a small boy. Shinning around, running around, usually to borrow money. Shindy, a fracas. Shine, conceit; " I'll take the shine out of him." Shine, boot-black's cry for "black your boots." Shot in the neck, drunken. Shote, a worthless fellow. Shucks (corn-husks usually thrown away), good for nothing; "lie ain't worth shucks." Shy, throw; "he shied a brick at me." Side winder, a heavy blow with the fist. Sight, a great many; "there was a sight of people." Skeezik.s, a mean fellow; " there goes that old skeeziks. ' Skunk, utterly defeat. Slang whanger, a noisy and reckless talker. Slap jack, a pan cake. Slick, easy; "slick as grease," or "as a whistle." Slide, let go; "let her slide." Slope, run away. Sloshing around, bragging, bullying. Small potatoes, of little account; "he's small potatoes, and few in a hill." Snag, any obstruction. Smart bit, a chance, or sprinkle, considerable of anything. Sneezed at, not to be, not to be lightly considered. Snoop, snatch slyly in bits or trifles. Snorter, superior; "our congressman is a snorter." Sockdolager (vulgarism for doxology), a finishing blow. Soft wieder, or soap, flattery. Some, excelling; "he's some on figures." Some punkin, smart. Spark, "court" a girl; a spark, a lover, or sweetheart. Spell, a period of time; "there's been quite a spell of rain." To spell, to relieve; "take my spell at the wheel." Splurge, swaggering demonstration. Spread, do one's best; "he has just spread himself on that question." Sprouts, experience, usually punitive and unpleasant; "we'll put you through a course of sprouts." Square, even with; "I'll get square with you ;" "lie's on the square," or "all right;" sound, honest, dealing fairly. Squatter, one occupying land or a place to which he has no legal right•. Stag dance, or party, a company of men only. Stall, stick fast; "the oxen got stalled in the mud." Stand up to the rack, fodder or no fodder, risk the consequences; equivalent to "face the music." Starer, an efficient man, one who "rushes things." Steep, exag gerated; " oh I that's too steep." Straight out, .or straight as a loon's leg, undeviating in purpose or action., Strapped, having no money. Streaked, feeling uncertain, or fright ened. String, on a, in a trap or under management; " I've got him on a string." Stuff, hoax; "you can't stuff me with that." Stump, to challenge or dare; or make public political addresses (forMerly in the west delivered from the stump of a tree); "he stumped his district." Sucker, a vagabond, or one who lives on others. Swad, many; "there's a swad of boys over there." Swan, for "swear." Swap, exchange. Taken to do, called to account. Take back, recant. lake the rag of or shine or conceit out of, overcome, or humiliate. Tall, immense; "that's a tall yarn." Taps, firm standing; "he's on his taps." Thundering, exceedingly great; "he's doing a thundering business." To thin, not to be believed. Tie to, confide in; "he'll do to tie to." Tight place, or squeeze, trouble or difficulty. To, at; "lie's down to Salem." Top notch, highest excel lence. Tote, carry, or the thing carried; "the whole tote," or all of it. Truck, mer chandise, particularly vegetables; "garden truck." Tuckered out, tired. Ugly, ill tempered. Up to the hub, to the full extent. Up to snuff, not to be deceived. Woke up the wrong passenger, made a dangerous mistake in attack. Walk chalk, depart at once. Walking papers, discharge from office or employment. Walk into, attack, dispose of; "he walked into the edibles," he ate eagerly; or as a threat; "I'll walk into your mutton," i.e., chastise you. Want to know, exclamation of surprise or curiosity. Ways, no two, no alternative; "no two ways about," it must be so, is so. Whale, thrash. Wheel-horse, a man who does the heavy work. Whittle, cut with a knife. Whole cloth, out of, entire, complete; "a lie out of whole cloth." Whole team, strong; " he's a whole team, and a horse to spare," he is sufficient to the undertaking. Wilted, backed down. Wipe out, exterminate. Worst kind, excessively; "I'm hungry the worst kind." Wrathy, angry, offended.