Dictionary of the Old West

A fascinating dictionary of terms from the Wild West of 1850 to 1900 lists the origins and meanings of many currently used expressions and phrases, noting their frequent adaptations from original Mexican words.

This dictionary lists the dialects of English in use in the West of the United States of America in the latter part of the 19th Century. The hybrid language of the frontier is revealed in this compilation of terms used by the cattlemen, frontiersmen, scouts, cowboys, and gamblers.