Cowboy Quotes: 10 Old West Sayings Worth Remembering #5
CowboySpirit.TV - Many Old West sayings have been passed down from generation to generation, but certain words we use also came from cowboys. Old West cowboys were infamous for “corrupting” words to make new meanings, and maybe the best example of this is with the word maverick. Down in Texas, a cattle rancher by the name of Maverick stopped branding his calves during the Civil War. His neighbors would say “there’s a maverick” when they came across the unbranded animals. Today, down south ‘maverick’ specifically means an unbranded animal, while up north the word is most often taken to mean a rebel – or a cowboy. Here are ten more cowboy phrases that have become common wisdom.
1. They were fighting like Kilkenny cats.
This saying may have come from an old Irish limerick that tells the tale of two cats that fight until “instead of two cats there weren’t any!”
2. Trust everybody in the game, but always cut the cards.
3. Kickin' a man when he's down sometimes is the only way to make him get up.
4. You can never step in the same river twice.
This saying has become quite popular, meaning that a running river is never exactly the same from moment to moment – and also that there are no second chances.
5. There's no place 'round the campfire for a quitter's blanket.
6. Just because trouble comes to visit doesn’t mean you have to offer it a place to sit down.
7. Don't judge people by their relatives.
Similar to another cowboy saying: “take a man for who he is, not who he was.”
8. If you’re going to kill time, work it to death!
9. It doesn't matter how big of a ranch you have...or how many cattle you brand...or how much money you've got...the size of your funeral is still going to depend on the weather.
10. Don't use up all your kindling to make a fire.
This is another example of an Old West saying that has a dual meaning. Using all of your kindling to make one fire is wasteful, but the saying also means don’t use more words than you have to.
Which one of these Old West quotes is your favorite?
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