Colloquialisms

Prit’ near

prit’near: Something that is very like something else; something that is close in time or space…
Grub Line Runners

Fellas who would spend the winter moving from one farm or ranch to the next, doing…
Zombies

zombie: A term used for men who joined the Army as the war was approaching its…
Rubber

rubber: To eavesdrop on conversations on the rural “party line” telephone system. Prior to the early…
Gandy Dancers

Gandy dancers: The name given to the “trackmen” on the railway.
Swish

swish: The liquor leached from oak barrels procured from distilleries (usually whiskey). The barrels were purchased…
Proving Up

Prove up: Homesteaders were required to break ten acres of land for three years, build a house…
Stubble Jumpers

stubble jumper: a slightly derogatory but mostly good-humoured phrase to describe prairie folk. Usually employed by British…
Bundling

Bundling: Couples cuddling under a robe or blanket while returning home in the cutter on a cold…
Scrub Cow

Scrub cow: a cow of indeterminate and/or mixed lineage. Often characterized by a combination of shades and…