© Getty Images

Acknowledge the corn -

"Acknowledge the corn" means to confess or acknowledge a lie or failure. 

© Shutterstock

Barn sour -

"Barn sour" describes a horse that wants nothing more than to stay put in the barn. 

© Shutterstock

Brown gargle -

"Brown gargle" is one of many colorful cowboy terms for coffee. 

© Shutterstock

Airin' the lungs -

"Airin' the lungs" is cussing. "Hey, no airin' the lungs out here!"

© Shutterstock

Tenderfoot -

"Tenderfoot" is used to describe someone young, inexperienced, or new to a job. "Our daughter may be a tenderfoot, but she's a great horse rider." 

© Shutterstock

Bear sign -

Bet you didn't know there were donuts in the Wild West! Well, in cowboy lingo, "bear sign" means donut! 

© Shutterstock

Above board -

A phrase that's still used today, it means that something is honest and legitimate. For example, "the poker games here are all above board."

© Shutterstock

Howdy -

The typical cowboy greeting, "howdy" was originally a shortened form of the inquiry "How do ye?" It's still commonly used across the Southern US.

© Shutterstock

Hard money -

"Hard money" is a common term for silver and gold, rather than actual paper money.

© Shutterstock

Hitch in the giddy-up -

This expression means one isn't feeling well, as in "I've had a hitch in my giddy-up the last couple of days."

© Shutterstock

Overland trout -

In case you were wondering, "overland trout" is cowboy slang for bacon.

© Shutterstock

Bad egg -

Don't confuse this expression with an actual bad egg. In cowboy lingo, "bad egg" is used to describe someone bad, dishonest, or unreliable. 

© Shutterstock

Desert canary -

"Desert canary" is cowboy slang for a donkey. 

© Shutterstock

Hop juice -

"Hop juice" is one of many excellent cowboy terms for beer. Additionally, there's "John Barleycorn" and "purge."

© Shutterstock

Wobblin' jaw -

This expression describes someone who talks a lot. "I like him, but he's a bit of a wobblin' jaw." 

© Shutterstock

All down but nine -

"All down but nine" described missing the point or not understanding something. It's a reference for missing all nine pins in bowling. 

© Shutterstock

Tarnation -

This word is a non-cuss exclamation. "Tarnation! That car is blocking my driveway!"

© Shutterstock

A hog-killin' time -

This expression means something was a real good time. "We went to the Rodeo Dance and had us a hog-killin’ time!"

© Shutterstock

Feeze -

In cowboy lingo, to be in a "feeze" means to be in a state of excitement.

© Shutterstock

Saltwater vegetables -

If you're a cowboy, then oysters and clams are called "saltwater vegetables." 

© Shutterstock

That dog won't hunt -

"That dog won't hunt" is a dismissive phrase, used to mean that a particular idea or approach is going to fail. 

© Shutterstock

Too much mustard -

"Too much mustard" describes a braggart, or the quality of bragging too much.

© Shutterstock

Cackleberries -

When cowboys wanted eggs, they asked for "cackleberries." The word is a compound of the verb cackle and the common noun berry.

© Shutterstock

Ace-high -

This term comes from poker, but was also used to refer to things that were fine, luxurious, and respectable. "This hotel sure is ace-high." 

© Shutterstock

Varmint -

"Varmint" is the cowboy way to say "vermin." It usually refers to a small or medium-sized animal, or a disreputable individual.

© Shutterstock

Mysteries -

Sausages of any variety are so-called because their ingredients are often a mystery! In the Victorian era, they were called "bags o' mystery."

© Shutterstock

Yee-haw! -

A Western expression of enthusiasm and excitement, you've probably used or heard "yee-haw" before. 

© Shutterstock

Dude horse -

"Dude horse" describes a horse that's slow, easy, and lazy. It's also a bad horse for an experienced rider.

© Shutterstock

Son-of-a-gun stew -

This is a stew made of whatever is available, plus the organs of a recently-slaughtered calf. 

© Shutterstock

Yellow-belly -

"Yellow-belly" is a term used to describe a cowardly person. "Jim was acting a little yellow-bellied before the rodeo." 

Sources: (Mental Floss) (Ranker) 

© Shutterstock