Free Cowboy Dictionary - Letter L - useful words of the cowboy lifestyle - definitions, terminology, slang, jargon, word origins

Cowboy Bob's Dictionary

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Ladino - (Lah-DEE-no) A cunningly vicious horse or cow. From a Latin word meaning "of mixed racial ancestry."

Lamini - The tissue that attaches the hoof to the foot of a horse. The "White Line."

Laminitis - Inflammation of the laminated tissue that attaches the hoof to the foot of a horse. See White Line.

Lamp - To see or observe carefully, as to shine a lamp on something previously unseen and thus expose it. "He could handle a rope the best of any man I ever lamped do rope work."

Lamps - Eyes. "There may be something about ranch life I had not put my lamps on."

Lampers - An inflammation and swelling of the soft parts of the roof of the mouth immediately behind the front teeth in the horse; stomatitis.

Lap and Tap - A lap and tap start occurs when the steer or calf is released from the rodeo chute without a head start on the roper or steer wrestler. Lap and tap starts are seen most frequently in indoor areas where there is not room to give the stock a long score.

Laptop - Where your kitten naps.

Lariat - A rope with a loop used for catching livestock. Derived from the Spanish words, "la reata" -- "the rope" (often misspelled "la riata.") See also Lasso. The original reata did not have a loop and was not used for working cattle. It was simply a very long lead rope which was tied to a horse's head. Hitching rails were rare in the mid-19th century west, so when a rider needed to leave his horse outside while he entered a building, the rider simply held the end of the reata, which extended out the door to the horse. When not used to secure the horse, the reata was coiled up and tied to the saddle.

Larigo - The ring at each end of the girth of a Western saddle through which the Latigo and billet straps pass. Sometimes used synonymously for the rigging Dee rings on a saddle, but the word more properly refers to the heavy rings on each end of the girth.

Larrup - Molasses.

Lasso - A rope with a loop used for catching livestock. Derived from the Spanish word, "lazo," meaning, "snare." (See also Lariat.)

Latigo - A strap for connecting and tightening a saddle girth.

Latigo Keeper - (Also known as a Tie Strap Holder or Cinch Strap Holder.) A piece of leather attached to the saddle through which excess latigo is run to keep it from flapping against the horse or otherwise getting in the way.

Laughing Stock - Cattle with a sense of humor.

Lead Chain - A lead line with a chain attached that is used in a variety of ways for showing horses at halter or to control possibly difficult or dangerous horses if they will not respond to a regular lead. Also called a Lead Shank or Stud Chain.

Lead Poisoning - Shot with a lead bullet. "He died of lead poisoning."

Lead Pusher - A firearm, generally a revolver.

Lead Rope - A rope which attaches to the halter and is used to lead a horse.

Lead Shank - See "Lead Chain."

Lead Slinger - (Pronounced "Led" slinger.) A gun fighter.

Leaders - All horses in front of the "Wheelers" in a multi-team hitch are called Leaders.

Leg Yield - A movement in which the horse yields to the rider's leg, moving forward and diagonally to the side at the same time (by crossing the legs).

Leggens, Leggens-straw - A stick, cane, or whip used as a lash in flogging. Ranch punishments sometimes involved a "leggen-straw" trial, at which the boss decided how many stripes would be applied to the offending cowboy's rear end.

Leopard App- An appaloosa horse with an overall spotted pattern.

Leppy - (Plural leppies) A small, motherless calf in a range herd of cattle. Often used synonymously with dogy (or dogie), although a dogy is usually a yearling.

Lever Action - A type of firearm action which uses a lever located around the trigger guard area to load cartridges into the chamber of the weapon.

Liberty Training - Training a horse while unrestrained by tack or other physical means, popularized by California horse trainer Carolyn Resnick. Also called "natural horsemanship," Liberty Training focuses primarily on communicating through the horse's body language and natural instincts.

Light a Shuck - To depart for another location, especially in the dead of night. Derived from the use of corn shucks as convenient torches for lighting the way home.

Light and set - A vernacular invitation to alight from a horse or other conveyance and sit down or settle in place.

Lily-livered - Easily frightened; a coward. If you were lily-livered, your liver -- the supposed source of courage -- was believed to be white because it did not contain any blood. So you were a coward.

Line Fence - A fence constructed on the dividing line between two ranches or ranges.

Line Rider - A cowboy who patroled the ranch boundry lines, pushing stray cattle back over the line back onto their respective ranchs. Later, on fenced ranches, a line rider would watch for, and repair, damaged fencing.

Lineback Dun - Dun horse with a black line running down the spine.

Line Shack - A cabin for use of cowhands when out patroling the boundry line of the ranch for cattle that may have strayed over the line.

Little Mary - The driver of a calf wagon. Some cattle drives included a wagon to carry calves during the day. The calves were then released to their mothers to nurse at night.

Livery Stable - A stable where horses and vehicles are kept for hire. From a French word meaning "to deliver."

Llano Estacado - (Yea-no Es-tah-kah-dough) Spanish phrase meaning "Staked Plains." The dry, treeless plains of the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico.

Lobo - A Spanish word meaning wolf, a predatory canine carnivore. Also used of a cruel person who preys on others.

Loco - A Spanish word meaning insane, crazy.

Loco Weed - Any of several plants of western North America that cause insanity in livestock -- see, for example, Jimsonweed.

Long Rider - A long-distance traveler on horseback, often an explorer or adventurer. Unlike an endurance racer, a long rider sets his or her own schedule and often travels alone.

Long yearling - A one year old colt or filly which was born early in the year. Because all horse ages are based on the first of the year, an animal born on January 1 is considered to be the same age as one born on December 31.

Longe - A long rope used for training a horse. (See Longeing.)

Longears - Slang for a donkey or mule, so-called because of their distinctively large ears.

Longeing - A method of training horses, where a horse is worked at the end of a long line, called a "longe." (From an obsolete English word, "allonge," meaning a long rein.)

Longhorn - A hardy beef cattle breed characterized by exceptionally long horns.

Looper - A roper.

Lope - A smooth, steady gait, faster than a trot, slower than a gallop; synonymous with "Canter."

Louse Nest - Bunk house.

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Ladino - (Lah-DEE-no) A cunningly vicious horse or cow. From a Latin word meaning "of mixed racial ancestry."

Lamini - The tissue that attaches the hoof to the foot of a horse. The "White Line."

Laminitis - Inflammation of the laminated tissue that attaches the hoof to the foot of a horse. See White Line.

Lamp - To see or observe carefully, as to shine a lamp on something previously unseen and thus expose it. "He could handle a rope the best of any man I ever lamped do rope work."

Lamps - Eyes. "There may be something about ranch life I had not put my lamps on."

Lampers - An inflammation and swelling of the soft parts of the roof of the mouth immediately behind the front teeth in the horse; stomatitis.

Lap and Tap - A lap and tap start occurs when the steer or calf is released from the rodeo chute without a head start on the roper or steer wrestler. Lap and tap starts are seen most frequently in indoor areas where there is not room to give the stock a long score.

Laptop - Where your kitten naps.

Lariat - A rope with a loop used for catching livestock. Derived from the Spanish words, "la reata" -- "the rope" (often misspelled "la riata.") See also Lasso. The original reata did not have a loop and was not used for working cattle. It was simply a very long lead rope which was tied to a horse's head. Hitching rails were rare in the mid-19th century west, so when a rider needed to leave his horse outside while he entered a building, the rider simply held the end of the reata, which extended out the door to the horse. When not used to secure the horse, the reata was coiled up and tied to the saddle.

Larigo - The ring at each end of the girth of a Western saddle through which the Latigo and billet straps pass. Sometimes used synonymously for the rigging Dee rings on a saddle, but the word more properly refers to the heavy rings on each end of the girth.

Larrup - Molasses.

Lasso - A rope with a loop used for catching livestock. Derived from the Spanish word, "lazo," meaning, "snare." (See also Lariat.)

Latigo - A strap for connecting and tightening a saddle girth.

Latigo Keeper - (Also known as a Tie Strap Holder or Cinch Strap Holder.) A piece of leather attached to the saddle through which excess latigo is run to keep it from flapping against the horse or otherwise getting in the way.

Laughing Stock - Cattle with a sense of humor.

Lead Chain - A lead line with a chain attached that is used in a variety of ways for showing horses at halter or to control possibly difficult or dangerous horses if they will not respond to a regular lead. Also called a Lead Shank or Stud Chain.

Lead Poisoning - Shot with a lead bullet. "He died of lead poisoning."

Lead Pusher - A firearm, generally a revolver.

Lead Rope - A rope which attaches to the halter and is used to lead a horse.

Lead Shank - See "Lead Chain."

Lead Slinger - (Pronounced "Led" slinger.) A gun fighter.

Leaders - All horses in front of the "Wheelers" in a multi-team hitch are called Leaders.

Leg Yield - A movement in which the horse yields to the rider's leg, moving forward and diagonally to the side at the same time (by crossing the legs).

Leggens, Leggens-straw - A stick, cane, or whip used as a lash in flogging. Ranch punishments sometimes involved a "leggen-straw" trial, at which the boss decided how many stripes would be applied to the offending cowboy's rear end.

Leopard App- An appaloosa horse with an overall spotted pattern.

Leppy - (Plural leppies) A small, motherless calf in a range herd of cattle. Often used synonymously with dogy (or dogie), although a dogy is usually a yearling.

Lever Action - A type of firearm action which uses a lever located around the trigger guard area to load cartridges into the chamber of the weapon.

Liberty Training - Training a horse while unrestrained by tack or other physical means, popularized by California horse trainer Carolyn Resnick. Also called "natural horsemanship," Liberty Training focuses primarily on communicating through the horse's body language and natural instincts.

Light a Shuck - To depart for another location, especially in the dead of night. Derived from the use of corn shucks as convenient torches for lighting the way home.

Light and set - A vernacular invitation to alight from a horse or other conveyance and sit down or settle in place.

Lily-livered - Easily frightened; a coward. If you were lily-livered, your liver -- the supposed source of courage -- was believed to be white because it did not contain any blood. So you were a coward.

Line Fence - A fence constructed on the dividing line between two ranches or ranges.

Line Rider - A cowboy who patroled the ranch boundry lines, pushing stray cattle back over the line back onto their respective ranchs. Later, on fenced ranches, a line rider would watch for, and repair, damaged fencing.

Lineback Dun - Dun horse with a black line running down the spine.

Line Shack - A cabin for use of cowhands when out patroling the boundry line of the ranch for cattle that may have strayed over the line.

Little Mary - The driver of a calf wagon. Some cattle drives included a wagon to carry calves during the day. The calves were then released to their mothers to nurse at night.

Livery Stable - A stable where horses and vehicles are kept for hire. From a French word meaning "to deliver."

Llano Estacado - (Yea-no Es-tah-kah-dough) Spanish phrase meaning "Staked Plains." The dry, treeless plains of the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico.

Lobo - A Spanish word meaning wolf, a predatory canine carnivore. Also used of a cruel person who preys on others.

Loco - A Spanish word meaning insane, crazy.

Loco Weed - Any of several plants of western North America that cause insanity in livestock -- see, for example, Jimsonweed.

Long Rider - A long-distance traveler on horseback, often an explorer or adventurer. Unlike an endurance racer, a long rider sets his or her own schedule and often travels alone.

Long yearling - A one year old colt or filly which was born early in the year. Because all horse ages are based on the first of the year, an animal born on January 1 is considered to be the same age as one born on December 31.

Longe - A long rope used for training a horse. (See Longeing.)

Longears - Slang for a donkey or mule, so-called because of their distinctively large ears.

Longeing - A method of training horses, where a horse is worked at the end of a long line, called a "longe." (From an obsolete English word, "allonge," meaning a long rein.)

Longhorn - A hardy beef cattle breed characterized by exceptionally long horns.

Looper - A roper.

Lope - A smooth, steady gait, faster than a trot, slower than a gallop; synonymous with "Canter."

Louse Nest - Bunk house.