Can You Understand The Unique Wyoming Cowboy Lingo

Sure, everyone thinks they're a cowboy if they buy a hat, boots, jeans, and a horse, but does that actually give you "cowboy-cred" or make you a weekend warrior? I get it, everyone's just trying to find themselves and find a place where they belong and fit in.

READ MORE: Here's Why Wyoming's Cowboys Dress Like They Do

The term cowboy, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

One who tends cattle, or horses; especially: a usually mounted cattle-ranch hand.

What that definition doesn't describe is the Cowboy Code of Conduct, which can be found at NationalDayoftheCowboy.com.

READ MORE: Cowboy Hat Etiquette in Wyoming

The National Day of the Cowboy Code of Conduct for Cowboys & Cowgirls©

1.  Live each day with honesty and courage.
2. Take pride in your work. Always do your best.
3. Stay curious. Study hard and learn all you can.
4. Do what has to be done and finish what you start.
5. Be tough, but fair.
6. When you make a promise, keep it.
7. Be clean in thought, word, deed, and dress.
8. Practice tolerance and understanding of others.
9. Be willing to stand up for what’s right.
10. Be an excellent steward of the land and its animals.

If you're going to try to play the part, you'll need to live, dress, and talk the way a cowboy does. You may think cowboys speak the same way a city slicker does, but you'll be wrong in speculating like that. If you've never spent a minute around a cowboy, likely, you've never heard phrases like:

"I know the rent is cheap, but I just can't live next to a marble orchard. I hear people are dying to get in there."

"I wouldn't mess with that dude; he's straight up wolfish. He's done some crazy stuff."

"I got scooped in on joining my girl at her family get-together; it was god-awful."

It may take you a while, but it's crucial to learn cowboy slang. There is a book series titled 'Cowboy Slang for Modern Use,' and it may be a good option for you to pick up if you're looking to become a cowboy.