| Stake “blow their stake” | moneyto lose/spend all their money |
| “live off the fat of the land” | to make a life off of the resources of the land (i.e. growing own food, tending to own animals, etc) |
| Scummy (3) | dirty, unclean |
| Unslung (3) | removed, took off |
| “bust a gut” | working hard (physical labor) |
| cat house | whore house; house of prostitution |
| jungle | camp |
| “Watchin’ the blackboard” (5) | looking for jobs |
| “bucking grain bags” (8) | Carrying heavy bags of grain |
| “thrashin’ machines” (8) | sometimes called threshers or threshing machines, are used on farms to separate the grain or seed from the straw of such plants as barley or wheat |
| “bustin’ a gut” (8) | Hard physical labor |
| “bindle” (8) | a small bundle of items rolled up inside a blanket and carried over the shoulder or on the back |
| “Blubberin’ like a baby” (9) | crying like a baby |
| “pants rabbits” (18) | parasites, such as lice, especially those that might affect the genital area |
| “tick” (19) | a light mattress |
| “Sore as hell” (21) | angry |
| “he give the stable buck hell, too” (21) | gave the stable buck a hard time |
| “Swamper” (21) | worker on the ranch |
| “bum steer” (21) | false directions |
| “rassle grain bags” (22) | Lift heavy grain bags |
| “skinner” (22) | mule driver |
| “what the hell’s he got on his shoulder” (26) | Why does he have such an ill temper |
| “handy” (54) | strong |
| “alla time” | all the time |
| “scrappy” (26) | Annoyed, pissed off all the time |
| “slough” (27) | hurt |
| “canned” (27) | In trouble, fired |
| “licked” (26) | beat |
| “glove fulla Vaseline” (27) | Soft hand, nicer |
| “tart” (29) | prostitute |
| “whingding” (46) | someone to be admired |
| Luger (49) | type of gun |
| Thong (49) | long piece of leather |
| Euchre (49) | card game |
| Loo loo (51) | sexy woman |
| Yella-jackets in his drawers (51) | wasps in his underwear, similar to saying he’s nervous and restless |
| “Ants in his pants” (51) | nervous, restless |
| Yella (51) | cowardly |
| hoosegow (56) | jail |
| Welter (62) | fighter |
| “harness room” (66) | little shed off of the wall of the barn. |
| “pitchers” (88) | pictures |
| Goo-goos (53) | Silly idiots |
| “kewpie doll lamp” (52) | type of lamp |
| “Rag rug” (52) | rug |
| Spoilin’ (54) | spoiling |
| Jail baits (56) | a girl below the legal age of consent for sex; an underage girl who tempts a man to sexual intimacy which is punishable by imprisonment |
| “slug of whiskey” (43) | amount of whiskey |
| “heavy laden axles” (29) | bars connecting two opposite wheels |
| “diggin’ a cesspool” (23) | hiding in a sewage/trash place |
| “handy” (54) | strong |
| “on the county” | on welfare |
| two-bit (51) | quarter |
Of Mice & Men Slang/Idioms
April 28, 2020