JOANNE_O’NEILL

THESIS_1 FALL_2011. FACULTY_JULIA_WARGASKI

10-17-2011_UPLOAD

An Exploration of Language in the American Old West_

01_CONCEPT

01_CONCEPT

For my Thesis project I have, so far, chosen to

combine several of my favourite subjects: Typog-

raphy, etymology and language, book design and

history.

The specific period to which I am particularly

drawn is the American Old West, or the ‘Wild

West.’ This concerns the history, geography,

people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the

Western United States, and broadly refers to the

later half of the nineteenth century to the end of

the Mexican Revolution in 1920. My interest in

this subject began after reading John Steinbeck’s

Of Mice & Men many years ago. Though the novel

takes place just after this period (during the Great

Depression), it certainly conjures up images of

cowboys, cattle, chaps, farmhouses, haystacks

and every other cliché that you care to imagine.

First and foremost, I enjoy the aesthetic nature

of this period. The open country, the wildlife, the

stretch of blue sky, hats, horses, lassos, wagons,

denim, holsters. Life would most likely have been

extremely tough, but it is easy to romanticise as

simplistic, rewarding and unbound. It is a life that

I will never lead, but one that I long to.

Most of all, the language used in this period

(language that is still used today, however) is

something that I find fascinating. The y’alls and

the yee-haws are but a miniscule aspect of this

era and it’s people. I am interested in where

these phrases come from and what they mean

and I am looking to create a dictionary of sorts.

I want this project, no matter it’s final form, to be

an experience of language within a different time.

I am currently researching Victorian Britain and

the creation and use of Rhyming Slang. Rhyming

Slang is a form of phrase construction, especially

prevalent in dialectal British English from the East

End of London. The construction involves replac-

ing a common word with a rhyming phrase. For

example, apples and pears when refering to

stairs, or dog and bone when referring to the tele-

phone. This concept could either be juxtaposed

with the language of the Old West, or be complet-

ed alongside it independently.

02_RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION

I began my research by collecting images of

design that I enjoy and find to be inspirational.

This included a lot of hand lettering and typogra-

phy, the concept of ‘Deafault Systems in Design’,

a lot of Dutch graphic design (Irma Boom, Mevis

& Van Deursen, Karel Martens, Julia Born, etc.),

mostly concerned with book design. I am also

hugely interested in Zine culture, so I spent some

time with material on that subject, particularly the

book Behind the Zines: Self Publishing Culture

(2011).

The broad notion of language was always inter-

esting to me, and I began by looking into words

and phrases used in American culture that, to a

‘foreigner’ such as myself, mean very little. For

example, the phrases “Chatty Cathy” or “I could

care less.” I also looked into proverbs, idioms and

metaphors with a view to creating some kind of

typographic representation of them. I did, how-

ever, also have an interest in history and was

encouraged to pursue that as well. In doing so,

I realised that I needed to at least contemplate

basing my thesis project on the American Old

West.

Since that time, my research has mostly been

concerned with emersing myself in this period in

time. Through books, documentaries, art, film and

my own design ‘experiments.’ I began by doing

basic research on the American Old West and the

linguistics of cowboys. A quick internet search

brings up countless pages on this subject, and a

visit to the library proved to be more helpful that I

had anticipated - A book called Cowboy Lingo by

Ramon F. Adams was exactly what I was looking

for. I continued to research language as a gen-

eral idea whilst looking up documentaries on my

chosen subject. I began searching for relevant im-

ages via the Library of Congress website in order

to make some sort of prototype and release some

creative energy.

My first prototype was a small zine concerning

‘The Code of the West’, something I had come

across online. I simply combined this with imagery

of the period and my own aesthetic. It was a great

way to get started. Currently, I am working on a

‘flashcard’ project, where I illustrate these words

and phrases typographically.

Please also refer to thesiskinesis.tumblr.com.

03_EXAMPLES OF COWBOY LINGO (SLANG & PHRASES)

• Ace in the Hole - A hideout or a hidden gun.

• Ace High - Depending upon the context, this

might mean “first class and respected”, or it

could mean a winning poker hand.

• According to Hoyle - Correct, by the book.

“Hoyle” is a dictionary of rules for card playing

games.

• Acknowledge the Corn - To admit the truth or

to confess a lie.

• Acock - Knocked over, defeated, astounded,

suddenly surprised.

• Bad Medicine - Bad news.

• Cap the Climax - To surpass everything.

• Dead Alive - Dull, inactive, moping.

• Fine as cream gravy - Very good, top notch.

• Gut Line - Rawhide rope.

• Hell Rousers - Spurs.

• Indian Whiskey - Cheap, adulterated liquor.

Also called Indian Liquor.

• Jimmying a bull - Shooting a law officer.

• Ladies of the Line - Prostitutes.

• Mail-Order Cowboy - A derogatory term used

to chide tenderfoot, urban “cowboys” who arrived

from the East all decked out in fancy but hardly

practical Western garb.

• Pony Up - Pay over money. “Pony up that ac-

count.” Also, post the pony, i.e. lay down the

money.

• Railroad Bible - A deck of cards. This stemmed

from the large number of card sharks working

aboard the railroads.

• Simon Pure - The real thing

• Weather-Breeder - A cloudless sky

04_THE CODE OF THE WEST

04_THE CODE OF THE WEST

• Don’t inquire into a person’s past. Take the measure of a man for what he is today.

• Never steal another man’s horse. A horse thief pays with his life.

• Remove your guns before sitting at the dining table.

• Never order anything weaker than whiskey.

• Don’t make a threat without expecting dire consequences.

• Never pass anyone on the trail without saying “Howdy”.

• When approaching someone from behind, give a loud greeting.

• Don’t wave at a man on a horse, a nod is the proper greeting.

• After you pass someone on the trail, don’t look back at him.

• Never even bother another man’s horse.

• Always fill your whiskey glass to the brim.

• A cowboy doesn’t talk much; he saves his breath for breathing.

• Always tend to your horse’s needs before your own.

• Cuss all you want, but only around men, horses and cows.

• Complain about the cooking and you become the cook.

• Always drink your whiskey with your gun hand, to show your friendly intentions.

• Do not practice ingratitude.

• A cowboy is pleasant even when out of sorts.

• A cowboy always helps someone in need, even a stranger or an enemy.

• Never try on another man’s hat.

• Give your enemy a fighting chance.

• Real cowboys are modest. A braggert who is “all gurgle and no guts” is not tolerated.

• Be there for a friend when he needs you.

• Never shoot a woman no matter what.

• Honesty is absolute - your word is your bond.

05_INFLUENCES & INSPIRATION

06_PROTOTPYE: ZINE BASED ON ‘THE CODE OF THE WEST’

JOANNE_O’NEILL

THESIS_1 FALL_2011. FACULTY_JULIA_WARGASKI

10-17-2011_UPLOAD

An Exploration of Language in the American Old West_