Abrazo (Spanish) embrace.
adobada sauce marinated sauce.
Afuera (Spanish) outside.
Al contrario (Spanish) to the contrary.
Alameda (Spanish) boulevard.
Alcaide (Spanish) jailer or guard.
Alcatraz shape to stuff things in.
Algo más? (Spanish) Anything else?
Algún parentesco? (Spanish) Any kinship?
Amansadores (Spanish) horse trainers, but very special ones who talk softly to wild animals. This is a romantic west.
Amobs (Spanish) both.
Andalusian an ancient breed of horses from Andalucian, Spain; often gray, but also black or bay (reddish brown) in color. Many horse breeds can be traced to these high-stepping horses, including the Lipizzaner. The Spaniards brought these horses to North and South America, where such breeds as the Mustang, Criollo, Paso Fino, and Appaloosa can trace an Andalusian lineage.
antes que yo (Spanish) before me.
Armas (Spanish) firearm, rifle.
bajada (Spanish) drop; slope.
Barb an ancient breed of horse originating in Algeria and Morocco known for their toughness and stamina; may also be quick-tempered. These horses may date back to prehistoric times and have similarities with the Arabian horse, with which they have been crossbred since the Muslims invaded the north coast of Africa. However, the Barb has a broader head than the Arabian horse, and slopping hindquarters as well. The foundation horses of England and America can be traced back to this Barb horse. Most horse breeds have mixed lineage, with some breeds having been crossbred more than others. The Barb is a horse with certain strong physical features, but it was not bred purely until quite recently. In contrast, the Arab has been purebred for centuries and is perhaps one of the few breeds that one could rightly call purebred. This subject is a confusing one, even to horse fanciers, because a horse can be registered in a breed, depending on its lineage and its characteristics. Many horses are registered as part of a distinct breed, but they may not be "pure" at all.
Barrial basin.
Basketgrass a native grass to the Americas, used in making baskets.
Bastante (Spanish) That's enough. (Here, this probably refers to filling the coffee cup and not to the weather, although it may be referring to both.)
Bay a brown-colored horse with shades ranging from red and yellow to brown. Points (mane and tail) are black.
bizcochos Mexican biscuits or hard rolls.
Bolillos (Spanish) drumsticks; here, an insulting term.
Bolsón flat land.
Bosalea (Spanish) called a bosal in the United States; a rope noseband used for training.
buena suerte (Spanish) good luck.
Buenas noches (Spanish) Good night.
Buenas tardes (Spanish) Good afternoon.
Bueno. La tendre esta tarde. (Spanish) Good. I will have it this afternoon.
Buenos diás, guapo (Spanish) Good morning, handsome guy.
caballero (Spanish) vernacular for "cowboy"; also, originally, "gentleman who travels by horse"; here, both meanings apply.
callejones (Spanish) alleys.
candelilla large-leaved plants used to make wax.
Canela (Spanish) cinnamon.
caporal (Spanish) foreman.
cara y cruz (Spanish) heads or tails.
Carabinero (Spanish) rifleman.
Castellano (Spanish) Spanish.
catspaw a tool for grabbing that has one or more hooks.
Cazador (Spanish) hunter.
certified peeler a real bronco buster.
Charro (Spanish) Mexican cowboy; picturesque.
cholla a desert cactus of which there are many varieties, most with terrible stickers, but often beautiful in their miniature tree shapes.
ciénagas (Spanish) swamp or marsh.
Cierra la puerta (Spanish) Close the door.
claro (Spanish) of course.
closing a real estate term for the day when all papers are signed in the sale of a piece of property.
Cojones (Spanish) balls, testicles.
Colt Bisley with guttapercha grips Colt revolvers were the popular guns that won the West. Guttapercha is a hard rubber-like material from a Malaysian tree. This gun handle, or grip, is made of that material.
Comal (Spanish) a hot iron or grill used over an open fire.
Comanch, Kiowa Native American Indian tribes who were located in the central and western plains of the United States.
Cómo están las yeguas? (Spanish) How are the mares?
Como le convenga (Spanish) Whatever suits you.
Cómo? (Spanish) What?
Con respecto de mi cuate (Spanish) In regard to my buddy.
Con respecto de que? (Spanish) With respect to what?
cordilleras (Spanish) chain of mountains.
Coursed ran.
creosote a shrub of the desert southwest with small leaves and a pungent smell. Also called greasewood and chaparral. Used as a cancer treatment by the Native Americans.
Criada (Spanish) maid.
Criollo A warm-blood Spanish stock horse, indispensable to the gaucho, or cowboy, of Argentina. A horse with Barb blood, the Criollo is know to be tough and is usually dun-colored.
crystal set an old kind of radio, with an earphone for hearing. The crystal picked up the sounds.
Cuáles de los caballos son suyos? (Spanish) Which of the horses are yours?
Cuándo regresa? (Spanish) When does he return?
Cúanto dinero tienes? (Spanish) How much money do you have?
cuarenta Y cinco pesos (Spanish) forty-five pesos.
Cuchillero (Spanish) a brawler or person clever with a knife.
Cuidado con el bote (Spanish) Be careful of the pot.
Curandera (Spanish) medicine woman; folk doctor who cures; wise old woman.
cutting horse a western horse bred for cutting, or separating, cattle from the herd. These horses can move very quickly, make exceptional sharp turns, and spin around on one back hoof to close in on a wayward steer or cow. The best cutting horses are known for being, as the cowboys say, "cowy"; that is, they are attracted to cattle and are interested in moving in close and shoving them into place.
