Dictionary of the American West [Paperback]

Winfred Blevins (Author), Ernest Lisle Reedstrom (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1993

This dictionary is a treasury of the American frontier west of the 100th Meridian, & contains 5,000 terms & expressions essential to an understanding of the real West which is more amazing, outlandish, romantic, extravagant & fascinating than the myth. Among the thousands of carefully researched definitions, the reader will find the meaning of 'buck nun' & to 'ride circle;' as well as American Indian words such as 'sun dance', 'kachina' & 'medicine pipe'. This book is essential for anyone with an interest in the American West, in its history, facts & fables, idioms & mores.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA-A lively collection of 5,000 Western terms and expressions from "a-coming and a-going" to Zuni. Based on earlier dictionaries of the area but enhanced by the inclusion of such groups as "women, Indians, Mormons, Hispanics, blacks, French Canadians...," the volume contains mostly short definitions of a few lines, but some are more lengthy and include quotes and anecdotes as well as pronunciation guides and cross references. This will be useful for readers of Westerns and for regional and local history collections.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Western novelist Blevins ( The Misadventures of Silk and Shakespeare , LJ 10/1585) has developed this useful and interesting addition to the genre of dictionaries of regionalisms for lay readers. Her book therefore lacks the scholarly approach of Dictionary of American Regional English ( LJ 11/1/85) and Reader's Encyclopedia of the American West (o.p.). However, for those who don't know the difference between aguardiente and leopard sweat, this book is informative and fun. It is more encompassing than similar works, such as Western Words: A Dictionary of the American West and Cowboy Limbo (both o.p.), both by Ramon Adams; or Peter Watts's A Dictionary of the Old West (o.p.). Blevins's work incorporates the language of various Western professions, such as logging and mining, as well as ethnic groups, such as Mormons and Native Americans. Geographically, it ranges from the Klondike to the Southwest. In addition, the words included date from the history of the West to modern bureaucratic phraseology, with cross references, sources, and a pronunciation guide. Recommended for both reference and general entertainment collections. --Daniel Liestman, Seattle Pacific Univ. Lib.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Facts on File (July 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816028583
• ISBN-13: 978-0816028580
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,977,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I came out of Missouri and Arkansas, of Irish, Welsh, and Cherokee heritage. After a whirlwind of colleges and jobs, I discovered that books are my calling, and I've written more than twenty, primarily about mountain men and Indian people. Though awards are less important than readers, I'm glad when they come, and was delighted to be named Writer of the Year in 2003 by Wordcraft Circle of Native writers.

I live with my wife Meredith, the novelist, in a remote corner of the canyonlands of Utah.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dictionary of the American West, June 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wordsworth Dictionary of the American West (Wordsworth Collection) (Paperback)

This book is invaluable to me as I work in a Museum that specializes in western exploration and life. There have been very few inquiries from visitors from all over the world that cannot be found in this book. Information from the early 1800's to the present time abound in this book in very digestible terms. Excellent reference book.

4.0 out of 5 stars A lot of Fun To Read, July 15, 2009

By 

Karen Mercury (Green River, UT United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dictionary of the American West (Paperback)

OK, this book is a lot of fun to plain sit down and read the whole way through. His recent addition of Alaska as "The West" is a bit weird, and my only other complaint would be that once in awhile he'll add something that seems arbitrary, like some surfing term. There are maybe only 5 surfing terms in the whole book--why not all 100 of them, as they *are* arguably "Westernisms"? I guess when I think "The West" I think "The Old West," as in, prior to 1900. Also for research purposes he usu. doesn't mention the year a word was coined, and he does rely a lot on novelists, so if you plan to use this book for actual historical research, you'll need to double-source every term you might want to use.

Other than that, it's plain old fun to read...He tells a lot of stories in the definitions and is obviously having a lot of fun.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rip Snorter of a Read, April 5, 2004

By 

Margaret A. Davis (South Bend, Indiana United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wordsworth Dictionary of the American West (Wordsworth Collection) (Paperback)

If you love reading about the Old West, if you value the language of settlers, pioneers, cowboys and cowgirls, then you will find this little gem hard to put down. You can open it anywhere and be instantly transported to cattle drives, saloons, cabins, and the wide open prairies. Wonderful slang, near-forgotten names for plants and people and the work they did - it's all here. There is pure Americana here and a real feel for our past with all its color, exaggeration, bravado and poetry. A rip snorter of a read and an invaluable asset for anyone aspiring to add a tone of authenticity to their Western writing.