The old phrase of "straining at a gnat, and swallowing a camel," is, in the Eastern states, rendered "straining at a _gate_, and swallowing a _saw-mill_."
To strike means to attack. "The Indians have struck on the frontier,"--"A rattle-snake _struck_ at me."
To make tracks--to walk away. "Well, now, I shall make tracks;"--from foot-tracks in the snow.
Clear out, quit, and put--all mean "be off." "Captain, now, you _hush_ or _put_"--that is, "Either hold your tongue, or be off." Also, "Will you shut, mister?"--i.e. will you shut your mouth? i.e. hold your tongue?
"Curl up"--to be angry--from the panther and other animals when angry raising their hair. "Rise my dandee up," from the human hair; and a nasty idea. "Wrathy" is another common expression. Also, "Savage as a meat-axe."
The word "enthusiasm," in the south, is changed to "entuzzy-muzzy."
In the Western states, where the racoon is plentiful, they use the abbreviation 'coon when speaking of people. When at New York, I went into a hair-dresser's shop to have my hair cut; there were two young men front the west--one under the barber's hands, the other standing by him.
"I say," said the one who was having his hair cut, "I hear Captain is in the country."
"Yes;" replied the other, "so they say; I should like to see the 'coon."
"I'm a _gone 'coon_" implies "I am distressed--_or_ ruined--_or_ lost." I once asked the origin of this expression, and was very gravely told as follows:--
"There is a Captain Martin Scott (already mentioned in the Diary) in the United States Army who is a remarkable shot with a rifle. He was raised, I believe, in Vermont. His fame was so considerable through the state, that even the animals were aware of it. He went out one morning with his rifle, and spying a racoon upon the upper branches of a high tree, brought his gun up to his shoulder; when the racoon perceiving it, raised his paw for a parley. `I beg your pardon, mister,' said the racoon, very politely; `but may I ask you if your name is Scott?'--`Yes,' replied the captain.--`_Martin_ Scott?' continued the racoon--`Yes,' replied the captain--`_Captain_ Martin Scott?' still continued the animal.--`Yes,' replied the captain, `Captain Martin Scott?'--`Oh! then,' says the animal, `I may just as well come down, for I'm a _gone 'coon_.'"