‘Underground Savages’ and other subterranean colloquialisms

Slang easily crosses geographical, as well as social borders. A phrase that becomes popular in the United States soon crosses the border into Canada. Or vice versa. Thus it is that among miners, in Canada, the United States, and wherever English is spoken, the colloquialisms are pretty much the same.

Take “Underground Savages”. If English is spoken, that’s another name for miners. Having broken the ice, let’s try a few more mining terms, old and new.

What is an “Irish Baby Buggy”? It’s a slang expression for a wheelbarrow. A “Cackler” is what they called a miner who let others do the heavy work. “Johnny Newcome” was a novice miner. Don’t forget the “Little Red Wagon”. That’s what those traveling toilets they have at some mines are called.

Modern miners, no doubt, have their own slang, but the language used by miners years ago was a lot more interesting. And fun too.

“Ghost Town” is an easy one. That’s what they called an abandoned mining camp after the gold, silver or coal ran out. A “Nipper” was a boy who ran errands for miners. “Shoo-fly” is a transverse passage in a mine.

Let’s try a few more vintage terms used by “Muckmen”, as miners were also known once upon a time, and see how you make out.

How about “Red”? That’s what they used to call gold. Why? It’s a bit of a mystery. “Blue”? How about silver? Once again, you figure it out. As for “Sparkle”, well, that’s an easy one. “Sparkle” not Sparklers, is what they used to call diamonds. Either way, the reason for that particular nickname is obvious.

How about “Rich Creek”? It’s a small creek in West Virginia where an uncut diamond worth $250,000 was found by a teenager in 1926. The water came down from the mountains, and it is believed there is a diamond mine up there somewhere, but nobody has ever found the source of the wealth of “Rich Creek”.

Who was “Quinine Jimmy”? That’s another name for a doctor on duty at a mining camp. He was also known as “Old Pills”.

“Windy Shot” is an explosion that fails to break the coal. “Tick Hole” is a small hole, or cavity, in a rock. So was “Vug”. A “Tool Nipper” was another name for a youngster who worked at mines.

“Sourdough” was a miner who came south from Canada seeking to make his fortune in the United States. Most of the “Sourdoughs” returned home with empty pockets. Everybody knows about the 49ers. Quite a few of them went home broke too.

“Stomach Robber” was the camp cook. He was also called “Sizzler” and “The Gut Burglar”. Take your choice. “Strawberries” is what miners once called beans. You figure that one out. “Sow Bosom” was bacon. “Belly Wash” was the term for non-alcoholic refreshments. Coffee was “Blackjack” or “Blackstrap”.

To “Break One’s Pick” was to become discouraged. Quite a few miners did.

“Ground Hog” was a small truck used to push cars around inside mines. They were also called “Barney”, “Larry”, “Bullfrog” and “Mule”.

Let’s have a quiz. Some examples of mining slang follow. See how many you recognize. (Answers at the bottom of the page.)

1. Glory Hole

2. Muck

3. Nosebag

4. Powder Monkey

5. Slave Markets

6. Aladdin’s Lamp

7. The Picklock That Never Fails

8. Buzzard Dollar

Last but not least, what is a “Boar’s Nest”? That’s a mining camp where women are not allowed.

Richard W. O’Donnell is a freelance writer living in Port Richey, Fla.

Bibliography

Dictionary of American Slang, T.Y. Crowell, N.Y., 1934

Forty Thousand Quotations, Doubleday, N.Y., 1917

American Thesaurus of Slang, Crowell 1963

Barnhart Dictionary of New English, Harper & Row, 1973

New Dictionary of Thoughts, Standard Books, 1957