Help please with some American slang (warning - is possibly offensive)

andrew markworthy · 05-09-2008, 03:36 PM

This is probably very naive of me, but as a Brit I don't know what the following phrase means - Jewish cowboy. The phrase, to the best of my knowledge, isn't used in Brit slang. I've tried looking up the phrase on Google, but can't seem to track anything down. Also, how offensive is the term, please?

The reason for asking is because, as some of you know, I've written a dictionary of slang for helping Asperger Syndrome patients understand colloquial English, and I keep collecting new phrases should there be another edition of the book.

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Joseph DeMartino · 05-09-2008, 03:57 PM

I've never heard the term either, so I'm not sure what to tell you. I suspect that it is either fairly new or a strictly regional locution. Can you give us an idea of the context in which you heard it used? (Maybe inside a spoiler box with an appropriate disclaimer about possibly offensive content that has been posted strictly in the pursuit of knowledge?

)

The two things that come to mind are Gene Wilder's rabbi in The 'Frisco Kid and Kinky Friedman's band. ("Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys" - wherein Kinky co-opted an offensive term for his own use.) And neither used the specific phrase you're asking about.

Regards,

Joe

Patrick_S · 05-09-2008, 03:58 PM

I've never heard the term used in an offensive manner. Of course the only two individuals I know who have used the term were Jewish, considered themselves cowboys and they were using the term to jokingly describe themselves.

If it is offensive I certainly don’t understand why they would use it to describe themselves.

LewB · 05-09-2008, 04:55 PM

Oy, does that bring back childhood memories !
I had this 45 RPM record: Our Lady of Perpetual Obsolescence Vinyl Rescue Mission and Orphanage » Blog Archive » Passover Share: Manischewitz Presents The Jewish Cowboy : Harold Stern from Centerville, Texas
That's where I remember 'the Jewish cowboy from.

I hate to show a lack of 'google savy', but I just 'googled' 'jewish cowboy' and got a ton of hits, including Jewish cowboy | www.somethingjewish.co.uk

TravisR · 05-09-2008, 05:34 PM

There's an episode of The Simpsons called Lisa's Substitute that uses that phrase (sorta).

Here's a synopsis of a scene where Mr. Bergstrom, the substitute teacher, comes into Lisa's classroom dressed as a cowboy:

Quote:

Mr. Bergstrom takes over and asks the class to find three things wrong
with his costume. Lisa raises her hand and lists them. Her third point
was that Mr. Bergstrom appears Jewish, but there were no Jewish cowboys.
Mr. Bergstrom rewards her with his hat, though he intended the third
point to be that he is wearing a digital watch.

"And, for the record, there were a few Jewish cowboys, ladies and gentlemen.
Big guys who were great shots and spent money freely."
-- Mr. Bergstrom's lesson on the American West, ``Lisa's Substitute''

Lisa's Substitute

Dennis Nicholls · 05-09-2008, 07:51 PM

Didn't Blazing Saddles feature Jewish Indians?

Brandon_T · 05-09-2008, 08:15 PM

I've never heard it either.

ChristopherDAC · 05-10-2008, 12:48 AM

I am unaware of this being a slang term at all. In Texas, where I live, a gent by the name of Kinky Friedman ran for governor in the last election, and had a large number of bumper stickers distributed, reading "My governor is a Jewish cowboy". This was intended as a humorous reference to a bumper sticker favoured by Christian conservatives, which reads "My boss is a Jewish carpenter".

I don't recall the term in any other context, & I have some acquaintance with even obscure obsolete slang, e.g. Philadelphia lawyer for a shyster.

Kevin Hewell · 05-10-2008, 12:53 AM

I've never heard of it either.

I don't think this has entered the larger American lexicon.

Paul D G · 05-10-2008, 02:22 AM

It's not listed at urbandictionary.com nor slangsite.com. Where and how have you heard it?

andrew markworthy · 05-10-2008, 02:48 AM

The first time I heard the phrase was on The Simpsons and then I've occasionally heard it since, but never in a context where I could pin down its meaning. It's referenced in reverse in a song by Status Quo (very popular in the UK, if not in the USA) where there's a line about a 'gentile cowboy'. Googling brings up a lot of references to the term, but only in a literal sense (sorry, I should have mentioned that in the first post).

My guess is that it means someone in a job or position which goes against stereotype or who has broken with their roots.

I guess it is an obscure phrase if nobody on HTF knows it!

Dennis Nicholls · 05-10-2008, 03:53 AM

Here are two more sites for you:

Brit slang Dictionary of English slang and colloquialisms of the UK

and racial slur database The Racial Slur Database

Neither of these sites are for the squeamish or easily offended. Heck, make that normally offended. Racial slurs can be so obscure you could accidentally use one without knowing about it.