Trivia 3-13-19 Nickname

Status
Not open for further replies.

Trivia Master

The Keeper of Knowledge
Forum Host
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
Urban toughs in 19th century New York used this two-word slang term to refer to their pistols. It’s derived from a loud noise that isn’t usually associated with weapons. What did they call their guns?

Credit: @LoyaltyOfDogs
 
  • Like
Reactions: DBF
While I thought the term would be "Bang-Bangs" or "Piff-Paff's" like in old German children's books :D, it seems that it is "Barking-irons". And as this question was submitted by @LoyaltyOfDogs - that even fits! :smile:

1552480777488.png


https://slate.com/human-interest/20...ury-rogue-s-vocabulary-by-george-matsell.html
 
I think the term we're looking for is barking-irons (sometimes written with, sometimes without the hyphen).

Sources: https://slate.com/human-interest/20...ury-rogue-s-vocabulary-by-george-matsell.html with Vocabulum; or, The rogue's lexicon. Comp. from the most authentic sources by George W. Matsell as source (barking-irons on p. 10); A dictionary of slang and colloquial English by John S. Farmer, p. 30, defines "barker" as

8. Generic for firearms, spec. (in navy), a duelling pistol; also a lower deck gun. Barking iron is historically the older term (Grose).​

Also, https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/manly-slang-from-the-19th-century/ and this article on The Barking Iron Barber Shop.
 
Pistols were called Barking-Iron or Barkers

Edit - Correct, TravellingVol. Welcome to CivilWarTalk and to the trivia game.

If you haven't done so already, you're invited to stop by the New Recruits Meet & Greet forum and introduce yourself to some more CivilWarTalkers.

Hope you'll come back and play again.

hoosier
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top