The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1894-09-01
TALK OF THE TOUT.
PECULIAR EXPRESSIONS USED ON THE
RACE TRACKS.

are Easily tndfrstood when Once Ex-
planned Some Of the Phrases Are Very
-catehy~-Mo-tiy Of English Origin.
Race track phrases as intricate TO the
nninitiated as FIJI islanders love song
IRE fast creeping into all walks Of life.
and the slang which makes up the vo-
cabulary Of the turfman is liable to be
heard in the social small talk of the
day. in the rigid business house aud fire.
quently in the clubs Where some Of
the terms originated is a mystery, but
the genuine tout" speaks nothing else.
and his jargon is at once interesting
and novel Nearly all Of the expires
sions, like the thieves lore, probably
came from the English courses, and the
English race going people are more IA
miliar with the words Of the stable boy
OF lower class than the American pa
irons Of this sport Of the kings The
running track has loaned some of its
choice ones TO the trotters, and the mix
ture at the tracks where the long tailed
| light harness performers win stakes and
purses is combination Of later years.
The modern tout" this genius be-
ing one who almost sleeps on tracks and
imparts his early morning information
to you when half of the winnings of
your bet are promised him, can spin it
Off by the yard, and some of his expires
sions are indeed unique.
There she goes all to pieces, " he
will exclaim as the filly he has picked
to win suddenly wayers and begins to
fall to the rear. He may say something
about her shutting up like a jack
knife" as she drops into the truck, "
which name is applied to the tail end of
the procession. Should she go out of her
proper course in running, he will in
form you that she has "bolted, and he
will call her 'bore" if she happens to
swerve against another horse, impeding
his progress. III she should have been
pulled for some reasons he had not
learned, he may call her dead un, -
meaning that she was not intended to
win, but if he applies the word duff
fer" 90 her that means she couldn't beat
anything
On the turf the term "deadbeat" has
two meanings 1t is sometimes applied
to horse completely exhausted and is
always applied to any man who fails
to pay his debts In the latter sense the
turf is no different from any other place.
why, he'll lead from end to end"
would signify that the animal in ques-
ton will be in front Of the others from
the start TO the finish. Should another
horse come up suddenly and dispute
every inch Of the way the newcomer is
| -. 81. 4
he arrives alongside of him and there
is no difference between their noses from
the stand the two are racing "head and
head. " 1t might seem to be breach Of
etiquette to hear n man say that some
old horse is the ''swellest maiden" on
the track. This would indicate that the
horse is the best one that has never won
IA race
Should n track follower tell you that
he saw a certain horse out for pipe
opener" in the morning. but he didn't
negotiate" well, he is intending TO
convey the information that in the
morning exercise the horse would not
jump or run we'll
Tho betting terms ON the track are
quite amusing and some of the express
sions for amounts of money are ON al par
with the super, " benny, ''mush"
and other common terms among the
light fingered gentry. Il run a pony
into century and then dropped the
whole thing trying to run it into a
monkey. The pony is $50, the century
800 and the monkey $500. Should he
have won the last bet and the book
maker, taking time by the forelock and
his cashbox by the handle, disappeared
/ without paying off, the dishonest gen
tleman would have carried the name
''welcher" around with him the rest of
his life. The words "cinch, " "moral, -
, lead pipe and a few others not unlike
them are used to indicate that horse
cannot lose unless he should fall down
To win "hands down" is to reach the
wire first without effort or ''in bloody
/ canter, as track follower might OBJ
serve in his philosophical way. And
when they say boolCmaker-the man
who lays odds against your Judgment
is rounding" up his book they mean
he is trying TO get money on some horses
} which have not been heavily backed, sc
that no matter who wins his percentag.
/ is there just the same
| Come" means horse which is catch
ing the leaders very rapidly and 'com
ing again" means one that has don,
+ this, then fallen back and suddenly
/ gaining courage and speed makes AN
, other dash for the front Should h,
! jump on to the hind legs of one in IN,
! lead he will be said to have "cut him
: down, and should horse or jockey fal
! just rs they are in sight of the money
: somebody will probably say, He cam'
= down cropper.
The vocabulary of the follower of tn,
track is quite extensive and very catch
ing. for the pleasant little dinners afte
p che derby or hasdicap has been decide,
: are likely to have lots of such expires
r sions mixed in the idle prattle Will
l the viands are being discussed -Ex
p change