cowboy mannerisms for a modern day character?

[cupidityy]

helloo! i hope my question isn’t too obvious haha, i did some research but would like to get some more advice.

one of my characters is meant to play as the image of the typical old west cowboy trope, but on a modern day setting. He’s an adult man, 40-50, and I’d like to know what sorts of mannerisms or speech patterns i could use to pass his image as a cowboy stereotype better, or if there’s any sites i could use to know some more slang that i could include. i do already know certain terms, but i’m trying to find ones that i could include more naturally into his dialogue.
thank you in advance!

Comments

[goddess47]

I didn't watch a lot of it, but the tv show "Yellowstone" was about that sort of person. It had a number of ranch-hands, who were cowboys as well as some of the main characters. If you have the time, worth checking out.

Good luck!.

[cupidityy]

ooo, i’ll definitely check it out, thank you! <3

[full_metal_ox]

Okay; exactly what sort of character do you have in mind? Are you looking for a Hollywood Wild West stereotype or an actual modern cowboy born in the mid-70’s to mid-80’s? And is his cowboy persona unfeigned or an affectation?

[cupidityy]

hollywood wild west stereotype, yes! very typical of what youd see in a wild west movie, he’s just in a very modern setting by comparison.

could you elaborate on the unfeigned/affectation part? english isnt my first language and unfortunately i still struggle with some terms <\\3

[full_metal_ox]

could you elaborate on the unfeigned/affectation part? english isnt my first language and unfortunately i still struggle with some terms <\\3

Whether he actually is a cowboy or is trying to come across as one, perhaps because that’s an image he admires.

(Also: I see your account is newly created; welcome to Dreamwidth!)

[cupidityy]

ohh, i see, thank you! yes yes, he actually is a cowboy.

(and thank you thank you! it seems very cool here, cant wait to explore more :] )

[texasdreamer01]

What country is your character from? If from the American Southwest, he'll likely have the dialect of where he grew up, and if he's affecting an accent, some Spanish would definitely be a must (which also varies by region in both the Southwest and in Mexico). I don't know if you've already read it, but the Wikipedia page on this is a good start, in particular the regions.

I know more about the Southwest, so that's going to be most of what I recommend. Re: your commentary with full_metal_ox about your character being an actual cowboy, he'd probably refer to himself as a rancher, cattleman, or something similar depending on what his work is (cowboy, depending on the context, can be a derogatory term for a cattle-rustler, or someone who steals cattle and other livestock from ranches, farms, etc). The managing and selling of cattle is a large business, particularly in Texas (after, of course, oil production) to this day - an idea of how profitable of a business this is can be shown by King Ranch, in Texas. Sheep are also a popular animal for the usual agricultural reasons.

It may be useful to learn about homesteads and their history, as well as major clothing companies such as Cavender's, Boot Barn, Ariat, and Lucchese. I don't know what era your character is in, but for the majority of "modern day" (i.e. past the 1950s' revisionism of the 1800s as a form of propaganda post WWII), a lot of this will fit the bill in terms of looks.

In terms of speech patterns and mannerisms, Gene Autry set a lot of groundwork for the stereotypical cowboy image (with, admittedly, better aging) than someone like John Wayne (personality on set and outside of work by many accounts deeply unpleasant), but I suppose what kind of person your character is will determine which celebrity figure(s) you would like to use as a model. The vast majority of black and white western films and TV shows should be available online (list of media in the genre here), given how old they are - have you already been able to look at some of the selections, or?

[full_metal_ox]

Gratuitous Fun Fact (that may be irrelevant to the OP’s scenario): cattle ranching is a huge industry in Florida—and yet one that Hollywood almost never acknowledges as local color, probably because they focus upon Miami and the theme parks in Orlando rather than the vast interior expanses of scrub and farmland.

[texasdreamer01]

I vaguely remember hearing about that at some point, but I had no idea it was such a large part of Florida! Do they have particular type of cattle there, or the usual sort you see across America?

[full_metal_ox]

To oversimplify, what predominates here are humpbacked cattle with varying degrees of South Asian zebu or Brahman descent, introduced to withstand the tropical heat. (cupidityy, your Nelore cows—-I’m going by your user info, which places you in Brazil—-have a related history.) There’s also the small but sturdy Florida Cracker cow, descended from Spanish cattle brought by the conquistadores.

Florida dairy cattle are predominantly Holsteins, the black-and-white breed beloved as a motif for American rustic decor.

[(Anonymous)]

Honestly I wouldn't have figured those would be the breeds in that area, that was a fascinating read! I'm more familiar with the Angus and Longhorn cattle within the US, and I was curious to see the lineage for the Holsteins goes that far into the tropics.

[texasdreamer01]

No idea why I was logged out for that comment, the anonymous one is mine for clarification 👍

[devinwolfi]

This thread is a few months old now, but as a Floridian, I must acknowledge every Hashtag Florida Mention I see. In addition to the breeds previously mentioned, two popular beef breeds around my hometown in Central FL are the Black Angus and the Belted Galloway (affectionately dubbed Oreo Cows for the white band around their midsection). Both are Scottish breeds, accustomed to the poor soil quality of their endemic region, making them excellent candidates for the sandy, scrubby land. My grandmother hosts several gestating females on her property every year, and they are often seen surrounded by flocks of White Ibis.

Alachua County specifically has a significant history of cattle ranching, once boasting the largest ranch in Spanish Florida, La Chua, before it was abandoned as a result of the mounting British colonial pressure.

[nerakrose]

Have you seen Wynona Earp? the character of Doc Holliday fits (imo) what you're describing.

[octahedrite]

Big hat, no cattle

[full_metal_ox]

To clarify for the OP, that phrase describes a cowboy wannabe.

[abracanabra]

The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the Wild West (WRITER'S GUIDE TO EVERYDAY LIFE SERIES) was very helpful to me when writing an Old West novel, and it includes lots of slang.

https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Guide-Everyday-WRITERS-EVERYDAY/dp/0898798701