The Linguistic Characteristics of Y. Sam
What behaviors are required to earn the appellation "Rootin' and Tootin'"?
I believe one needs to yell (or more accurately, "holler") Southwestern colloquialisms, including, but not limited to, "yee-haw". Also, one should fire revolvers into the air in an alternating fashion.
This much can probably be agreed upon by most connoisseurs of Old West tradition. The deeper mystery lies in determining which one of these activities represents the "root" and which one the "toot". I can convince myself that rooting is shooting and tooting is yelling, but then concoct an equally cogent argument for the antithesis.
2 comments:
Perhaps "rootin" is looking around for some varmit to shoot at, and "tootin" is the combination of yelling and shooting at said varmit?
That makes sense. Maybe what I am thinking of is "rip-roaring".
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