His Cinch Got Frayed
Never know when you’ll catch old cowboy phrases in common conversations. Pete lived close enough to town to make it to the coffee shop most days in time for the mail run. He’s known as one of the better talkers in Lewis County. So, I usually avoided him unless I had a couple hours to spare.
I knew it was a big mistake when I casually asked him about his brother-in-law. Pete’s wife’s brother stopped by last Christmas to pay his respects and never left. For most of the year, Pete hauled the old boy around everywhere.
“Where’s Ernie?” I asked. “Well, I’ll tell ya,” Pete began. “I figured his cinch was getting mighty frayed, so I sent him on his way.”
Other Cowboy Phrases
The conversation continued but my mind stuck on that old cowboy phrase. When a man’s cinch got frayed it meant he’d worn out his welcome. In fact, in the Old West a whole granny sack of phrases described an unwanted person. You might say, “He was as welcome as a polecat at a picnic.” Or “she was as appreciated as a rattler in a prairie dog town.” Most folks go around such a person like a swamp.
The Code of the West
Now, that might seem to smack at western hospitality. Wasn’t it part of some code to offer a man a meal and a place to stay? Yep, it surely was. But that included one supper, a night’s rest, and breakfast the next morning. After that, a man either worked for his keep or he rode on over the hill.
That’s not too much different than biblical hospitality. Paul said, “When we were with you, we gave you this rule. If a man will not work, he shall not eat” (II Thessalonians 3:10).
That doesn’t include widows and orphans, of course. They always hold a special place in the support of believers. But your 24-year-old son, a neighbor, or Pete’s brother-in-law needed to pull his own way. That means working for room and board. Or he earned the cowboy phrase ‘his cinch got frayed.’ It’s the Code of the West. More important, it’s the code of Jesus Christ.
Stephen Bly
Circa 1995
Image by KathrynSST from Pixabay
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“Cinch Got Frayed” audio podcast by award-winning western author Stephen Bly. Sponsored by BlyBooks.com Legacy Series.
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Related Cowboy Code Resources
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