I have a feeling that this is another Dixie-ism, so maybe only Tim can help me with this one…

How do you spell "hawse" (it rhymes with "loss") as in:

"Look at that hawse pull the tractor trailer with his teeth."

or

"Have you seen the East German women’s swimming team?  What a bunch of hawses!"

I wonder if it’s a bastardization of "horse".  Add a southern accent and it’s "ho-urse" or "haw-urse".  Then get lazy and drop the "schwa+r" and it’s hawse.  But i still don’t know how to spell it or if that is a reasonable etymology…
???

david

Not necessarily Dixie but out West, too, sort of a Country or Western/Cowboy pronunciation.  I’ve seen it spelled "hoss" as in Hoss Cartwright of Bonanza fame, but there is does not rhyme with hawse.  Actually I’ve heard it rhyme with a short "o" like in "hop" or rhyme with "boss".  Both pronunciations end with a "s" souund instead the "z" sound in "hawse".

And yes, it’s a variation on "horse."

What Larry said… Hoss!

-Tim

Stargzer

Not necessarily Dixie but out West, too, sort of a Country or Western/Cowboy pronunciation.

hmmmm, do y’all keep your hawse in the bawn?
gailr