or vamos, vampoose, verb (American).—To go, decamp, CLEAR OUT (q.v.): also (Western) TO VAMOSE THE RANCH. [Spanish.]
1840. Southern and South-western Sketches, 141. The incarnate fiends actually came (a fresh band) within one league of us, but VAMOSED THE RANCH when they learned that we were here.
1844. C. SELBY, London by Night, ii. 1. VAMOOSE—scarper—fly!
1848. American Journal of Commerce, June. Yankee Sullivan’s house, corner of Frankfort and Chatham Streets, is in a dangerous condition…. Its occupants received some very ominous premonitions of a downfall, and forthwith VAMOSED with their baggage.
1848. New York Mirror, May. I couldn’t stand more than this stanza, … and I accordingly VAMOSED.
1857. C. KINGSLEY, Two Years Ago, i. Has he VAMPOOSED with the contents of a till, that he wishes so for solitude?
c. 1861. Parody on Leigh Hunt’s “Abou Ben Adhem.”
| The devil wrote, and VAMOSED. The next night | |
| He came again,—this time a little tight. |
1878. NOAH BROOKS, The Apparition of Jo Murch, in Scribner’s Magazine, Nov., 82. My precious partners had VAMOSED the ranch.
1880. W. H. RIDEING, Curiosities of Advertising, in Scribner’s Magazine, Aug., 610. I finished the sign and then VAMOOSED.
1889. C. F. WOOLSON, Jupiter Lights, xxxi. He was sincerely sorry that Hollis had VAMOSED in that way.
