A term ludicrously used.
1844. The judge glanced at the paper in his hands, and then in an impressive tone, demanded of the groom— “Will you take Susan Jenkins as your lawful wedded wife?” “Well, hoss, I reckon I will, I wouldn’t have rid since daylight, and packed her here if I didn’t mean to do the clean thing;” answered our hero.—Yale Lit. Mag., x. 168 (Feb.).
1847. None of your stuck-up imported chaps from the dandy states, but a real genuine westerner—in short, a hoss!—Robb, ‘Streaks of Squatter Life,’ &c., p. 70 (Bartlett) (Phila.). (Italics in the original.)
1849. [He was] the best fellow in College, barring a leetle too much of “hoss and devil” in his composition.—Yale Lit. Mag., xv. 115 (Dec.).
1850. Come quick! dear doctor! that’s the good old hoss!—oh, do!—H. C. Lewis (‘Madison Tensas’), ‘Odd Leaves,’ p. 90 (Phila.).
1851. That old gal was er hoss! Pledge you my word I b’leeve she was pizen!—‘Polly Peablossom’s Wedding,’ &c., p. 69.
1852. That was a long race, I tell you, hosses.—H. C. Watson, ‘Nights in a Block-house,’ p. 29 (Phila.).
1853. Hello, old hoss, whar hev you been this coon’s age?—S. A. Hammett (‘Philip Paxton’), ‘A Stray Yankee in Texas,’ p. 201.
1855. [One of the company] declared he was ‘a hoss and no mistake.’—Knick. Mag., xlvi. 612 (Dec.).
1859. ’Lite, ’lite, old hoss!—we’ll fix a place for you in our cabin, sure.—Knick. Mag., liii. 317 (March).
