Betsyn.
/ˈbɛtsi/, U.S. /ˈbɛtsi/ slang or dialect (originally U.S.).
A gun or pistol; spec. one's favourite gun; frequently old Betsy.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > device for discharging missiles > firearm > small-arm > [noun]
handgun1411
piece1575
small arms1685
popper1751
shooting-iron1775
pelter1827
squib1839
shooter1840
shooting-stick1845
Betsy1856
smoke-wagon1891
rod1903
gat1904
belt gun1905
roscoe1914
smoke-stick1927
heat1928
heater1929
smoke-pole1929
John Roscoe1932
1856 Spirit of Age (Sacramento, Calif.) 4 Nov. 3/1 Jest let them raise that check agin me, and if I don't shoot why old Betsy won't blizzard.
1869 New North West (Deer Lodge, Montana) 20 Aug. 2/7 Mr Fredericks proceeded immediately on the horse, loaded ‘Betsey’, (his shot gun).
1895 P. H. Emerson Marsh Leaves liv. 137 Potter had a long-barrelled gun, his ‘old Bessy’, and I took my eyes along with me.
1965 J. P. Carstairs Concrete Kimono v. 48 ‘You've noticed I'm toting a Betsy.’ ‘Betsy?’ ‘Equalizer, rod, gat, iron.’
1969 Win 15 May 12/2 Emotionally, the satisfying thing to fantasize is grabbing ole betsy and going to join my black brothers in Wayne County.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1972; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1856