hoolihan

From: Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang - Vol 2, H-O J.E. Lighter Editor, Random House New York, p 147.

n. West 1. (among cowboys) (see 1985 quot.), 1910 in Lomax and Momax Amer. Ballads 384: I am a-riding old Paint, I am a-leading old Dan,/I'm goin' to Montan' for to throw the hoolihan. 1985 H. Cannon Cowboy Poetry 138: Hoolihan backhand thrown loop for roping horses.

2. an exciting or extraordinary event.

1973 E. Carter Outlaw Wales 182: Seen him take on five pistoleros. He got three of 'em before they cut him down….It was a real hoolihan.

P/ In phrase:
P/ thrown the hoolihand [fr. sense of 9a), above] (among cowboys) to celebrate riotously.

1944 R. Adams Western words: Hoolihan, throw the. to paint the town red.

hoolihan v. [perh. obscurely fr. Houlihan Irish family name] West to buldog (a steer) by bringing it to the ground without twisting its neck.

1925 W. James Drifting Cowboy 105: I hoolyhanned him on the jump and busted him right there. 1933 J.V. Allen Cowboy Lore12: Hoolihaning is the act of leaping forward and alighting on the horns of a steer in bull-dogging in a manner to knock the steer down without twisting the animal down with a wrestling hold. Hoolihaning is banned at practically all recognized contests. 1936 Mc Carthy Mossburn (unp) Hoolihaning. The old-time practice of bulldogging.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

I believed I had posted this before...but it appears not...sorry for being slow.