Something really worth knowing !

[Wolfgang]

"I'm yur huckleberry".

Whut did it mean ?

Over on the "Ghost Towns" forum a fellow related a tour of the "town" where "Tombstone" ( movie ) was filmed. and . . . He explained that the handles on a casket are called “huckles”, and the correct way to say it is “huckle-bearer”- as in “I’ll be carrying your casket”.

Now ya can A-maze folks with your superior knowledge of the OLD WEST :)

[C. F. 'Charley' Eckhardt]

It was a standard comment in the South & West in the 19th Century. "You're a daisy if you do" was another. It meant you were about as good as it gets.

[Wolfgang]

I shudda posted the link. Have a look / read . . .

http://blackjujuphoto.wordpress.com/2007/03/24/mescal-movie-set-nea...

I alwuz wundered whut it meant. Sounds resonaboble to me . . . but whut do i no ? ;)

[Two-Step]

The quote "I'm your huckleberry" is almost as popular as "Your a daisy if you do". When quoted by an individual, who is intending to be serious and cause another to be intimidated, the person instead is often met with abrupt laughter and a reply of "Oh no you didn't"... followed by yet more laughter or occasionally a beat down.

Huckleberry is a name used in North America for several plants in two closely related genera in the family Ericaceae: Gaylussacia and Vaccinium. The huckleberry is the state fruit of Idaho.
Some Vaccinium species, such as the Red Huckleberry, are always called huckleberries, other species may be called blueberries or huckleberries. Usually, the distinction between them is that blueberries have numerous tiny seeds, while huckleberries have 10 larger seeds.

The concise dictionary of English etymology By Walter W. Skeat:
Huckle-bone the hip-bone. A huckle is a small joint. Huck means to bend.

Hooka on the other hand, means casket or a pipe for smoking. So, maybe Holliday actually meant to say "I'll be your hooka", But then, there are all sorts of things one could take from that... some of them being rather dirty minded in nature.

In reference to "huckle bearer" I found absolutely nothing to verify the information, at least not from a reputable source. I don't think that I would trust a tour guide as being a reliable source of information, much less second hand tour guide information.

As far as casket bearers, this was a duty typically reserved for very close friends and family of the departed and definitely not something that one enemy would do for another.

Typically, coffin/ casket makers are also cabinet makers as the construction, tools, and parts used are very similar in nature. If one bothers to check a coffin or cabinet supply and parts catalog, one will see that a handle is called a handle and a hinge is a hinge, ETC,... I found absolutely no reference to the word "huckle" in relation to casket or cabinet making.

I am not saying that huckle doesn't mean casket handle, I am only saying that I can not find reference to it from a reputable information source. I personally would not go around telling folks that a "huckleberry" is a pallbearer.

[Richard W. Shannon]

I know this is an old discussion, but I just read it. Now I don't know if it's true, but if it is it would make sense. Not strictly meaning "I'll be your pallbearer" but more a "I'll send you to your grave." I'm gonna dig deeper on this one.

[Ed Sullens]

I remember reading something shortly after the movie Tombstone was released about the statement(I'm yer huckleberry). Don't know if it's true or not, but according to the person that wrote it, it was an insinuation that the person that you were talking to was a homosexual, therefore it was an insult of the worst kind!!

[Dessie Marie]

I didn't find it referring to anything related to homosexuals. A lot of sites claim it means being the right man for the job.

DM