To depart quickly, to “absquatulate.” From the Sp. vamos, let us go (pronounced “vamoose”).
1848. The united faces of the company would have reached a mile. They bolted—mizzled, flew, vamosed.—‘Stray Subjects,’ p. 198.
a. 1849. Winter has abdicated his throne and vamosed.—Dow, Jun., ‘Patent Sermons,’ i. 55.
1849. Thinking him [the muleteer] rather too familiar we gave him such unmistakeable demonstrations of our disapproval, that he quickly vamosed, somewhat weaker in the knees…. The coat disappeared, the Mexican vamosed, and we “sloped,” in aldermanic convulsions.—Theodore T. Johnson, ‘Sights in the Gold Region,’ pp. 43, 243 (N.Y.). (Italics in the original.)
1853. Now travel out of this apartment! Vamose the ranch! Cut!—Knick. Mag., xlii. 453 (Nov.).
1855. The heart-seeker vamosed.—Oregon Weekly Times, June 16.
1855. Our hero vamosed rather hurriedly.—Id., Aug. 11.
1856. The faculty in solemn conclave assembled, had unanimously decided that we should leave, quit, cut stick, or vamose to parts unknown, for an indefinite period.—Yale Lit. Mag., xxi. 143 (Feb.).
1857. Simpkins coughed, and, complaining of a crumb in his throat, vamosed.—San Francisco Call, Jan. 23.
1857. The collector vamosed from the market, having collected “nary red.”—Id., April 21.
1857. The Amale-kites did not mizzle, but de-camped, that is, they picked up their beds and vamosed.—Id., May 15.
1857. Another pair of jail-birds have vamosed the log jail at at Jacksonville. The new institution, it is to be hoped, will not prove so leaky.—Oregon Weekly Times, Aug. 1.
1857. With this we put on our chappose [chapeaux] and vamosed.—Knick. Mag., xlix. 43 (Jan.).
1862. See PRAIRIE-DOG.
1888. See GALOOT.
