Arkansas Toothpick
Arkansas toothpick means a large, straight-bladed Bowie-style knife.
The term is widely known in Southern speech, but it did not originate as a true Southern or Appalachian expression.
synonyms: Bowie knife, long knife, fighting knife, frontier knife
Hillbilly Dude Says...
I've only read 'Arkansas toothpick,' never heard it. And I even know people from there. Hillbilly Dude Says...
I've only read 'Arkansas toothpick,' never heard it. And I even know people from there. Pronunciation
[ARK-en-saw TOOTH-pick]
/ˈɑːrkənˌsɔː ˈtuːθˌpɪk/
/ˈɑːrkənˌsɔː ˈtuːθˌpɪk/
Meaning & Usage
- Large Bowie-style knife
Caleb:
He pulled out an Arkansas toothpick big enough to split firewood.
He pulled out an Arkansas toothpick big enough to split firewood.
June:
Granddaddy kept an Arkansas toothpick hangin’ over the mantel - said it came down from riverboat days.
Granddaddy kept an Arkansas toothpick hangin’ over the mantel - said it came down from riverboat days.variations: Arkansas tooth-pick, the old Arkansas toothpick, frontier toothpick
Origin
The phrase "Arkansas toothpick" arose in early 19th-century American frontier slang, especially along the Mississippi River and in Western territories. It referred to long, straight-bladed fighting knives carried by boatmen, gamblers, scouts, and travelers.
Its fame grew with the cultural rise of the Bowie knife, though the Arkansas toothpick was typically straighter and narrower than the classical Bowie.
Because many frontier stories involved Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana river towns, the term became associated with the South, but it did not start as a Southern/Appalachian dialect phrase. It was national frontier slang that later blended into Southern storytelling and humor.
Verdict: Southernish.
Notes
- Today it’s often used humorously to describe any comically large knife.
- Its frontier flavor makes people assume it is uniquely Southern, but it circulated broadly in early American newspapers, stage plays, and tall tales.
- Collectors and reenactors still use the term for a specific knife style.
Related Pages
How to Cite This Page
- APA (7th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, November 18). Arkansas Toothpick. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/southernish/arkansas-toothpick
- MLA (9th edition)"The Hillbilly Dude." "Arkansas Toothpick." HillbillySlang.com, 18 Nov. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/southernish/arkansas-toothpick.
- Chicago (17th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. "Arkansas Toothpick." HillbillySlang.com. November 18, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/southernish/arkansas-toothpick.
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Created by The Hillbilly Dude, this site is a growing field guide to culture, speech, memory, and meaning - rooted in Appalachia but reaching across the world. Every slang word, saying, accent and story is gathered from first-hand experience and trusted sources. The goal: preserve authentic voices and share them with writers, learners, and culture lovers everywhere - with a little humor thrown in here and there. Read more...