How did “being heeled” come to mean “being armed?”

How did “being heeled” come to mean “being armed?”

Bill Murray
Pleasant View, Utah

“Being heeled” is tied to the term “well-heeled,” which means having plenty of money (wearing quality shoes was a sign of prosperity). In the Old West, at least in theory, a person was better off carrying a firearm—and thus he (or she) was “heeled.” The term was first applied, in 1866, to gamecocks with spurs strapped to the heels, giving them advantage in a cockfight.

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Marshall Trimble is Arizona’s official historian. His latest book is Wyatt Earp: Showdown at Tombstone.  If you have a question, write:  Ask the Marshall, P.O. Box 8008, Cave Creek, AZ 85327 or e-mail him at  marshall.trimble@scottsdalecc.edu