Of Mice and Men

George and Whit, a young ranch hand, play cards and discuss Curly’s wife. In their conversation, they use a number of idioms that reflect their rural, Western dialect in the early 20th century: 

George dealt and Whit picked up his cards and examined them. “Seen the new kid yet?” he asked.

 “What kid?” George asked. 

“Why, Curley’s new wife.” 

“Yeah, I seen her.” 

“Well, ain’t she a looloo?” 

“I ain’t seen that much of her,” said George. 

Whit laid down his cards impressively. “Well, stick around an’ keep your eyes open. You’ll see plenty. She ain’t concealin’ nothing. I never seen nobody like her. She got the eye goin’ all the time on everybody. I bet she even gives the stable buck the eye. I don’t know what the hell she wants.”

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When Lennie goes to the barn to pet the puppies, he encounters Crooks, who lives in the barn as a result of racial segregation on the ranch. Crooks permits Lennie to join him in the barn with reluctance, and after speaking about his own background for a bit, he begins to taunt Lennie. In this conversation, Crooks uses the idiom “booby hatch” (or insane asylum), reflecting the poor treatment of the mentally ill in early 20th century America. After Crooks asks Lennie what will happen to him if George does not return, Steinbeck writes: 

Lennie struggled to understand. "George won't do nothing like that," he repeated." George is careful. He won't get hurt. He ain't never been hurt, 'cause he's careful."  

"Well, s'pose, jus' s'pose he don't come back. What'll you do then?"  

Lennie's face wrinkled with apprehension. "I don' know. Say, what you doin' anyways?" he cried. "This ain't true. George ain't got hurt."  

Crooks bored in on him. "Want me to tell ya what'll happen? They'll take ya to the booby hatch. They'll tie ya up with a collar, like a dog." 

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At various points in the novella when George and Lennie talk about their plans for the future, Lennie uses an idiom, “the fat of the land,” which is itself an allusion to the Bible. In the final scene of the story, for example, when George comforts Lennie by talking about their future dreams despite knowing that he must kill Lennie to spare him from the mob, Lennie again repeats this idiom: 

“Go on,” said Lennie. “How’s it gonna be. We gonna get a little place.” 
“We’ll have a cow,” said George. “An’ we’ll have maybe a pig an’ chickens  . . . an’ down the flat we’ll have a  . . . little piece alfalfa——” 
“For the rabbits,” Lennie shouted.
“For the rabbits,” George repeated. 
“And I get to tend the rabbits.” 
“An’ you get to tend the rabbits.” 
Lennie giggled with happiness. “An’ live on the fatta the lan’.” 
“Yes.” Lennie turned his head. 

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