What does Hoss mean?

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Good question. The word "Hoss" is just an expression meaning guy, dude or man. It was the nickname of a character in a TV show called "Bonanza". In the show, "Hoss" was a supporting character who had a certain body type. If someone calls you ‘Hoss’ you are probably barrel-chested, possibly overweight, and round-faced. Perhaps you have some cowboy-like qualities. The nickname could be a term of endearment, but in my opinion, in the context of this clip, it is a dismissive term. He is calling him "Hoss", because he does not respect him. I would say that this is also a very weird term and is not something you will hear someone say often. The show that the word comes from is very old and many people would not understand the reference.

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