re: Words, phrases, lyrics, ideas you misunderstood as a kid

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He is saying, "I'm you huckle bearer."

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Some folks think that Holliday may have said something else in real life. He might’ve said, “I’m your huckle bearer.” In the South, a huckle was a casket handle. A huckle bearer would be the person carrying a coffin, essentially a pallbearer. According to this theory, what Holliday should have said in the film is, “I’m your huckle bearer.” The theory goes that Val Kilmer accidentally said huckleberry instead, and the line stuck. There are a couple of problems with that explanation. First, no official copy of the script has ever been seen with the words “huckle bearer” used. Second, Val Kilmer maintains that the line written in the script was huckleberry, and Kilmer even titled his autobiography I’m Your Huckleberry.

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So what’s the truth about Holliday’s famous catch-phrase? Here’s our best explanation for the meaning of the term. Another Southern slang usage of huckleberry was “the right person for the job.” In both instances of Holliday using the phrase in the film, Johnny Ringo is hoping to spark violence. What Holliday is saying to Johnny Ringo is that if he’s looking for trouble, Holliday’s the guy to give it to him.

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