alligator
n.— «In the summer, there are lots of retreads.…We refer to them as alligators because they’re heavy and have steel in the treads so they can bite you.» —“Retired engineer now a highway angel” by Sarah Schulz Grand Island Independent (Neb.) Dec. 26, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Is there such a thing as a “neutral” accent, and if so what does it sound like? And that quirk in the way southern Californians talk about freeways. They’ll say things like take the 405 and get on the 8. Why the definite article...
Two big, wonderful things happened in 2006 that changed my life: I married my wife, Sarah, and I joined A Way with Words. That’s basically two marriages. I say that because a marriage is about a commitment to working...