Baltimore wrench n. a chisel and hammer; generally, as in additional forms given in citations, as a slang term a wrench is a tool used for a purpose other than that for which it was intended, especially when used as an implement of brute force. Editorial Note: Jocular or lightly derogatory. The Historical Dictionary of American Slang also records similar terms Oregon wrench (1958, included in the citations below) and canal wrench (1972) and there is an unpublished HDAS citation for big red wrench ‘an acetylene cutting torch’ (1933). The LOTJ mentioned in the citations is the Lexicon of Trade Jargon, an unpublished project of the Works Progress Administration. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Many of us struggled with the Old English poem “Beowulf” in high school. But what if you could actually hear “Beowulf” in the English of today? There’s a new translation by Maria Dahvana Headley that uses contemporary...
What’s it like to hike the Pacific Crest Trail all the way from Mexico to Canada? You’ll end up with sore muscles and blisters, and great stories to tell. Along the way, you’ll also pick up some slang, like NoBo, SoBo, Yo-yo and...
Where I grew up, we called this misused tool an “Irish screwdriver;” especially when a hammer was used for brute force.