beans
n.pl.— «There’s an old joke in baseball that players hate rain delays even more than fans do because postponing the first-pitch time makes it hard for them to judge exactly when to take their “beans.” Also known as “greenies” or “crank,” amphetamines have been an accepted part of the sport for so long that many clubs used to keep jars of them in the locker room and the phrase “beaned up” has entered the lexicon. » —“Baseball stews over banning the ‘beans’ that keep it flying high” by Dave Hannigan Guardian (U.K.) Dec. 16, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
Eric from West Lafayette, Indiana, wonders which phrase is correct when referring to “making the grade” or “meeting expectations”: Is it cut the mustard or cut the muster? It’s the former, a reference to the strong...