big smoke

big smoke
 n.— «The “big train” has reached the end of the road.…Walter Johnson somewhat sadly admitted today that he was through.…Twice now the “big smoke” has started in the series.» —“‘The Old Gray Mare Ain’t What She Used to Be,’ Says Walter Johnson, Twice Defeated Pitcher” by George Barry Clearfield Progress (Pa.) Oct. 10, 1924. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

Join the discussion

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Further reading

Too-Long Didn’t Read or Watch Digital Shorthand

The Merriam-Webster.com dictionary now includes an entry for TL;DR, also rendered as TLDR. It’s a speedy way of dismissing overlong text or introducing a shortened version of something. This useful locution also inspired AI;DR, short for AI;didn’t...

Stub Your Toe (episode #1606)

Advice about college essays from the winner of a top prize for children’s literature: Kelly Barnhill encourages teens to write about experiences that are uniquely their own, from a point of view that is theirs and no one else’s. Plus, why do we say...