blood and thunder
n.— «We hear about the horrors of fishnet burn, a fishscale pattern some skaters get when they fall down on the track while wearing fishnet stockings. I’ve also heard about a practice drill called “blood and thunder,” in which skaters take the track, knocking each other off until just one remains.» —“My starring roll” by Pam Leblanc Austin American-Statesman (Texas) May 21, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The words tough, through, and dough all end in O-U-G-H. So why don’t they rhyme? A lively new book addresses the many quirks of English by explaining the history of words and phrases. And: have you ever been in a situation where a group makes...
Astronauts returning from space say they experience what’s called the overview effect, a new understanding of the fragility of our planet and our need to reflect on what humans all share as a species. A book about the end of the universe...