bobtail
n.— «An American would be riding in the lead vehicle as commander and driving the last one as “bobtail”—a truck without a load that acts as a sort of sheepdog, rushing to help with any problems and making sure no one has drifted out of formation.» —“Truckers of Iraq’s Pony Express Are Risking It All for a Paycheck” by James Glanz in Safwan, Iraq New York Times Sept. 27, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Language is always evolving, and that’s also true for American Sign Language. A century ago, the sign for “telephone” was one fist below your mouth and the other at your ear, as if you’re holding an old-fashioned candlestick...
A listener in Unadilla, New York, says her husband, whose family is French-Canadian, uses the phrase That burns my onions when something irritates him. There are several kitchen-related metaphors used to express anger, including that steams my...