boot dance
n.— «In order to truly explain step, one must first go back to its origin, during the time of slavery in which slaves developed what is known as a “boot dance” to communicate with each other as well as to honor their native tribal dances from Africa. The call-and-answer format of the dance helped the slaves share important information.» —“Step’s roots reach deep in U.S. history” by Jessica Matthews Poughkeepsie Journal (N.Y.) Feb. 18, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A psychiatric home health worker is curious about the use of nuthouse to mean “a mental health facility.” This term goes back to the turn of the 20th century. The word nuts itself once had an extremely positive connotation, referring to...
Twice a day the River Thames recedes, revealing a muddy shoreline. Hobbyists known as mudlarks stroll the surface searching for objects that have found their way into the river over the centuries, everything from ancient Roman jewelry to modern...