bring the wood
v. phr.— «Thomas declined to say what “bringing the wood” means. “We’d like to keep that a secret ourselves,” Thomas said. “Everyone on the team understands about bringing the wood. We don’t want to share it with the outside world.”» —“Huskers Brought ‘Out the Wood’ to Back Up Their Words” by Steve Sinclair, Michael Kelly Omaha World-Herald (Neb.) Jan. 2, 1987. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Chris in Omaha, Nebraska, asks about the use of the adjective husky to describe the boys’ clothing section in a department store. This coded term refers to clothes made for heavier fellows. Husky was originally a positive term connoting the...
John in Omaha, Nebraska, wonders about a phrase that encourages someone to attend an event or risk being left out or feeling uncool: be there or be square. Don’t fall for the fake etymology about people wearing boxes on their heads! Ditto for...