Clydesdale n. in running or road-racing sports, a heavyweight classification for (male) participants weighing more than 200 pounds; a runner in that weight class. Also attrib. Editorial Note: The upper limit for the classification can vary. A similar category called Athena is for women weighing more than 155 pounds. Etymological Note: From the breed of large draft horse of the same name, via the Clydesdale Runners Association which lobbied for weight division awards in running sports. (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...
A librarian opens a book and finds a mysterious invitation scribbled on the back of a business card. Another discovers a child’s letter to the Tooth Fairy, tucked into a book decades ago. What stories are left untold by these forgotten...