come-along
n.— «Come along: A ratchet tool that ironworkers use to clamp onto a beam and pull it into place.» —“Chicago Speak” by Anne Keegan Chicago Tribune Feb. 3, 1994. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
To slip someone a mickey means to doctor a drink and give it to an unwitting recipient. The phrase goes back to Mickey Finn of the Lone Star Saloon in Chicago, who in the late 19th century was notorious for drugging certain customers and relieving...
After our chat about tongue twisters, a Chicago, Illinois, listener shares one that looks much easier than it sounds: Irish wristwatch. This is part of a complete episode.
Related
I don’t think that what it’s used for is essential. I’ve known ‘come-along’ as a term for a hand winch for at least 20 years. Our come-along has a 10-12″ handle which turns a ratcheted spool coiled with steel cable terminating with a hook. A second hook is attached to the spool frame. We’ve used it for straightening our garage, sliding heavy objects across a cement surface, holding a tree together, pulling a disabled auto into our driveway, and pulling up a stump.