dust-off
n.— «Remember when we were out in the field and I couldn’t get any “D” rings for my ruck sack? And you told me if someone goes in on a dust-off to take them off their ruck? Well I did, thanks. They were on your ruck!» —by Mike Mancuso Letter Aug. 26, 1970. (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...