Eddie would go
other.— «“The Eddie,” not a WCT event, is one of the world’s most prestigious big-wave contests, named after North Shore lifeguard and legend Eddie Aikau.…In 1978 Aikau and 15 others attempted to sail a traditional Polynesian sailing canoe from Hawaii to Tahiti. The canoe was beset by heavy seas, which capsized the boat and left the crew clinging to the hull overnight. Floating in the open ocean, yet in sight of shore, Aikau volunteered to paddle for help. He was never seen again, despite the most intensive air-sea search in Hawaiian maritime history. The crew was eventually rescued. Eddie’s heroics gave birth to the inspirational phrase “Eddie would go,” now common surf vernacular.» —“Bruce Irons Wins Big Wave Invitational” by H. Thayer Walker Outside Dec. 16, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
Eric from West Lafayette, Indiana, wonders which phrase is correct when referring to “making the grade” or “meeting expectations”: Is it cut the mustard or cut the muster? It’s the former, a reference to the strong...