fart in a mitten
n.— «Such terms would, understandably, have the Broadcasting Standards people “jumping about like a fart in a mitten,” in the phrase that [Reinhold] Aman cited in 1984.» —“Lingua Franca: One Hell Of An Insult…“ by David Rowan Guardian (London, England) June 5, 1993. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
What’s up with ketchup? The shifting history and spelling of the name of this condiment. For centuries, ketchup was a fishy sauce originating in Asia—the tomatoes came only later! Plus, a new book shows what’s lost when a language dies: when there...
Amid a 1796 heat wave, Jane Austen wrote to her sister, “What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Jane Austen’s Continual State of Inelegance in a...