Finegan pin
n.— «Finegan pin…[struck] a vague expression to cover the fact that something in the car in [ sic] wrong but not yet exactly known, a whosis, etc. Its [ sic] akin to the slang expression, A paper-stretcher, or left-handed pencil.[end struck text] Non-existent auto part which mechanic blames for trouble he cannot locate.» —“Gas Station Slang” by A.T. Rosen in Brooklyn, N.Y. Lexicon of Trade Jargon , 1938-39. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A book of photographs and essays by famous writers celebrates libraries — and the librarians who changed their lives. Plus cutting doughnuts, spinning cookies, and pulling brodies: There are lots of ways to talk about spinning a car in circles on...
Oofless is an antiquated bit of British slang that describes someone temporarily short on cash. It’s from ooftisch, a Yiddish-derived term for “cash placed on the table,” from German auf Tisch. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...