flash
n.— «Edward Jackman won the first IJA numbers competition in 1979—a challenge to see who can juggle the most objects longest—by juggling seven rings for six seconds. Today, the seven-ring record is 15 minutes, and jugglers have “qualified” 10 objects (to “qualify” means to go through the pattern twice, which would be 20 catches for ten objects) and “flashed” 13 (a “flash” is once through the pattern, which would be 13 catches for 13 objects).» —“Up for the count” by Billy Baker Boston Globe Mar. 25, 2007. (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 flashlight doesn’t flash. It provides a steady beam of light. So why is it called a flashlight? The earliest versions lit up only briefly before the batteries gave out and required a recharge, so they were literally “flash lights...