flying trash can
n.— «Monday, at the Paris air show, Honeywell said its Micro Air Vehicle combat drones are being deployed in Iraq for the first time. Prospective foreign buyers have started to take a look at the drones, which soldiers sometimes refer to as “flying trash cans” because of their circular shape and ducted-fan flight system.» —“Paris Air Show Notebook” by Andy Pasztor, Rebecca Christie in Paris, France Wall Street Journal June 19, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Lisa from Paris, Kentucky, grew up eating a German Christmas cookie at a friend’s house in Miami, Florida. This deep-fried, bow-tie-shaped pastry was made with butter, lemon, and rum, and dusted with powdered sugar. The family called them...
Amy from Charlotte, North Carolina, reports a dispute arose when visiting her brother’s family. Is a large container for storing sugar properly called a can or a canister? The answer involves prototype theory, which in cognitive linguistics and...