grapling
n.— «The men and boys would wade out into the waters of the Savannah, and it was called graplin’. They would run their hands under the rocks and grab an object that was not a rock. Many times I saw a snake being hurled across the water. Some wiser and experienced men would fix a hook on a thimble and grab, therefore the term, grablin.’» —“Jolly green johnny” Independent-Mail (Anderson, S.C.) July 17, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Cat hair may be something you brush off, but cat hair is also a slang term that means “money.” In the same way, cat beer isn’t alcoholic — some people use cat beer as a joking term for “milk.” And imagine walking on a...
There are eight major planets, but more than a million minor ones, including asteroids. If you discover one, you get the honor of naming it. The Dictionary of Minor Planet Names includes minor planets named for rock bands, jazz musicians, poets, and...