hammer
n.— «Amateur, or “ham,” radios have connected people worldwide since the early 1900s. The device might seem technologically outdated, but it’s far from forgotten.…Sunday was not only a special day for fathers but also a celebration for local ham lovers, who sometimes call themselves “hammers.” John Colaluca, of Frederick, has been “hamming” for about 30 years, he said. He got interested when he was a kid.» —“Lost in transmission? Not these radio buffs” by Sarah Fortney Frederick News-Post (Maryland) June 18, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Ron in Gloverville, South Carolina, wonders about the phrase since hatchet was hammer, which some use to mean “for a long period of time,” as in My family has lived here since hatchet was hammer. Another phrase he’s heard indicating the same thing...
Frederick from Valdosta, Georgia, wonders about the term galley-west. To knock something galley-west means to “knock it into confusion” “send everything in all directions.” In Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry...