hard figure
n.— «Some might call Clappy a dummy for not taking such a high-profile part in a Hollywood movie. But you’re not supposed to call him that. The proper term is “hard figure,” those in the ventriloquism trade say. Clappy is a ventriloquist’s doll.» —“The Kid Quits the Picture” by Allen Salkin New York Times July 29, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A documentary film called My Beautiful Stutter follows youngsters at a summer camp specifically for stutterers. It’s a place for finding acceptance, support, and confidence for navigating the larger world. And:, “The High Priestess of...
Throwing cheese and shaky cheese are two very different things. In baseball, hard cheese refers to a powerful fastball, and probably comes from a similar-sounding word in Farsi, Urdu, and Hindi. Shaky cheese, on the other hand, is the grated...