hoss election
n.— «When they read the column here pondering the origin of the term “Hoss Elections,” a Hawai’i phrase used to describe those senior class hall-of-fame awards in high school, the Valdez’s were the only ones to come up with hard evidence of the etymology. Larry Valdez and Henriette Lopes were voted Best Looking of their senior class in Kailua High 1959.…In their “He’e Nalu” yearbook, their photo is under the banner “HORSE ELECTIONS.”» —“History of hoss elections” by Lee Cataluna Honolulu Advertister (Hawaii) Aug. 26, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
Eric from West Lafayette, Indiana, wonders which phrase is correct when referring to “making the grade” or “meeting expectations”: Is it cut the mustard or cut the muster? It’s the former, a reference to the strong...