hurricane cut
n.— «Removing flower and fruit clusters is also fine. This debris can be messy and also potentially hazardous. This removal also reduces the number of weedy palm seedlings that could sprout up around the base. Overpruning can be detrimental to a palm. “hurricane cuts,” as they are called, stresses the palm to a point where there is an increased chance of disease and insect invasion.» —“Resolutions for gardening in the new year” by Ralph Mitchell Sun-Herald (Charlotte Harbor, Florida) Dec. 31, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Julie in Fort Pierce, Florida, recalls that on sweltering days her mother would declare the weather was hotter than Billy Blue Blazes! The word blazes is a euphemism for “hell,” as in hot as blazes. The blue in blue blazes has long been used as an...
Andrea in West Palm Beach, Florida, recalls a little ditty that her father would recite to get her out of bed in the morning: When in the morning you throw moments away, you can’t make them up in the course of the day. Or you can hurry and...