Kelly day
n.— «The proposal that fire fighters be given every 16th day off was made to the city council.…The request for Kelly days, for which Cedar Rapids fire fights ask only 22 a year instead of the 24 or more enjoyed by other departments, was not specifically denied.…Iowa cities which now provide Kelly days for their fire departments are: Sioux City, 3 days a month; Des Moines, 2 days; Davenport, 2 days; Mason City, 1 day; Burlington, 4 days; Ottumwa, 1 day; Council Bluffs, 1 day; Waterloo, 1 day; Keokuk, 1 day.» —“Firemen Will Ask Council for Kelly Days” Cedar Rapids Tribune (Iowa) Aug. 23, 1945. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A firefighter named Steve in Newport News, Virginia, wonders why in his line of work, and for some police, certain additional kinds of days off after long unbroken shifts are called Kelly days, Kelly shifts, or Kelly time. The term most likely comes...
Monica in Burlington, Vermont, says a friend recently told her that her day became kerfunkulated, and Monica knew what she meant without even asking. Why do we successfully infer the meaning of such words? Placeholder words such as thingamajiggy...