leaverite
n.— «“It’s ’leaverite,'” says Smith of one specimen: “Leave ‘er right there.” But after a few more pans of sand the kids hit paydirt.» —“A Madness for Moonstones” by Anne H. Oman Washington Post (Weekend-10) Nov. 16, 1979. (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...
Asthenosphere, a geologist’s term for the molten layer beneath the earth’s crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way from ancient Greece to the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Plus: What the heck is a dogberg? It’s when...