Monday hammer
n.— «Professor Sargant Florence still seems surprised that absenteeism should be at its highest on Mondays.…From its relatively greater incidence among unskilled men, he asks whether it is due to boredom, and does not discuss the possiblity that it may be due to sheer physical incapacity (on Clydeside a hammer with a very thick head is known as a “Monday hammer”).» —“Review: Economics and Sociology of Industry. A Realistic Analysis of Development.” by Colin Clark Economic Journal (U.K.) Mar., 1965. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a word-pecker is “a person who trifles or plays with, or quibbles over, words.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Word-Peckers” I always love it when I’m looking through...
How do dictionaries define colors? And why are some of those definitions so confusing, like “stronger than carmine” and “bluer than fiesta”? Dictionary editor Kory Stamper explains it all in her new book. Plus, the story behind the expression more...