monkey board
n.— «He pursued the poling system down Ludgate-hill, and there he came so close that the pole struck complainant’s legs, knocked him off the “monkey board,” or conductor’s stand, and while he was lying on the the ground bawled out that it served him right.» —in Guildhall London Times Sept. 23, 1836. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Advice about college essays from the winner of a top prize for children’s literature: Kelly Barnhill encourages teens to write about experiences that are uniquely their own, from a point of view that is theirs and no one else’s. Plus, why do we say...
While compiling the Oxford English Dictionary, lexicographer James Murray exchanged hundreds of letters a week with authors, advisors, and volunteer researchers. A new collection online lets you eavesdrop on discussions about which words should be...