monkey board
n.— «The eager, quick-eyed, ragged-headed sprite, who, with the agility of a monkey or a London sparrow, skips about stand-still omnibuses, this side, that side, and hopping on and off the step behind, ever in danger of a kick from the conductor on his monkey board.» —“The London Street Boys” by James Greenwood New York Times Jan. 29, 1871. (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...