mouse
n.— «Meanwhile, the Stinebakers make no attempt to conceal the fact that the Thunderbird—at least to some devout worshippers of domestic vehicles—is sort of a sacrilegious Frankenstein machine. Inside the Ford body sits a Chevrolet small-block engine. The motor is known to enthusiasts as a “mouse”—big-blocks are known as “rats”—so a small rubber mouse serves as the car’s mascot. The Stinebakers also adorn the dashboard with a sign reading “Built Ford tough with Chevy stuff.”» —“Kicking’ It” by Daniel Pike State Journal-Register (Springfield, Illinois) Sept. 24, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Sam in St. Charles, Illinois, says that when he mentioned a big old water tower nearby, his mother corrected him, saying the water tower wasn’t old, it was new. Can’t you use big old or big ol’ in that way? Of course you can! The...
A hundred years ago, suffragists lobbied to win women the right to vote. Linguistically speaking, though, suffrage isn’t about “suffering.” It’s from a Latin word that involves voting. Plus: military cadences often include...