mouthbreather
n.— «Billy, who has grown rich on the rivers, nevertheless approached in the manner of a mouth-breather, hat in hand, toes crossed.» —“Of a Capitulation in Chicago” by Lloyd Lewis in Chicago New York Times Oct. 8, 1944. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Language is always evolving, and that’s also true for American Sign Language. A century ago, the sign for “telephone” was one fist below your mouth and the other at your ear, as if you’re holding an old-fashioned candlestick...
A listener in Unadilla, New York, says her husband, whose family is French-Canadian, uses the phrase That burns my onions when something irritates him. There are several kitchen-related metaphors used to express anger, including that steams my...