mud hen
n.— «Alaska Air two weeks ago retired the last of its dedicated fleet of banged-up old Boeing 737-200s affectionately known as “mud hens.”» —“Arctic Eagles Bid Mud Hens Farewell At Alaska Airlines” by Susan Carey Wall Street Journal Apr. 13, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Michelle in Thorne Bay, Alaska, wonders why a skittish person may be called a nervous Nellie. That term is associated with the nickname of politician Frank B. Kellogg, who was considered overly emotional and indecisive, but who also won the 1929...
It’s hard to remember how to spell the names of some cities. Tallahassee, Florida, for example. Then there are towns with very few letters to remember. Y, a tiny town in northern France, has only two main streets, which come together to form...