old maid
n.— «The key to successful popcorn is the roughly 13 percent moisture inside each kernel, which makes it explode under heat. Lose the moisture and you’ve got duds, or what the popcorn industry calls Old Maids.» —“Tricks to making movie-style popcorn at home” by Victoria Brett Naples Daily News (Florida) Feb. 7, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Carmen in Jacksonville, Florida, was told she was pretty as a speck of puff. The more common simile is pretty as a speckled pup or cute as a speckled pup. This is part of a complete episode.
Related
Sarah in Fleming Island, Florida, is curious about the saying sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes the bear eats you, which suggests “it’s a dog-eat-dog world,” or “eat or be eaten,” or more gently, “you win...