pencil top
n.— «Most commercial companies over-prune palms leaving fronds with a V-shape referred to as a “hurricane cut.” Constant removal of these leaves will result in a condition referred to as “pencil top” (trunk narrows just below fronds) which makes the trunk area very weak during storms. In addition, the leaves around the center help protect the bud during high winds.» —“Garden Help: Tips for storm-proofing your yard” by Terry Brite Delvalle Jacksonville.com (Florida) Aug. 21, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Amy from Charlotte, North Carolina, reports a dispute arose when visiting her brother’s family. Is a large container for storing sugar properly called a can or a canister? The answer involves prototype theory, which in cognitive linguistics and...
A Louisiana listener shares a favorite passage from Laurie Lee’s memoir Cider with Rosie (Bookshop|Amazon), about his boyhood in post-World-War II England. An extract is here and contains the passage:“For the first time in my life I was out of the...