Pineapple Express
n.— «David Guy mentioned this phenomenon of a Pineapple Express which we seem to get about every 10 to 12 years. And that is where we get heavy snows in the Sierra, followed by a warm rain coming from the Hawaiian Islands, which dumps all his warm rain on top of heavy snows, and it all comes down at once.» —“Serial No. 109-32: Water Supply Vulnerabilities In The Sacramento/San Joaquin River System” in United States House of Representatives Oversight Hearing Before the Subcommitte on Water and Power of the Committee on Resources Oct. 20, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A flashlight doesn’t flash. It provides a steady beam of light. So why is it called a flashlight? The earliest versions lit up only briefly before the batteries gave out and required a recharge, so they were literally “flash lights...
National Book Award winner Barry Lopez had wise advice for young writers. First, read widely and follow your curiosity. Second, travel or learn a foreign language. And third, find out what you truly believe, because if you’re not writing from...