purp
n.— «“Wher’s y’r master, purp?”…The hount lifted his nose and howled dolefully.» —“The Sign of the Prophet” by James Ball Naylor Nebraska State Journal Feb. 16, 1902. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Chris in Omaha, Nebraska, asks about the use of the adjective husky to describe the boys’ clothing section in a department store. This coded term refers to clothes made for heavier fellows. Husky was originally a positive term connoting the...
John in Omaha, Nebraska, wonders about a phrase that encourages someone to attend an event or risk being left out or feeling uncool: be there or be square. Don’t fall for the fake etymology about people wearing boxes on their heads! Ditto for...