shoeshine
n.— «Jordan also employs a cut block that Wildcats offensive lineman refer to as the “shoeshine.” That is when the blocker hits the defensive player near the knees to knock him over instead of taking him head-on. “I love the shoeshine,” said Jordan. “You can usually take out three or four guys at a time. Once one goes down, the others follow.”» —“Senters of Attention” by David Willis in Haverhill Eagle-Tribune (North Andover, Massachusetts) Nov. 6, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Brian from Mandan, North Dakota, is puzzling over one of her mother’s sayings. If someone left quickly or abruptly, she’d say that they took off like a ruptured duck. There’s a famous World War II-era military discharge emblem featuring an eagle...
In this bonus A Way with Words minicast, Martha and Grant step into the historic streets of Marblehead, Massachusetts, where the simple cry of “Down bucket!” could serve as a kind of local password. After they ponder that and other...