spank the plank
v. phr.— «The rock musicians’ slang for it is “spanking the plank”: that is, playing the guitar, usually energetically and with as much abandon and hairwaving as required.» —“Going against the grain” by Michael Pollitt Guardian (United Kingdom) Oct. 26, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
Asthenosphere, a geologist’s term for the molten layer beneath the earth’s crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way from ancient Greece to the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Plus: What the heck is a dogberg? It’s when...