spit-take
n.— «At dinnertime, they had to bring in the “spit-take’ rule. Nobody was allowed to talk to someone else at the table if that person had food in his mouth because it more than likely they would choke to death laughing.» —“Mandy Patinkin And The Princess Bride” by Rob Lowing Sun-Herald (Sydney, Australia) Dec. 6, 1987. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
If someone’s got melon, it means they’re smart. The expression most likely arose because of the resemblance between a melon and a human head. Several other foods are associated with having brains, including a cabbage, a gourd, and even a...
In 1971, when a new public library opened in Troy, Michigan, famous authors and artists were invited to write letters to the city’s youngest readers, extolling the many benefits of libraries. One of the loveliest was from E.B. White, author of...