spitbite
n.— «There were lines so skilfully crisscrossed by the artist and so perfectly printed that they looked 3-D, like actual black threads. I learned a new word, spitbite, a process of mixing ink with soap (originally spit, I gather).» —“Stirrings for a congregation of like-minded artists” by Nancy Bauer Telegraph-Journal (Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada) Mar. 28, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Brian from Lafayette, Indiana, wonders why chicken is abbreviated CHX in the restaurant industry. Using X as a substitute or shortener has a long history. Medieval scribes sometimes drew a line through the final stroke of an abbreviated word. This...
A listener named Lita who grew up in Cuba shares her favorite Spanish idiom for “working hard”: sudando tinta, or literally, “sweating ink.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Sweating Ink” We had a voicemail from Lita Longa and she...