spizzerinctum
n.— «Scientists have concocted a new drug out of rocket fuel, which they claim will give a man renewed energy, like turpentine does a cat.…I’m looking forward to national distribution of this new spizzerinctum builder.» —“Anonymously Yours…” Independent (Hawarden, Iowa) Sept. 25, 1958. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
After our conversation about towns with extremely short names, many listeners wrote to tell us about Why, Arizona. Others pointed out that there are towns called Ely in Iowa, Minnesota, and Nevada. Other super-short appellations include Rye, New...
A flashlight doesn’t flash. It provides a steady beam of light. So why is it called a flashlight? The earliest versions lit up only briefly before the batteries gave out and required a recharge, so they were literally “flash lights...