squeeze the stick
v. phr.— «“You squeeze the stick on the ice,” he said, using an age-old hockey euphemism for over thinking the game.» —“Patrice Battles the Pressure” by John Bishop Boston Bruins Official Web Site Nov. 2, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The words tough, through, and dough all end in O-U-G-H. So why don’t they rhyme? A lively new book addresses the many quirks of English by explaining the history of words and phrases. And: have you ever been in a situation where a group makes...
Imagine telling someone how to get to your home, but without using the name of your street, or any other street within ten miles. Could you do it? We take street names for granted, but these words are useful for far more, like applying for a job or...