Does the expression petered out have to do with the Apostle Peter denying he knew Jesus? No, “petered out” may derive from the French peter, meaning to “pass gas.” Another theory is that the expression originated in mining...
munitionette n.— «Visitors will also be invited to try their hand at being a “munitionette,” a term used to describe the women who put together explosive shells on the assembly line.» —“Explosive exhibition makes a...
dolphin kick n.— «In layman’s terms, the dolphin kicks is an emulation of the way a dolphin cuts through the water with its flipper. Swimmers that use the dolphin kick replace a standard underwater “freestyle” kick with an explosive...
global weirding n.— «The nation is reeling from several factors: Hurricane Katrina, “Global Weirding” (strange and violent weather and other events), our myopic and hopeless dependence on foreign energy, record worldwide...
God gun n.— «Soldiers fire blanks, of course. Team members wear harnesses with sensors that register when they’ve been hit, a sort of heavy-duty version of laser tag. When an explosive device goes off, an impartial observer with a...
dinner bell v.— «Some fishermen call the explosive seal bombs “dinner bells” because after repeated use, the sea lions learn to associate them with food.» —“Frustrated fishermen shoot sea lions” by Meghan...