land phone n.— «Gary called our son in Washington on his cell phone; of course our son doesn’t own a “land phone,” as they call it.» —“Back to the Golden Years…again” Daily Press (Escanaba, Michigan) Oct...
bike-wacking v.— «Unfortunately, water levels created a washout that changed the face of that trail and left us what is affectionately known as “bike-wacking.” This is similar to “bush-wacking,” but involves not only trying to...
three-jack n.— «He yearned to test his golf swing so headed to California and the Golden State Tour. The swing stood up for him but his putting was awful, earning him the nickname “Three-jack” for three-putting so often...
call calf-rope v. phr.— «“I said I wasn’t going to say anything about the rain, but at this point I am about ready to call calf-rope,” said Kerens Grain’s Sonny Carpenter, using a term meaning, “I give up,” similar to calling “uncle...
hooker n.— «Hook: An invaluable offensive tool in the fight game, but only a precious few are able to use it to devastating effect. Those who can and do, are often referred to as “hookers”, and not in the pejorative sense. De La Hoya is a...
thumb-sucker n.— «For every inane segment on “Dateline” or plodding thumb-sucker on PBS, there is a smart, innovative documentary elsewhere.» —“From One Voice to Many, a New Golden Age of News” by Alessandra...