︎Tennessee music box
n.— «Dulcimers come in all shapes and sizes—peanut-shaped models, triangles, graceful ovals and rectangular contraptions often called “Tennessee music boxes.” They usually have three or four strings and sound like a cross between a mandolin and a guitar, but sweeter-sounding, more fluid and droning than both.» —“Starry Lullabye” by John Nova Lomax Nashville Scene (Tennessee) Aug. 24, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Old. Elderly. Senior. Why are we so uncomfortable when we talk about reaching a certain point in life? An 82-year-old seeks a more positive term to describe how she feels about her age. And: a linguist helps solve a famous kidnapping case, using the...
Homer in Kingsport, Tennessee, says that when Homer came in after curfew, his dad would say, “You guys have been out swarping, haven’t you?” Swarping is related to a variety of dialect terms in Scotland and Northern England that...