tent pole
n.— «Mr. Mancuso describes “Beverly Hills Cop II” as a “tent pole” movie. Each year Paramount makes several high-budget films “that because of content, star value or storyline have immediate want-to-see and are strong enough to support your entire schedule,” he said. “Ishtar” had none of the strengths of a tent pole.» —“Figuring Out The Fates of ‘Cop II’ and ‘Ishtar’” by Aljean Harmetz in Hollywood June 4, 1987. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
What if, instead of being an inanimate object, a dictionary were alive? That’s the idea behind a lavishly illustrated new children’s book called The Dictionary Story (Bookshop|Amazon) by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston. This is part of a...
David says that when he was growing up in Akron, Ohio, his family referred to the grassy area between the sidewalk and street as the devil strip. He’s since moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he doesn’t hear that term. There are lots...