throw phone
n.— «The SWAT team moved cautiously during the beginning of the drill while delivering what is called a “throw phone” to the gunman inside. That set up a means of communication, allowing the negotiator to speak with the gunman and the hostages.» —“School bus drivers taught how SWAT defuses crises” by Scott J. Croteau Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, Massachusetts) Aug. 24, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Why is it harder to talk if we don’t move our hands? Even when we’re talking on the phone we feel the need to gesture to aid communication. A new book offers a look at the relatively new field of gesture studies. And: Ever wonder why we describe the...
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...