tot lot
n.— «Surfside’s Hawthorne Park, also known as “tot lot” playground, located on the corner of Hawthorne Avenue and 90th Street in the center of the town. The tot lot stands out as one of the few shaded playgrounds, and is the most recent renovation in Surfside’s park system. Toys are always scattered about from neighborhood kids, and the playground offers new play equipment including climbing, sliding, swinging and riding equipment, including a generous sandbox area. “The tot lot is very much a neighborhood facility.”» —“Resources ever expanding at area parks” by Daphna Behar Miami Herald (Florida) July 16, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Julie in Fort Pierce, Florida, recalls that on sweltering days her mother would declare the weather was hotter than Billy Blue Blazes! The word blazes is a euphemism for “hell,” as in hot as blazes. The blue in blue blazes has long been used as an...
In 1916, a small-town newspaper in Pennsylvania printed a fanciful item about a local gathering with a guest list that included, among others, Miss Ella Vader, Mr. Ray Zor, and other punny names. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...