tree rat
n.— «Kohn said the state’s own witnesses agree Vang was called a “tree rat” and a “mud duck,” which Kohn said was a derogatory term for a person of color.» —“Case against hunter opens” by Ed Culhane in Hayward Post-Crescent (Appleton-Fox Cities, Wisc.) Sept. 11, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a word-pecker is “a person who trifles or plays with, or quibbles over, words.” This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Word-Peckers” I always love it when I’m looking through the dictionary and...
How do dictionaries define colors? And why are some of those definitions so confusing, like “stronger than carmine” and “bluer than fiesta”? Dictionary editor Kory Stamper explains it all in her new book. Plus, the story behind the expression more...