two minute man
n.— «The field race in a pure time trial format with the lowest ranked athletes going first up to the highest ranked who goes last. Athletes go at two minute intervals (this possibly needs to be tweaked a bit based on some better statistics but it’s a pretty good starting point.) They swim, transition, bike, transition and run against the clock. The fastest overall wins. And, just to add a little extra frisson of excitement, if an athlete gets caught by their pursuer—your “two minute man” in cycling parlance—then it’s game over.» —“Thoughts on how triathlon should be run at the Games” by Henry Budgett Tri247 Aug. 21, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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...
A librarian opens a book and finds a mysterious invitation scribbled on the back of a business card. Another discovers a child’s letter to the Tooth Fairy, tucked into a book decades ago. What stories are left untold by these forgotten...