violin hickey
n.— «Also visible, up close, is the distinct dark red mark on New’s neck that makes some strangers stare or whisper. But don’t blame her husband, principal trombonist John McPherson. He’s great with his lips, but New’s love bite comes from her instrument. “Everyone refers to them as their violin hickey,” she said, touching the rough callus underneath her chin. New has had a pressure cyst removed from her neck in the past, but says the scar tissue and other bodily wear and tear is “the nature of the beast” when playing the violin.» —“Violinist’s tresses the mane event for many ESO fans” by Elizabeth Withey Edmonton Journal (Alberta, Canada) Feb. 24, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In 1971, when a new public library opened in Troy, Michigan, famous authors and artists were invited to write letters to the city’s youngest readers, extolling the many benefits of libraries. One of the loveliest was from E.B. White, author of...