vomit comet
n.— «Discontinuance of the interurban service between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids comes as a bit of a shock to those alumni of Iowa who used to ride it. Various crops of students had different names for the “Crandic,” and the last car to Iowa City at night was known far and wide as the “Vomit Comet” in the good old days of prohibition. Seems some professors (never, never, never any students) used to go to Cedar Rapids and lap up some joy juice and catch the last train out. The swinging and swaying, jerking and jolting, with the track laid out by a drunk snake with the DTs, led to the inevitable result of a revolt by the stomach. The doors would never open—so…“Crandic” comes from the initials on the cars CRandIC railway.» —“The Old Goat” Algona Advance (Iowa) June 2, 1953. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Astronauts returning from space say they experience what’s called the overview effect, a new understanding of the fragility of our planet and our need to reflect on what humans all share as a species. A book about the end of the universe...
Lee in Charleston, South Carolina, remembers her dad used to refer to a blue patch of sky after a rain as kitten’s britches. Similar terms include Dutchman’s trousers, old woman’s apron, and cat’s vest, all suggesting that...