vomit comet
n.— «It was the second flight on the aircraft for the athletes. On Tuesday, they were flown while strapped in their seats and blindfolded. During that flight the jet lived up to its nickname—the “vomit comet.” All of the athletes, but Johnson became ill.» —“Six World-Class Gymnasts Undergo Weightlessness Experiments” by Paul Recer Associated Press May 22, 1985. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A magnificent new book celebrates the richness and diversity of 450 years of written and spoken English in what is now the United States. It’s called The People’s Tongue, and it’s a sumptuous collection of essays, letters, poems...
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...