Washing Machine Charlie
n.— «By the time he was 19, McNerney was the platoon sergeant of a mortar unit assigned to HQ Company in the jungles of Saipan, fighting Japanese soldiers and dodging Japanese bombs. One day, in early July 1944, McNerney didn’t dodge quickly enough. Shrapnel dropped from a “Washing Machine Charlie” (military slang for a small Japanese bomber) ripped open his right knee, tearing through ligaments and cartilage.» —“Purple Heart? Getting wounded is only part of it” by Larry Welborn Orange County Register (California) Jan. 21, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A remarkable new documentary explores the world of amateur and professional mermaiding and the language bubbling up within it. Some mermaiding enthusiasts greet each other with a friendly “Shello!” Plus, an adoptee wonders what to call...
To be creasing, or to be creased up, means you’re laughing so hard you’re doubled over at the waist, as if your belly has a big crease in it. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of ““Creasing” and “Creased Up”: Laughing So Hard You...