wet fish
n.— «Both fish reside in the middle-water column of the ocean, causing those in the fishing industry to refer to them as “wet fish.” This means that a lot of water must be pulled into boats when scooping them in from the sea and subsequently expelled when the boats drain their haul.» —“Sardines re-emergence in the Monterey Bay” by Melissa Schilling Santa Cruz Sentinel (California) Mar. 26, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
To joner means to “bring bad luck to” or “jinx.” This term is a corruption of the name Jonah, the biblical figure who initially resisted a divine command. His presence on board a ship supposedly caused a great storm at sea...
A hundred years ago, suffragists lobbied to win women the right to vote. Linguistically speaking, though, suffrage isn’t about “suffering.” It’s from a Latin word that involves voting. Plus: military cadences often include...