Home » Dictionary » whale

whale

whale n. a large man-made snow mound. Editorial Note: Usually resulting from a commercial snow-grooming machinery typical of a ski resort. Etymological Note: So-called because of their large, round shape and perhaps influenced by “whale” meaning “a large or significant example of a particular thing,” as in “I have a whale of a headache.” (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

1 comment
  • I would imagine that the snow color helping the mound look like a great white whale (Moby Dick) has something to do with it too.

Further reading

To Joner Like Jonah

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...

Pickleddd - Pickled Peppers (episode #1640)

Pickled Peppers (episode #1640)

Names don’t always mean what you think they mean. Main Street in San Francisco is named after businessman Charles Main, and Snowflake, Arizona, honors two guys named Snow and Flake. Plus, big words for small people: A colorful new book...

Recent posts