whoop
n.— «Like all BMX tracks, it’s designed with a series of wave-like bumps (whoops), banked corners (burms), bumps and jumps to challenge the skills of a biker. Bill Gilles, acting president of the Newmarket BMX Club, calls one “whoop,” Spumoni Junction. “The name just popped out of my mouth one day,” he says. “I don’t think I can even spell it.”» —“Bicycle racing sweeps Canada” by Elizabeth Griffiths Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada) Sept. 22, 1983. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...