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
Language is always evolving, and that’s also true for American Sign Language. A century ago, the sign for “telephone” was one fist below your mouth and the other at your ear, as if you’re holding an old-fashioned candlestick...
If you take up texting and social media late in life, there’s a lot to learn! A twenty-something wants advice getting her dad up to speed on memes, Instagram, and animated images. Plus, when you’re on a long road trip, what do you call...