wig-wag
n.— «On occasion, Bottini hit the red wig-wag lights behind the grille and pulled a motorist over.» —“Special Squad Fights Auto Thefts” by Andre Jackson St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Mo.) Jan. 7, 1988. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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...
It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when people disagreed over the best word to use when answering the phone. Alexander Graham Bell suggested answering with ahoy! but Thomas Edison was partial to hello! A fascinating new book about...