yips
n.— «Putting always was hard, if not impossible, for Moody, who spent 14 years in the armed services. He had trouble with three-footers. He seldom had a clue on anything longer than six feet. He had what they call the “yips.”…If you’re a golfer and you have the “yips,” you don’t have to be told what they are. You also don’t have to be told you’re in trouble.» —“Moody a Winner On Seniors Tour Moody Finds New Life on Seniors Tour” by Jim Lassiter Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) June 15, 1984. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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A flashlight doesn’t flash. It provides a steady beam of light. So why is it called a flashlight? The earliest versions lit up only briefly before the batteries gave out and required a recharge, so they were literally “flash lights...