duck
n.— «Jemerson also said that Thompkins made black women work longer hours, referring to them as “ducks” because they did not make as much money as white hookers, who were called “swans.” Jemerson, who grew up in Paterson, said sometimes she would work the streets for 18 hours a day while others worked for 12 hours.» —“Woman supplied Galloway hookers” by Madelaine Vitale Press of Atlantic City (Pleasantville, New Jersey) June 10, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
What’s up with ketchup? The shifting history and spelling of the name of this condiment. For centuries, ketchup was a fishy sauce originating in Asia—the tomatoes came only later! Plus, a new book shows what’s lost when a language dies: when there...
Lisa from Tabernacle, New Jersey, grew up using the term cabbage night to refer to the night before Halloween when all manner of mischief takes place. The term itself goes back to the 1860s, while the custom of pranks on October 30 is older. The...