Belsnickle
n.— «“Belsnickle,” a word meaning “Good St. Nicholas,” is a term used for a figure of Santa Claus holding a tree or branch in his folded arms. Santa is usually not smiling on a belsnickle, and the branch was originally meant as a switch for punishing naughty children. Belsnickles are among the most popular old-fashioned Santa images, and because it is such a compact image it is often seen as a Christmas ornament or light bulb.» —“Good Old Saint Nick…the ultimate character collectible” by Arthur Schwerdt Cape May County Herald (New Jersey) Dec. 5, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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...
“What has a head like a cat, feet like a cat, a tail like a cat, but isn’t a cat?” Answer: a kitten! A 1948 children’s joke book has lots of these to share with kids. Plus: an easy explanation for the difference between...