dust-off
n.— «Remember when we were out in the field and I couldn’t get any “D” rings for my ruck sack? And you told me if someone goes in on a dust-off to take them off their ruck? Well I did, thanks. They were on your ruck!» —by Mike Mancuso Letter Aug. 26, 1970. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
She sells seashells by the seashore. Who is the she in this tongue twister? Some claim it’s the young Mary Anning, who went on to become a famous 19th-century British paleontologist. Dubious perhaps, but the story of her rise from seaside...
A hundred years ago, suffragists lobbied to win women the right to vote. Linguistically speaking, though, suffrage isn’t about “suffering.” It’s from a Latin word that involves voting. Plus: military cadences often include...