jitterbug
n.— «The big holdup job gets messed up by a couple of “jitterbugs” who are assisting on it, the girl turns out a great disappointment, the gunman is rendered a fugitive with a moll and a dog who love him.» —“‘High Sierra’ at the Strand, Considers the Tragic Plight of the Last Gangster” by Bosley Growther New York Times Jan. 25, 1941. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Language is always evolving, and that’s also true for American Sign Language. A century ago, the sign for “telephone” was one fist below your mouth and the other at your ear, as if you’re holding an old-fashioned candlestick...
A listener in Unadilla, New York, says her husband, whose family is French-Canadian, uses the phrase That burns my onions when something irritates him. There are several kitchen-related metaphors used to express anger, including that steams my...