In nautical parlance, if you slacken a rope by pulling in the opposite direction to separate the blocks in a block-and-tackle system, you’re said to overhaul it — the inspiration for the more general term that means to “change...
Have you ever googled your own name and found someone else who goes by the very same moniker? There’s a word for that: googleganger. Plus, the language of hobbyists and enthusiasts: If you’re a beekeeper, perhaps you call yourself a...
Ducks on the pond, frozen rope, tumblebug, and high cheese are baseball slang. Ducks on the pond means runners on base, frozen rope is a line drive, a tumblebug is a fielder who makes a catch and adds theatrical flair, and high cheese is a fastball...
spider cleaning n.— «As high-rise buildings mushroom across the city, facade cleaners—the ones who dangle from ropes to give those glass houses the impeccable look—are finding more jobs and more challenges.…“If a person hangs from a...
lure knocker n.— «Every fisherman should also carry what is called a “lure knocker,” which is a device with a weight on the end and a short length of chain attached to a long rope. The device will hook onto your snagged lure...
belay slave n.— «The technical term for the climber who goes first is the “leader”; that’s the climber on the “sharp” end of the rope—the end you can hurt yourself on. The term for the climber who holds the rope...