throw phone

throw phone
 n.— «The SWAT team moved cautiously during the beginning of the drill while delivering what is called a “throw phone” to the gunman inside. That set up a means of communication, allowing the negotiator to speak with the gunman and the hostages.» —“School bus drivers taught how SWAT defuses crises” by Scott J. Croteau Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, Massachusetts) Aug. 24, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

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Further reading

What in Tarnation (episode #1599)

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...

Aesthetic Sweaters

Melissa in Greensboro, North Carolina, has been sparring with the Gen Z members of her family over the shifting meanings of words. Her kids use aesthetic as an adjective to mean “aesthetically pleasing,” as in That’s so aesthetic. They also refer to...