Tom walkers
n.pl.— «What are “Tom walkers,” you say? Why, bless yoru heart, don’t go talking about “stilts” out there in Oakland City. They are “Tom walkers” to everybody and every kid.» —“‘Tom Walker’ Fad Hits Oakland City; Kids Stepping High” by Paul Stevenson Atlanta Constitution (Ga.) Aug. 6, 1921. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Book recommendations, including a collection of short stories inspired by dictionaries, and a techno-thriller for teens. Or, how about novels with an upbeat message? Publishers call this genre up lit. Plus, a clergyman ponders an arresting phrase in...
How colors got their names, and a strange way to write. The terms blue and orange arrived in English via French, so why didn’t we also adapt the French for black and white? • Not every example of writing goes in one direction across the page...