yips
n.— «Carl Hubbell says he got the “yips” so bad during his recent slump that he was walking into closed doors.» —“Tales in Tidbits” by Bill Braucher in New York Hammond Times (Ind.) July 3, 1937. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Unwrap the name of a candy bar, and you just might find a story inside. For instance, one chewy treat found in many a checkout lane is named after a family’s beloved horse. And: 50 years ago in the United States, some Latino elementary...
It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when people disagreed over the best word to use when answering the phone. Alexander Graham Bell suggested answering with ahoy! but Thomas Edison was partial to hello! A fascinating new book about...