a yard of pump water en · NOUN
Etymology
Perhaps because a stream of water falling approximately three feet from a water pump into a bucket is both straight and thin; but compare also yard of ale, where the yard is a tall, slender, hollow receptacle.
Meanings
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(UK, US, dialectal) Something which is very straight and very thin.
as/so thin as a yard of pump water; as skinny as a yard of pump-water; as straight as a yard of pump-water; like a yard of pump water
For quotations using this term, see Citations:a yard of pump water.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| yards of pump water | Number=Plur | lexicographic |