Who doesn't love stumbling across a word or phrase that is unfamiliar to them? Especially when the phrase ends up meaning something completely different to what you'd imagine...
Today's phrase: coconut shy. At first I thought: that's me! I'm coconut shy.
A trip to any reputable dictionary, or online resource quickly dispels this thought. A coconut shy is a sideshow at a fair in which contestants throw (shy = toss, throw) balls at coconuts that are balanced on rings or cups, attempting to knock them off and win a prize -- perhaps the coconut itself.
While I would cringe at the thought of a coconut prize, I would relish the opportunity to torture the foul-tasting nuts by hurling balls at them.
Thanks to H.G. Well's The Invisible Man (1897) for introducing me to this phrase, which I will endeavour to utilize at every possible opportunity.
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