hollow leg
/ˌhɑ.loʊ ˈlɛɡ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.87 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Capacity to eat large quantities.
Example Sentences
- "When I was young and growing a lot, and Mama couldn't feed me enough, she used to say I had a hollow leg."
- "Fannie Jump Creighton had a hollow leg, as the saying goes, and Idabelle was so fat, if she tripped coming up the hill she'd roll all the way to the bottom."
- "My brother, who had recently overtaken me in height and then racked up another six inches, ate to fill his hollow leg. My father did better than expected, too, eating two pieces of pie with our amaretto-flavored whipped cream."
- "I didn't want his unhappiness or his pain, or his personality changes, but I wanted to drink as much, as often. I certainly wanted his hollow leg."
- "Where was Uncle? Gone for a stiff one? Again? His hollow leg, you know. Ducking in the john to throw up on his loafers? Probably that. What did he have tonight? Anything good?"
Etymology
Humorously suggesting a further place where a person's body might store food once the stomach has filled up. Compare fill one's boots.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌhɑ.loʊ ˈlɛɡ/
- British English: /ˌhɒl.əʊ ˈlɛɡ/
Inflected Forms
Phrases
wooden leg
drink someone under the table
Frequently Paired Words
wooden leg
drink someone under the table