The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.
shins
plural of shin
shins
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of shin
Source: Wiktionary
Shin, n. Etym: [OE. shine, schine, AS. scina; akin to D. scheen, OHG. scina, G. schiene, schienbein, Dan. skinnebeen, Sw. skenben. Cf. Chine.]
1. The front part of the leg below the knee; the front edge of the shin bone; the lower part of the leg; the shank. "On his shin." Chaucer.
2. (Railbroad)
Definition: A fish plate for rails. Knight. Shin bone (Anat.), the tibia.
– Shin leaf (Bot.), a perennial ericaceous herb (Pyrola elliptica) with a cluster of radical leaves and a raceme of greenish white flowers.
Shin, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Shinned; p. pr. & vb. n. Shinning.]
1. To climb a mast, tree, rope, or the like, by embracing it alternately with the arms and legs, without help of steps, spurs, or the like; -- used with up; as, to shin up a mast. [Slang]
2. To run about borrowing money hastily and temporarily, as for the payment of one's notes at the bank. [Slang, U.S.] Bartlett.
Shin, v. t.
Definition: To climb (a pole, etc.) by shinning up. [Slang]
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
28 May 2025
(noun) a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing; “an air of mystery”; “the house had a neglected air”; “an atmosphere of defeat pervaded the candidate’s headquarters”; “the place had an aura of romance”
The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.