charley horse

== English == === Alternative forms === charlie horse, charley-horse, charleyhorse, Charlie horse, Charley horse, Charlie-horse, Charley-horse === Etymology === Uncertain, although first attested in American baseball slang of the 1880s, possibly related to cramps suffered by the pitcher Charles Gardner Radbourn, who was nicknamed "Old Hoss", or possibly from period use of Charlie as a generic name for horses similar to Rover for dogs and Felix for cats. === Pronunciation === (General American) IPA(key): /t͡ʃɑɹli hoɹs/ (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /t͡ʃali hɔːs/ === Noun === charley horse (plural charley horses) (idiomatic, chiefly US) Synonym of cramp, a painful involuntary muscle contraction, particularly a strong cramp in the torso, arms, or legs. (informal) A punch in the thigh. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === References === “charley horse, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.