flipper crotch

[Note: Parts of this entry were originally included at the previous version of flipper n1 3.]

flipper crotch n Also flipper crutch [flipper n1 3 + crotch fork (of a tree); cf beany crotch (at beany n)] chiefly Rocky Mts, esp UT

A forked stick for making a slingshot; a slingshot.

1935 Improvement Era 38.548 UT,I was up in the top of our tree huntin’ a flipper crotch. 1937 Salt Lake Tribune (UT) 4 Apr Junior sec 2/1, My little brother . . was saying the alphabet. He said them all right until he came to the “Y,” and then he hollered out “flipper crutch.” 1948 MT Std. (Butte) 15 June 3/3, Police asked parents of Butte youngsters Monday to co-operate with authorities in curbing damage to windows caused by careless use of flipper crutches within the city limits. 1971 Bright Word Geog. CA & NV 158 eNV, Slingshot . . flipper (crutch) 2% [of 300 infs]. 2005 in 2015 DARE File—Internet UT, We had flippers and flipper crotches. . . And lilacs grew those forks just right. You look just right you could find perfect flipper crotches. And we would get out and I’ll tell you that I got pretty good with those flippers. 2010 Ibid ID, We called them “flipper crutches.” Dad made them from forked tree branches and inner tubes. 2013 Ibid WY, We would hunt sage chickens with a flipper crutch (sling shot). . . One day I was shooting them while traveling in the Travel all. I let loose with the flipper and the angle was so high that it hit my $70.00 watch that I had received for a graduation gift. 2015 DARE File—Internet UT, He was born November 6, 1928 in Park City. . . Earne lived his childhood hunting rabbits and quail with his mastery of a flipper crotch (sling shot).