barnburner

[bahrn-bur-ner]

Barnburner www.ask.com/Barnburner Find Barnburner Q&A Results Barnburner

noun

Informal. something that is highly exciting, impressive, etc.: The All Stars game was a real barnburner.

Chiefly Pennsylvania. a wooden friction match.

(initial capital letter) a member of the progressive faction in the Democratic party in New York State 1845–52.

Compare Hunker.

Origin:
1835–45, Americanism; barn¹ + burner; (def. 3) so called with reference to burning down a barn to get rid of rats

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Barnburner is always a great word to know.

So is doohickey. Does it mean:

an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.

a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.

WordNet

barnburner
noun
1.	someone who burns down a barn
2.	an impressively successful event; "the rock concert was a real barnburner"

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