charley horse

charley horse
*a charley horse
a painful, persistent cramp in the arm or leg, usually from strain. (*Typically: get \charley horse; have \charley horse; give someone \charley horse.) •

Don't hike too far or you'll get a charley horse.


Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Charley horse — Classification and external resources ICD 10 M62.8, R25.2 ICD 9 728.85 A charley horse is a popular North American colloquial term for painful spasms or cramps in the …   Wikipedia

  • charley horse — (USA) A charley horse is a stiff leg or a cramp, especially in the leg …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • charley horse — baseball players slang, 1888, origin obscure, probably from somebody s long forgotten lame racehorse …   Etymology dictionary

  • charley horse — ☆ charley horse [chär′lē ] n. [ballplayers slang, c. 1888; prob. with reference to a lame racehorse] Informal a cramp or soreness in a muscle, specif. of the thigh, caused by strain …   English World dictionary

  • charley horse — soreness in a muscle, cramp in a calf muscle, pull a muscle    Did you hurt your leg playing baseball? Yes, I slid into third base and now I have a charley horse …   English idioms

  • charley horse — /ˈtʃali hɔs/ (say chahlee haws) phrase get (or suffer) a charley horse, US Colloquial to experience stiffness or cramp in the leg, especially following exertion. {origin unknown} …  

  • charley-horse — noun a muscular cramp (especially in the thigh or calf) following vigorous exercise • Syn: ↑charley horse • Usage Domain: ↑colloquialism • Hypernyms: ↑spasm, ↑cramp, ↑muscle spasm …   Useful english dictionary

  • charley horse — char|ley horse [ˌtʃa:li ˈho:s US ˌtʃa:rli ˈho:rs] n [C, singular] AmE informal [Date: 1800 1900; Origin: Charley male name, from Charles] a pain in a large muscle, for example in your leg, caused by the muscle becoming tight = ↑cramp …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • charley horse — Localized pain or muscle stiffness following a contusion of a muscle. [slang] * * * char·ley horse chär lē .hȯrs n a muscular pain, cramping, or stiffness esp. of the quadriceps that results from a strain or bruise * * * char·ley horse (chahrґle …   Medical dictionary

  • charley horse — noun Etymology: from Charley, nickname for Charles Date: 1888 a muscular pain, cramping, or stiffness especially of the quadriceps that results from a strain or bruise …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • charley horse — char|ley horse [ tʃarli ,hɔrs ] noun singular AMERICAN INFORMAL a pain, especially in your leg or foot, caused by a muscle becoming tight or stiff …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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