dead men
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See also: deadmen
English
[edit]Noun
[edit]dead men pl (normally plural, singular dead man)
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see dead, men.
- (nautical) The ends of reefs left flapping instead of being tucked out of sight when a sail has been furled.
- (informal, US) The gills of edible crabs.
- Synonyms: dead men's fingers, devil's fingers
- 1992 April 26, Nathalie Dupree, “A craving for crabs”, in The Record, Bergen County, NJ, page F1:
- Remove eyes, dead men (gills), and sand sack if necessary.
- 2003 September 26, Michael Gartland, “Drought Forces Awendaw, S.C., Crab Festival to Import from Louisiana”, in Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, page 1:
- “I call these the lungs,” says Colleton, pointing to the gills with the dripping, short-handled knife. “The old people call them ‘dead men.’”
- 2007 August 3, John Geiser, “Take rusties over jimmies when hunting for good-eatin’ crabs”, in Asbury Park Press, Asbury Park, New Jersey:
- Once the shell is off, the crab’s gills or lungs, variously called “devil’s fingers” or “dead men” are exposed. These are gray-white, feathery-looking parts that are inedible and must be scraped off and thrown away.