hummer

Etymology 1

hum + -er

noun

1. One who hums.
   Judy hummed to herself. “My mother was a hummer,” LeVecque said, without looking at her. 2011, Peter Blauner, Man of the Hour: A Mystery
   Will you be a singer or sad scared little hummer? 2013, Chris Lynch, Whitechurch
2. (informal) A Humvee.
3. A type of vehicle resembling a jeep but bulkier.
   Some playa's had went all out, showing up in chauffeured Navigator and Hummer limousines. 2008, Mikal Malone, Pitbulls In A Skirt, page 6
   The newlyweds took a hummer limo back to their casino resort.
4. (informal) A hummingbird.
   July roth saw the first spotted egg hardly larger than a “hummer's,” lying in the nest. 1911, Jennie Brooks, Under Oxford Trees, page 165
   The Sargents' status as hummingbird gurus is unrivaled and well deserved. They began banding hummers back in 1988, when, Bob says, there were only 28 other banders in the country. 2007, Wonderful West Virginia, volume 71, page 5
   Between high mortality during the first year, natural disaster, pollution, habitat destruction, and the general decline in hummers that has been reported over the last couple of years (responses given to questions fielded by Bird Watchers indicate that there is a real hummer decline), I feel that I did the right thing by taking this bird in. 2010, Arnette Heidcamp, A Hummingbird in My House: The Story of Squeak, page 2
5. (informal) A humdinger; something or someone exceptional or outstanding of their type.
   "Ain't it a hummer of a day?" Jim exclaimed, suddenly, looking toward the valley swimming in a silver mist below us. "By Jiminy! it makes a man feel like living, don't it?" 1903, Francis Hopkinson Smith, The Under Dog, page 184
   Dad's a real hummer at poker. 1905, Christman, Beautiful Maoriland, page 22
   Another report: “The queen that I had from you last year has proved a real hummer. 1909, British Bee Journal - Volume 37, page 230
   As a salesman, before long, he became a real hummer, And the Monnig's concluded to make him a drummer. 1913, The Journal of the Switchmen's Union of North America, page 550
   Neil said sorry to Mrs. Cooper, smiled and let go one of the worst silent-but-deadlies you could ever imagine. An absolute hummer. 1994, Christopher Milne, “A Very Naughty Boy”, in Naughty Stories for Good Boys and Girls - Volume 1, page 8
   After takeoff, coming back around the runway, I decided to give them a real hummer. From out of a long downhill run, with the Ranger cranked up to the red line, we flattened out, some twenty feet above the runway. 2003, Lou Fulgaro, The R46 and Little Louie, page 280
   You don't want to miss out on this grand prize—it's a real hummer of a deal. 2006, Vicki Courtney, Between: A Girls Guide to Life, page 147
   It was another electrical storm, it was a real hummer. 2009, Karl Adams, Wake of the Wind Dancer
   A fire needs a lot of oxygen and a lot of fuel to get big and grow strong, and in a lot of house fires, there just isn't the oxygen or the fuel load to sustain a real hummer of a fire. 2013, Don Winslow, California Fire And Life, page 44
   He could lay down almost as good a weld as Ev, who had been a real hummer in his day. 2015, Niven Busch, Continent's Edge, page 343
6. A machine that runs particularly well and smoothly.
   “How'd you do with the rig?” Tater asked. Bubba did the sniff and wipe number again. “Piece a cake. That baby's a real hummer, Tater.” 1997, Susan Rogers Cooper, Home Again, Home Again
   You'll have to drive this here automobile; she is a real hummer. 2010, Dominic Contreras, Operation Infidel, page 110
   "It's not difficult to fly, and it's a real hummer. I don't know what size engines you'll want to install, but this bird will climb like a homesick angel to over 50,000 feet at 234 Lee Ecker. 2013, Lee Ecker, The Return of the Manhattan, page 234
   When he spotted Natalie descending the staircase, he begged her to try the elevator. "She's a running beauty," he said. “A real hummer now.” 2016, Susan Wolf Johnson, King Daniel: Gasparilla King of the Pirates
7. (slang) A very energetic or lively person; a powerful lively thing.
   I had a thousand liars, perjurers and villains call on me, and six genuine survivors of Lafitte's band; besides quite a delegation of widows and daughters and offspring of the late lamented pirate. No less than ten of his widows turned up; Jean must have been a hummer! 1897, Archibald Clavering Gunter, Bob Covington: A Novel, page 215
   He drinks, swears, smokes, plays cards, and when it comes to ragtime, my boy, he can beat any man on the stage. Oh, you bet he is a hummer, all right! 1904, Bernard Francis Moore, Judazuma, the Man of Mystery, page 11
8. (slang, dated) A place, event etc. that is bustling or full of activity.
   [Heading: The Conferences] St. Joe was a hummer. It was largely attended, enthusiastic, and splendidly entertained by the pastor, Rev. J. Simons, and his people. 1902, Religious Telescope, volume 68, Church of the United Brethren in Christ (New constitution), page 17
   The best Reunion class of all will be back in Jersey on June 6 to 10, for a real off-year reunion, which will be a hummer.[…] 1913-05-14, “The Alumni”, in The Princeton Alumni Weekly, volume 13, number 32, '07, page 614
   The courtroom was a real hummer of activity. 1987, Weyman I. Lundquist, The Promised Land: And Other Courthouse Adventures, page 76
9. Something that generates a lot of attention, talk, and excitement.
   Lansing Rubber Company Will Be Real Hummer 1913, Michigan Manufacturer & Financial Record - Volume 11, page 11
   Let us make this department a real hummer. Not a blessed club should be unrepresented. Even the most modest among us likes publicity. 1914, “What The Clubs are Doing and Why”, in Associated Advertising, volume 5, page 53
   The opening paragraph is a real hummer: “ Every day thousands of military aviators go into the sky believing in an unspoken promise: that the military is doing all it can to keep them safe. 2000, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Armed Services, Nominations Before the Senate Armed Services Committee, page 464
   Here's a real hummer for you: “Farewell to Scanlan's.” Give it some thought—forced visits with Hinckle & Zion, along with word-photos of earlier, happier visits in the old days. 2011, Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in America, page cxcviii
   If you'll buy me a beer, I think I can give you some leads to a real hummer of a story. 2017, Deirdre O’Dare, Red Tails in the Sunset
10. (baseball) A fastball.
    Branca, concentrating so intently that he didn't hear the braying crowd, threw a hummer down the middle. 2015, Andrew Goldblatt, The Giants and the Dodgers, page 115
11. (slang) Fellatio, especially when the person performing the act vibrates their mouth by humming.
    My mama says they make Danish jelly out of cow balls, man. Eating that's like giving a heifer a hummer. 2003, Michael Griffith, Bibliophilia: A Novella and Stories, page 217
    After all that bickering over Eddie Kissena, Charity goes into the ladies room and finds Denise Slater on her knees, giving him a hummer. 2004, N.H. Avenue, For Pete's Sake
12. Someone who upsets or irritates others; a trouble-maker or controversial figure.
    Of all the onnery new galoots That come to Scrambletown that summer, The meanest cuss—you bet your boots— Was H.A. Jones. He was a hummer! This Jones he was the biggest liar In all that country, all aroun' ; And by the high celestial choir, The liars there was hard to down,—In Scrambletown. 1903, Charles August Fisher, The Minstrel with the Selfsame Song: And Other Poems, page 116
    I nade not say that we do not want the wan whom a gang av political hummers and gutther-politicians have nominated. April 29, 1916, Tom Teaser, “Muldoon's Boarding House”, in Happy Days, page 9
    Anyway, this federal guy was a real hummer, because you know, he was from the government; and he was going to "show us" how this thing worked. 2010, Gordon N. Scranton ·, Boot Tracks, There and Back, page 203
    This guy McCabe gave him a laugh, what a piece of work. A real hummer, but with the undeniable charisma Nick always associated with the Irish. 2016, Bob Leuci, The Snitch
    Burns was a real hummer inside the Bureau, a bigtime cage rattler. 2017, James Patterson, Kiss the Girls
13. (slang, obsolete, usually as "on the hummer") The condition of having no money.
    During the course of their restless, feverish careers they solicit insurance, collect for instalment houses, work advertising schemes, and finally land square on the hummer. 1907, Kin Hubbard, Abe Martin's Almanack
    "It's the crooks and the fourflushers who have put the boxing game on the hummer," the champion was saying. 1913, Collier's - Volume 52, page 37
    the failure of the powers that be for not doing some definite thing, and the pigheadedness of doing something else, all of which may have confused some of us and permitted the idea to gain foothold that America is about as close to being on the hummer as it can get without slipping over kerplunk. 1916, “Is America on the Hummer? What Other Country Has Her Number?”, in The Mixer and Server, volume 25, page 56
14. (slang, obsolete) An admirer.
    The description therefore which the Duke of Ormond's correspondent gives of himself accords in no way with the early experience of the fluent extempore preacher whose eloquence roused Evelyn's enthusiasm, and was so generally admired that when he had preached the hour-glass out, his "hummers" used to encourage him to give them another hour of exhortation. October 3, 1868, James Silk Buckingham, John Sterling, Frederick Denison Maurice, “Our Library Table”, in The Athenaeum, page 431
15. A tantrum or fuss.
    In 1970 she threw a real hummer in her widely acclaimed article for the New York Times entitled “And Don't Call Them 'Lady' Composers” which attacked the music establishment for its sexist practices and its willful dismissal of women's participation and achievement (Oliversos 1970). 2011, Martha Mockus, Sounding Out: Pauline Oliveros and Lesbian Musicality, page 70
16. (slang, obsolete) A lie or tall tale.
    It is not supposed that there is now, or that there ever was a man in Madison county who would willfully lie to hurt a fellow-man, or even to enhanced his own interests, but for your spinning yarns and big story telling, she has had some "hummers." 1897, John La Rue Forkner, Byron H. Dyson, Historical Sketches and Reminiscences of Madison County, page 615
    "We'll 'salt' 'Paradise' and work her off for a hummer." "But that will be swindling," protested Clark. 1900 May, M. Quad, “How Major Wharton Let Go”, in The National Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly, volume 12, number 2, page 85
    'Because I thought you'd told me a real hummer about Mr Playfair, and I was beastly to you, and then you only meant to be kind, but I called you a liar when I'm the liar, and then I saw them. 2015, Lyndsay Faye, The Fatal Flame
17. (slang, obsolete) A liar.
    The fine lady thinks she has wit, when she scandalizes her absent neighbours; and the hummer, when he hath told a lye with a grave face; 1763, “The Wit of the Age”, in The London Magazine, Or, Gentleman's Monthly Intelligencer, page 291

Etymology 2

noun

1. (slang) An arrest on false pretexts.
   The conspiracy rap was a hummer. 1967, Ross Macdonald, Archer in Hollywood, page 53
   She mentioned the cute little Eyetalian cop that booked her on a hummer. 2008, Joseph Wambaugh, The New Centurions