Etymology

spitball

S1P3I1T1B3A1L1L1

Today it means: A pitch of a baseball that has been partly covered with saliva, illegal at most levels. Full definition →

First used 19th c.
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The story

From spit + ball.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 19th c. A balled-up piece of paper, moistened with saliva (by chewing) and shot through a drinking straw.
  • from 1940s To brainstorm ideas.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.