The sound of a 20-foot rocket launching in an appreciably arid area, heard from about a mile away. It may be accompanied by a visible vapor trail that is either straight or shaped like a corkscrew; and it is considered to be exciting, regardless.
"What's it like to see it go up? It's 'chick-koom,' and it's gone," Judy Wallin said. "It is exciting."
area woman discussing Upham, New Mexico's future spaceport
1. (n.) A clown who has generally failed at his craft; a clown who finds it difficult to get laughs from an audience or who can no longer adequately perform his standard tricks, such as juggling, dancin', harpin' the rug, or stountin' the tarn.
2. (n.) A floundering can that commonly rests on a lamp or lamp shade.