door-knocker

n. a ticket, slip, or note left to indicate a visit or delivery was attempted but nobody answered the door. Subjects: English

Editorial Note: Thanks to Joe Clark for suggesting today’s entry.

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Citations: 1997 Lawton City Special Council Meeting (Lawton, Oklahoma) (Apr. 10) (in Wayne Gilley City Hall Council Chamber): He said if that situation arises they will give them food and water and will leave a door knocker and hopefully the resident will come home and take care of the animal. 2003 North Carolina Court of Appeals Calloway v Onderdonk, No. COA02-1076 (Buncombe County) (July 1): Officer Kushner did not find anyone at home.…Officer Kushner left a “door knocker” at the home requesting that defendant contact him regarding a complaint about the care and feeding of her animals. He also left several telephone messages for her. 2004 Alan Wade @ Fort Lauderdale, Florida American Prospect (Nov. 1) “Ground-Game Dispatch”: Then we break up into teams, and it’s into the vans again. Cathy and Olivera, my team leaders, drive us out to a neighborhood that goes by the name of “14D” on our map, and we’re let off with lists of registered Democrats and door-knockers to hang when no one’s home, and off we go, in pairs. *2007 University of Windsor Bookstore (Ontario, Canada) (Feb. 21) “Flexible Learning Distance Education”: If you are not at home at the time of delivery, it is common practice for the delivery driver to leave a “DOOR KNOCKER” with instructions for alternate arrangements of your package.

Posted 5 Mar 07 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Reader comments:

Also a term for large hoop earrings popular in the late eighties. See Notorious B.I.G. ‘Gimme the loot’: “...and when I rock her and drop her I’m taking her door knockers…”

by Clyde 06 Mar 07, 0323 GMT

also used in the Southern US for unusually large nipples on a woman…not to be confused with “knockers” which refer of course to the entire nipple support system…

by John C. Reed 08 Mar 07, 1053 GMT