two by four

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See also: two-by-four

English

sense 1

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Noun

two by four (plural two by fours)

  1. (chiefly Canada, US) A length of sawn wood of cross section approximately 2 inches by 4 inches, most often employed as structural framing lumber (dimensional lumber).
    • 1959, “Mary Don't You Weep”, performed by Nat King Cole:
      Well, Moses stood on the Red Sea shore, And smote the water with a two by four
    • (Can we date this quote?), “Linin' Track”, performed by Lead Belly:
      Moses stood on the Red Sea shore, smotin' that water with a two by four
  2. (chiefly Canada, US, dated) A small, modest building.
    • 1930, George, Ira Gershwin, “But Not for Me”:
      He'll plan a two by four / But not for me.
  3. (slang) Synonym of Tijuana Bible (kind of pornographic comic book)
    • 2008, Barry Schwartz, Abraham Lincoln in the Post-Heroic Era, page 354:
      the movie plot of Superman II, in which Superman and Lois Lane work up to a sexual liaison (which was seen before 1960 only in “two by fours” and similar pornographic comic strips.).

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