sockdolager

Meanings

1. A hard hit, a knockout or finishing blow, or conclusive argument.
2. Something large or otherwise exceptional; a whopper.
3. A combination of two hooks which close upon each other, by means of a spring, as soon as the fish bites.

Etymology

Unknown, 1827 US, presumably fanciful variant of sock (“to hit”); compare contemporary fanciful American coinages. Various speculative etymologies have been suggested, such as corruption of doxology, due to this occurring at the end of church worship, hence “finality”.