hotdog

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The Word of the Day for January 28 is:

hotdog   \HAHT-dog\   verb
     : to perform in a conspicuous or often ostentatious 
manner; especially : to perform fancy stunts and maneuvers 

Example sentence: 
     "He stripped the ball..., flew downcourt and slammed it 
into the basket, hotdogging all the way." (Diane Shah, _ESPN_, 
December 2000)

Did you know?
     The verb "hotdog" first appeared in the 1960s as slang for 
surfing with fast turns and quick movements. Surfers adopted it 
from the use of the noun "hot dog" for someone who is very good 
at something, which was popularized around the turn of the 19th 
century along with the interjection "hot dog" to express 
approval or gratification. In time, the noun became mainly 
associated with people who showed off their skills in sports, 
from basketball to skiing, and the verb form came to be used 
for the spectacular acts of these show-offs. (As a side tidbit 
to chew on, the word for the frankfurter that might be eaten 
while watching athletes perform is believed to have been first 
used by college students. That "hot dog" was current at Yale in 
1895.)