hard-shell clam

American  

noun

1. quahog.

---

hard-shell clam British  

noun

1. another name for the quahog

---

Etymology

Origin of hard-shell clam

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20

Example Sentences

And there is the simple hard-shell clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, the northern quahog.

From New York Times • Jul. 14, 2010

When anything is goin' wrong with him he's allus as close-mouthed as a hard-shell clam with the lockjaw.

From The Mission of Janice Day by Turner, Corinne

For when we begin to consider wampum we have to begin to consider the familiar hard-shell clam of daily use, which was the basis of wampum.

From Modern Eloquence: Vol II, After-Dinner Speeches E-O by Reed, Thomas B. (Thomas Brackett)

That was the money substance out of which he made the wampum, and the shell-heaps scattered over the island are mute monuments to an industry which was blasted by the demonetization of the hard-shell clam.

From Modern Eloquence: Vol II, After-Dinner Speeches E-O by Reed, Thomas B. (Thomas Brackett)