puddle-jumper

American  

[puhd-l-juhm-per] / ˈpʌd lˌdʒʌm pər /

Or puddlejumper

noun

Slang.

1. a light plane, especially one traveling only short distances or making many stops.

2. an old, rickety automobile; flivver.

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Etymology

Origin of puddle-jumper

First recorded in 1930–35; humorously so called because it is used on routes that include stopovers in small, insignificant places

Example Sentences

From Cayo, head back to Goldson International Airport for a puddle jumper flight on Tropic Air to San Pedro.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 22, 2022

I flew on a puddle jumper with no assigned seats and landed in a city that was definitely not Barcelona.

From Salon • Dec. 25, 2021

It’s a sort of Jeep/truck hybrid, an off-road-ready puddle jumper that can carry a lot more cargo than the standard SUV.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2019

You might then take the once-a-day puddle jumper south and west and arrive a scant two miles from The Ugadale, the area’s only hotel, which is known for the excellent water pressure in its showers.

From Golf Digest • Jul. 29, 2017

"Get on the prop and we'll see if the old puddle jumper will take off."

From The Solar Magnet by Meek, S. P. (Sterner St. Paul)