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

So we fly to New York, get off that plane, take another puddle-jumper to Albany to take my son Aaron back to boarding school in Lake Placid, which is another two- or three-hour drive.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2025

Theirs is a level of puddle-jumper flights to far-flung outposts, cheap rent-a-cars, fast-food drive-throughs and bunking with roommates.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 15, 2022

By the time his owner makes it to Trash Island in a puddle-jumper prop plane, Spots is nowhere to be found.

From Slate • Mar. 15, 2018

We were supposed to fly direct from Boston to Heathrow, but a freak snowstorm forced us to take a tiny puddle-jumper to New York first.

From Salon • Dec. 16, 2012

I was flying in Britain on a small puddle-jumper and was seated next to a fan.

From New York Times • Aug. 30, 2011