Definition: Almost being asleep (Merriam-Webster Online).
Sample usage: "There I was, shelping, when I heard the dog bringing up lunch on the good rug."
Popularity: This one's British, so the etymology is unclear. But that won't stop us from noting that someone who turns on the white-noise-generating machine is "lending a shelping hand."
JAMES LILEKS
Interested in other words we've dissected? See more at startribune.com/word.
