bootleg trail n. a walking path or track worn into the ground by habitual human passage rather than by design. Editorial Note: During Prohibition, the network of people and places that illegally supplied Americans with alcohol was sometimes referred to as the “bootleg trail” by newspapers. It is possible, but not probable, that the path-related “bootleg trail” was derived from the idea that a bootlegger—someone who manufacturers or sells alcohol illegally—might have an operation hidden in the woods that is reached only by a circuitous path. More likely, however, “bootleg” in “bootleg trail” is used in a way more akin its most common meaning, ‘illegitimate, unconventional, unauthorized.’ Thanks to Eric Buck for his insight into hikers and hiking. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
What’s it like to hike the Pacific Crest Trail all the way from Mexico to Canada? You’ll end up with sore muscles and blisters, and great stories to tell. Along the way, you’ll also pick up some slang, like NoBo, SoBo, Yo-yo and...
Astronauts returning from space say they experience what’s called the overview effect, a new understanding of the fragility of our planet and our need to reflect on what humans all share as a species. A book about the end of the universe...