Home Β» Dictionary Β» bootleg trail

bootleg trail

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 bootleggerβ€”someone who manufacturers or sells alcohol illegallyβ€”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, β€˜illegitimate, unconventional, unauthorized.’ Thanks to Eric Buck for his insight into hikers and hiking. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Further reading

Yak Shaving (episode #1548)

There was a time when William Shakespeare was just another little seven-year-old in school. Classes in his day were demanding β€” and all in Latin. A new book argues that this rigorous curriculum actually nurtured the creativity that later flourished...

Bushwacking is Forging New Paths

We spoke with a listener about the German word querfeldein, or literally “diagonally into the field,” which he used to describe an informal route he and his wife had taken while out for a walk. Many other listeners chimed in with...

Recent posts