cotton curtain
n.— «When the cotton curtain stood between us, and people were hateful and mean, I was here. When we didn’t have public accommodations, I was here. When the doors of opportunity had never been opened, I was here. When it was time to get the right to vote, I was here.» —“Reporter’s Notebook: Jackson In South” by Fay S. Joyce in Atlanta, Georgia New York Times Mar. 12, 1984. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Imagine telling someone how to get to your home, but without using the name of your street, or any other street within ten miles. Could you do it? We take street names for granted, but these words are useful for far more, like applying for a job or...
If you speak a second or third language, you may remember the first time you dreamed in that new tongue. But does this milestone mean you’re actually fluent? And a couple’s dispute over the word regret: Say you wish you’d been able...