A book of photographs and essays by famous writers celebrates libraries — and the librarians who changed their lives. Plus cutting doughnuts, spinning cookies, and pulling brodies: There are lots of ways to talk about spinning a car in circles on...
What’s the origin of the phrase “Lord willing and the creek don’t rise”? It has to do with travel and farming and nothing whatsoever to do with Native Americans. Back when wagons rode on low gravel roads, you couldn’t...
A native of Southern Pennsylvania has always used the term macadam in place of asphalt. Martha traces the word from an old gravel road to the modern day tarmac. This is part of a complete episode.
weeping tile n.— «Key components to this portion of the project, besides the 6 x 6 lumber, are a perforated four-inch drain pipe (also referred to as weeping tile), course gravel, 10-inch galvanized spikes, a 1/4 inch ship auger and a...
Sierra cement n.— «The only vehicles allowed were gravel trucks and graders working to remove what is known as “Sierra cement,” the type of thick, clumpy snow that can play havoc with tire treads and drivers’ nerves.» —“Many Without...
Hesco hobbit n.— «Kandahar Air Field is a Hilton by comparison, populated by what the frontliners call Hesco Hobbits, hescos being the two-metre-high buffers filled with gravel that surround the base.…And they wouldn’t mind if the...