Ron, who lives in North Pole, Alaska, is curious about an admonition from his mother: Don’t get into any jackpots. This expression, which dates back to the 1800s, refers to getting trapped into adding bets to a round of high-stakes poker...
We spoke earlier about cumshaw artists, or people who get things done by crafty stealing or bartering. Alan Johnson from Plano, Texas, told us a story from his Air Force days in Vietnam, when he and some comrades stole a bunch of plywood by sneaking...
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...
treecycling n.— «Urban tree recycling (treecycling), as well as traditionally harvested / logged trees. Turn your trees into your lumber. Storm damaged, or injured trees are still valuable, and can yield much valuable lumber.» —“Re:...
baleboard n.— «A New Hamburg company, Think Plastics, is leading the way in turning used bale wrap and other plastics such as greenhouse covering into high-quality, durable lumber that can be used for such things as fencing, decks and...
whiskey plank n. the board which completes construction of a ship’s or boat’s hull. Editorial Note: By tradition, whiskey is drunk at the completion of the hull of a naval vessel, as indicated in the citations. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)