devil strip
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
devil + strip, from the area’s status as a no man's land between private and public property, devil or devil's in place names meaning “barren, unproductive and unused”.[1][2]
Compare devil's lane (“narrow area between two parallel fences”), devil's footstep (“barren spot of land”).
Noun edit
devil strip (plural devil strips)
Synonyms edit
- See list at tree lawn.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Dictionary of Regional American English
- ^ Word Detective: Tales from the berm