devil strip

English

The tree-lined grassy area to the right is a devil strip

Alternative forms

Etymology

From 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

devil strip (plural devil strips)

  1. (Akron, Ohio, US) The grassy area between the sidewalk and the street.
  2. (Akron, Ohio, US) The space between tracks on a streetcar line.

Synonyms

See also

References

  1. ^ Dictionary of Regional American English
  2. ^ Word Detective: Tales from the berm
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