Mildly interesting
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What Is the Origin of the Saying "Spick and Span"?
The term spick and span means brand new. This term has a nautical origin. Spick meant nails (or spike) and span meant wooden shavings. On a new sailing ship, the nails would still be shiny and the wooden shavings from manufacture would still be present. Therefore, a new ship would be all spick and span.
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Queens, New York
This remarkable 1908 photograph captures the Long Island Motor Parkway (also known as the Vanderbilt Parkway) with the Manhattan skyline in the distance. Built in 1908, the parkway is celebrated as the first road in the United States designed exclusively for automobiles. Stretching from Queens to Ronkonkoma, it featured innovative overpasses and bridges, making it a pioneer in modern roadway design.
Initially a private toll road costing $2 to use, it was largely frequented by wealthy car enthusiasts eager to race their vehicles. The parkway was eventually closed in 1938 and absorbed by the state, though parts of it remain today, repurposed as a scenic bike path in Queens. A fascinating glimpse into the dawn of the automobile age.
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"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08
The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.
