(Above is the lawn of Corbett Hall as seen through the sattelites in Google Earth. The tuning-fork-shaped path is the actual paved path; all the other paths branching off from it are desire lines.)
Friday, June 06, 2008
And Now, An Information Snack
You know those paths in a field or a park or a woodland trail, where enough people have walked and worn away the grass, leaving a line of exposed earth that is just one pair of footsteps wide? Those are called desire lines. I just thought that was a great name for them, and thought I'd share that with you. The lawn in Corbett Hall where I work is just littered with desire lines, and every time I see them I smile because of their excellent name. And now maybe you will have a lift in your day - or at least in your etymological knowledge - too.
(Above is the lawn of Corbett Hall as seen through the sattelites in Google Earth. The tuning-fork-shaped path is the actual paved path; all the other paths branching off from it are desire lines.)
(Above is the lawn of Corbett Hall as seen through the sattelites in Google Earth. The tuning-fork-shaped path is the actual paved path; all the other paths branching off from it are desire lines.)
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1 comment:
That is so neat! Thanks for sharing. (And yes, I know I'm shamelessly behind in reading your blog!)
I remember Bob explaining once that all of the paved walkways in Quad were placed where enough people had walked to wear away the grass, so I guess those used to be desire lines too.
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