"bailing wire"

[Tom Kysilko]

I believe that just as 'shade tree' has expanded to contexts other the auto
mechanics, 'bailing wire' has expanded to include many materials used for
purposes, especially in an improvised way, other than their original
ones.  In fact, use of 'bailing wire' need not refer to any material at
all.  Just the other day, I described a piece of software as being "held
together with scotch tape and bailing wire" as a way of suggesting that it
was a mess of quick fixes and kluges.

--Tom Kysilko, who is quite familiar with Sam Shadetree's northern cousin,
Backyard Bob.

At 6/18/2005 02:35 PM -0400, sagehen wrote:
> >-----
> >1958 _Panola Watchman_ (Carthage, Tex.) 25 Sep. 5/1 The simple mechanism
> >of the model "A" made it possible for any shade tree mechanic to repair it
> >only with a knuckle busting wrench, a pair of pliers, and an adequate
> >supply of bailing wire.
> >-----
>~>~>~>~>~>~>
>"  *bailing* wire."   Of course it _could_ mean wire of which bails were
>made, but I doubt if that was intended.
>AM

--Tom Kysilko