Shasta Glossary for the Unknowing
The participants of the Shasta Snow Trip seem to have a language all our own some
times. Some words are specific to this group, others are words originating from
CB speak, rally racing, off road driving, the bus community, and many other areas.
The glossary below will help explain a few of these terms to give you a bit more
of an idea of what the heck we are talking about. This list will grow as terms are
suggested.
- Crack
-
Coffee, the stuff the amps up Brian for the trip or anything else. Often prepared
on the trip in Cowboy form by Gene on the bed of Bart.
- Craic
-
(n)[From the Irish-ised version of the Middle English 'crak,' meaning loud conversation
or bragging talk.] - The craic is the feng shui of a se'siun. It is the combination
of the music, the drink, the conversations, the spirit of the surroundings, and
trying to make headway with people of the opposite sex. The craic is what drives
all emotion and music that comes from the soul within the Irish, That's it, it's
whatever makes you feel one with your surroundings.
-
Craic is like unzipping the perfect atmosphere and climbing inside.
- Handbrake Turn
-
The handbrake turn is a driving technique used to deliberately spin a car, either
for the purpose of negotiating a very tight bend quickly, or for turning around
well within the vehicle's own turning circle. The use of the handbrake locks the
rear wheels, thus breaking the friction between the tyres and the road surface.
At this point, a steering input will spin the car in the direction steered. With
practice, the car can be placed accurately. The technique is used in some forms
of motorsport, for example rallying. A related technique is
left-foot braking.
(definition borrowed from
http://www.brainyencyclopedia.com/encyclopedia/h/ha/handbrake_turn.html
- Newt
-
No, not the little girl from Aliens or the small amphibian (although the term originates
from the latter). This is a term participants on the Shasta Snow Trip use to refer
to each other. If you want to know the full orgin of the term you will likely just
need to show up. One is not considered a Newt until they have participated in the
trip. They might be a potential Newt, or a Newt Larva, but they are not Newts.
- Opposite Lock
-
Opposite lock is a colloquial term used to mean the deliberate use of oversteer
to turn a vehicle rapidly without losing momentum. It is typified by the classic
rallying style of rear-wheel drive cars, where a car appears to travel around a
tight bend sideways. The term "opposite lock" refers to the position of the steering
wheel during the manoeuvre, which is turned in the opposite direction to that of
the bend.
The technique works best on loose surfaces where the friction between the tyres
and the road is not too high.
Before entry to the
bend, the car is turned towards the bend slightly, but quickly, so as to cause a
rotating motion that induces the rear of the car to slide outwards. Power is applied
which applies further sideways movement. At the same time, opposite lock steering
is applied to keep the car on the desired course. As the car reaches the bend it
will have already turned through most of the needed angle, travelling sideways and
losing some speed as a result. A smooth application of power at this point will
accelerate the car into the bend and then through it, gradually removing the sideways
component of travel. Overall, the bend will have been negotiated much faster than
driving through it in a normal manner. In skilled hands, the result is a dramatic
and fluid motion which looks incredibly natural. When executed poorly, the result
is often the complete opposite.
A related technique is the handbrake turn, in which the rear wheels are deliberately
locked in order to break the friction between the tyres and the road, allowing the
car to be spun around a very tight bend or junction, etc.
(definition borrowed from
http://www.brainyencyclopedia.com/encyclopedia/o/op/opposite_lock.html
- Seat Cover
-
One who rides along but provides no tangible intrinsic value. Bring a navigator,
not a seat cover on the trip with you.
- Shasta (in the dictionary under Volkswagen)
-
See Shasta
mentioned in the definition on Wikipedia.
- Shasta Shakes
-
Shasta Shakes 1. (n.) The jittery, wobbly, upset feeling one gets when the realization
that the Shasta Trip is not only coming sooner than previously understood, but that
it is more than likely that preparations will fall short, schedules will cause interference,
and everyone is more than likely to never see home again after being eaten by Sasquatch.
2. (n.) The strangely-flavored smoothie concoctions made for breakfast by some Newts.
3. (v.) What the mountain (Shasta) does during an eruption, earthquake, or because
of fear generated by the invasion of Newt Hordes.
- Sleep
-
A mythical state, said to bring dreams of buses flying over mud and snow. Generally,
sleep is not an option on the trip.
- Timfoot
-
A large hairy humanoid creature said to live in wilderness areas of the United States
but not allowed into Canada.
