2874: Turnpike: More like Turn-spike Nov 3, 2024

The term "turnpike" originally referred to a spiked barrier or gate designed to control access to roads. A ‘turnpike’ was a pivoted barrier, bristling with spikes—or rather, pikes—that rotated to allow or block passage, commonly used to prevent unauthorized travel or enforce tolls. In England, turnpikes were often found on toll roads, where travelers had to pay a fee to bypass these barriers. Over time, the name of the barrier itself became synonymous with the roads they guarded, eventually leading to the modern meaning of "turnpike" as a toll road, especially in the United States.