Tag: dale earnhardt

New in the collection: country ham bag from Central Falls

Is there a country ham expert in the house? I’d like to know more about Tom’s Ham Co. of Central Falls, but the Randolph County Public Library hasn’t been able to help, and I’m still awaiting approval to join the enthusiastic Facebook group I Grew Up In Asheboro, North Carolina!!!

Considerably less understated than Tom’s is Mom “n” Pop’s  of Claremont, which pulls out all the stops on this ham bag commemorating Dale Earnhardt….

What? The sky wasn’t always Carolina blue?

Those industrious elves at Google Books Ngram Viewer must never sleep! Here are their latest offerings for North Carolinians’ provocation and speculation:

— Carolina blue was adopted on campus about 1800, but the rest of the world seems to have taken a while to catch on.

— Jimmie Johnson vs. Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon. Maybe if he wins six consecutive championships….

— Great Dismal Swamp vs. Okefenokee Swamp. The 1980s spike coincides with an environmental conflict over the Okefenokee.

— chitterlings vs. chitlins. Of course, when the Ngram measures not American usage but British….

— Don Knotts vs. Barney Fife surprised me — but now that the actor is dead, the immortal deputy is closing fast.