Appalachian Word of the Week - TAR

Do you know what a TAR is? I don't mean the tar you use to turn a gravel road into a paved one. It's also not the TAR they used to use to patch holes in the roof or make TAR paper. Man, that stuff would stink to high heaven -- kind of like a polecat (we talked about those a few weeks ago).

I'm talking about the TARs you put on your car to make it roll. If you're not from the mountains, you might call them tires. When I was a kid, I wouldn't have known what you were talking about.

TARs stink, too. I remember going with Daddy to buy a new TAR at the Sears a couple of times. Those TARs were stacked up all over the place and they stank like crazy. When I go to a TAR place to get my new TARs these days, the memories of shopping with Daddy come back. After all these years, TARs still smell like TARs. I'd much prefer the smell of fried chicken to a room full of brand new TARs.

I do enjoy the memories, though. Like when Daddy got out with his sledge hammer and beat on the old TAR to get it off the rim and then had to put the new TAR on. It was hard work. He'd be sweating streams that dripped off his face and his white t-shirt (they called them wife-beaters back then) would be soaking wet.

That reminds me of some of my friends back then who misbehaved so much that their dads beat the tar out of them. I think they meant a different kind of tar.

TARs on a bicycle

TARs are used on more than just cars. We can't forget that bicycles, motorcycles, and even tricycles use TARs.

Used or damaged TARs that were past the ability to re-tread didn't end their usefulness, though. My mom convinced my dad to cut a zig zag design into the inner edge of a couple of old TARs for her. She put them in the front yard, filled them with dirt, and planted flowers in them. I'm sure it wasn't her idea originally and she'd seen them in someone else's yard first, but they were rather pretty. I especially liked the spicy smelling petunias she planted inside.

One year she saw some painted white TARs in somebody's yard over in Corbin, KY and decided to paint hers, too. It did freshen up the old black TAR look a bit.

TAR Swing

Old TARs are often used to entertain the kids, too. All you have to do is tie a rope through one and then hang it over the limb of a big tree. That TAR swing gave us hours of fun.

Sometimes I wonder if I went into a TAR store here in Atlanta and asked for some new TARs for my car if they would know what I meant. I might try it if I need some amusement one day.

Do you remember TARs on your car? Do you still call them TARs today? Do people know what in the world you're talking about? Did your family have a unique use for old TARs? I'd love to hear about it.

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Appalachian Word of the Week - TAR (Click to tweet)

Do you have TARs on your cars? (Click to tweet)