Ever wondered where a term or saying used in the building trades came from (or in some cases, what it actually means)? Take perlite, for example. I did some snooping around and learned that those little kernels of styrofoam insulation take their name from the Latin perlare—which means to pop, as in popcorn. Vermiculite, on the other hand, appears to come from the Latin vermiculare—to play the accordion. (I still haven't figured that one out.) So what's the point, you ask? Well, consider this a challenge. Send me any building terms and sayings from your part of the country (either modern or old-time), and I'll track down
