Many years a lifetime ago, when I was teaching third grade, we had a bizarre story from folklore in the reading book that has stuck with me. The story is called The Yellow Ribbon. When the occasion arises to describe why something is in an unusual place, or being used in an unusual manner, I might be heard referring to it as a yellow ribbon!
Here's an example:
When we moved onto our "Hacienda" my husband sought out a used utility vehicle and found this John Deere Gator. It is a rattle-trap, but it goes like a bat out of....well, you know! The key to turn it on is broken fork, or just about any other narrow flat object, like a screwdriver. It isn't picky!
Do you see the vise-grip wrench on the gas pedal?
It seems to be an unusual place to find a wrench, so I asked my husband why it was there. He shrugged his shoulders and simply said that it came that way.
It's our "yellow ribbon"!
Who knows what might happen if it is removed!
