tarpits
Natural fossil preservers
Tarpits are natural pools of thick, sticky asphalt that have trapped animals for millennia—the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles famously preserved prehistoric creatures.
Figuratively, a tarpit is anything that ensnares and holds fast: The project became a tarpit that consumed resources for years.
In computing, a tarpit is a server deliberately slowed to trap and waste the time of spammers or attackers.
Preserved ancient organism traces
- megafaunaSpecies over 44 kilograms
- PleistoceneAncient glacial geological period
- mastodonExtinct elephantine Pleistocene mammal
- saber-toothed catExtinct long-fanged felid
dire wolf · mammoth · ground sloth · bones · preservation · extinction · excavation · specimens
Soft, wet ground
- morassSwampy, confusing situation
- trapDevice for catching animals
- entanglementState of being intertwined
- inescapableImpossible to avoid
stuck · bogged down · sinkhole · pitfall · snare · legacy code · technical debt · complexity
Petroleum-based paving material
- bitumenViscous hydrocarbon mixture
- seepageSlow fluid escape
- petroleumNatural underground hydrocarbon liquid
- hydrocarbonsCarbon-hydrogen organic compounds
pitch · La Brea · viscous · deposits · sediment · natural asphalt · crude oil · sulfur
Unable to escape
- miredStuck in difficulty
- stuckUnable to move
- sinkingFalling through water
- strugglingExperiencing serious difficulty
engulfed · inescapable · quicksand · death trap · lure · entangled · immobilized · preserved
Organic remains becoming mineral
- bonesRigid internal support structure
- soft tissueNon-rigid body structures
- furAnimal body hair
- feathersBird's lightweight covering
insects · plants · pollen · seeds · anoxic · organic material · ancient DNA · collagen
fossils
Preserved ancient organism traces
- megafaunaSpecies over 44 kilograms
- PleistoceneAncient glacial geological period
- mastodonExtinct elephantine Pleistocene mammal
saber-toothed cat · dire wolf · mammoth · ground sloth · bones · preservation · extinction · excavation · specimens · articulated
quagmire
Soft, wet ground
- morassSwampy, confusing situation
- trapDevice for catching animals
- entanglementState of being intertwined
inescapable · stuck · bogged down · sinkhole · pitfall · snare · legacy code · technical debt · complexity · abandoned project
asphalt
Petroleum-based paving material
- bitumenViscous hydrocarbon mixture
- seepageSlow fluid escape
- petroleumNatural underground hydrocarbon liquid
hydrocarbons · pitch · La Brea · viscous · deposits · sediment · natural asphalt · crude oil · sulfur · methane
trapped
Unable to escape
struggling · engulfed · inescapable · quicksand · death trap · lure · entangled · immobilized · preserved · suction
fossilization
Organic remains becoming mineral
- bonesRigid internal support structure
- soft tissueNon-rigid body structures
- furAnimal body hair
feathers · insects · plants · pollen · seeds · anoxic · organic material · ancient DNA · collagen · protein
tarpitsopen road
Unobstructed route ahead
clear path · freedom · escape route · open terrain · slippery slope
tarpitsice rink
Frozen surface for skating
firm ground · frozen lake · polished marble · slick surface · Teflon
tarpitsclean slate
Record wiped clear
smooth sailing · fast track · streamlined process · well-oiled machine · momentum