a tract [of land] too spongily saturated to be bent to human use

Two forces jostle each other in the American Psyche: the drive to make it big in the culture of corporate skyscraperland; and the yearning to escape these cell-blocks and embrace “meaningful” existence by roaming the frontier as some kind of cowboy or new age hipster.

He didn’t realise until he’d paid for it that the car was a lemon.

Grigory hesitantly took her in his arms to kiss her, but she held him off, bent supply backwards and shot a frightened glance at the windows. 'They'll see!' 'Let them!' 'I'd be ashamed—'