# What do these terms mean: Swap-fly and Durabase-flooring?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-terms-mean-swap-fly-and-durabase-flooring/742913>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 12, 2016, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-terms-mean-swap-fly-and-durabase-flooring/742913 "2016-01-12T09:48:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-terms-mean-swap-fly-and-durabase-flooring/742913/1 "2016-01-12T09:48:06Z")

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Hi

I’ve looked high and low for definitions for these terms but found nothing concrete. I look forward to your feedback.

> **[A Preview of What's to Come: The Story of an Alaskan Village That Will Soon...](https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/08/alaska-village-climate-change/402604/)**
>
> Residents of Newtok voted to relocate as erosion destroyed their land. But moving has been almost impossible.

Swap-fly  
“Newtok had to hire a lobbyist to prod Congress for eight years to get title to the land, Bronen said, and in exchange they offered to relent their claim to their current land and allow the government to turn it into a wildlife refuge. This shouldn’t have been a difficult swap—fly over Mertarvik or Newtok by plane, and all you can see is vast stretches of land and water with no development (or trees) whatsoever. The trade was finally approved in 2003.”

“Durabase-flooring”  
“There’s a half-completed evacuation center next to piles of pipes and Dura-base flooring.”

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**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-terms-mean-swap-fly-and-durabase-flooring/742913/2 "2016-01-12T09:57:20Z")

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Swap-fly is not meant as a word or phrase. Read the sentence as “… have been a difficult swap. Fly over…”

Dunno about Dura-base flooring. Perhaps a brand name.

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**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-terms-mean-swap-fly-and-durabase-flooring/742913/3 "2016-01-12T10:14:00Z")

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> [@steatopygia](#):
>
> Swap-fly is not meant as a word or phrase. Read the sentence as “… have been a difficult swap. Fly over…”
> 
> Dunno about Dura-base flooring. Perhaps a brand name.

Yes you’re right steatopygia. Thanks for that.

I’ve seen Durabase (DURABASE ® Shower Floors) online. So it looks like a brand name.

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**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-terms-mean-swap-fly-and-durabase-flooring/742913/4 "2016-01-12T12:28:33Z")

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> [@davidmich](#):
>
> “There’s a half-completed evacuation center next to piles of pipes and Dura-base flooring.”

Durabase used to work (eg drill for oil,gas ) in the soft soil area without turning it into a waist deep mud pool.

> **[DURA-BASE® Advanced Composite Mats & Matting Systems | Newpark Resources...](https://www.newpark.com/durabase-mats/)**
>
> DURA-BASE is Newpark Mats & Integrated Services' flagship advanced composite mat system, which provides a safe, cost-effective surface for year-round, all-weather performance. Contact us today!

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**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-these-terms-mean-swap-fly-and-durabase-flooring/742913/5 "2016-01-12T23:44:31Z")

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> [@Isilder](#):
>
> Durabase used to work (eg drill for oil,gas ) in the soft soil area without turning it into a waist deep mud pool.  
> [DURA-BASE® Advanced Composite Mats & Matting Systems | Newpark Resources Inc.](http://www.newpark.com/capabilities/mats-and-integrated-services/dura-base-mats-1/dura-base-mats-overview)

Thanks Isilder. So its a type of thermoplastic surface. I had never heard of it.