sandbox
n.— «They call it the “Sandbox Express.” For seven weeks, crews from Andrews like this one have endured a grueling, round-the-clock schedule ferrying thousands of tons of cargo and tens of thousands of troops to bases in Saudi Arabia and nearby countries.» —“‘Sandbox’ Flights Tax Reservists” by Peter Baker Washington Post Sept. 30, 1990. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Katie in Everett, Washington, is curious about the expression If ifs and ands were pots and pans, there’d be no need for tinkers. What is a tinker? She heard this phrase on the television series The Gilded Age, in response to a character who...