Definition
Military slang for paved roads, because apparently calling them 'roads' like normal people is too straightforward. Driving on hardball is considerably more pleasant than cross-country through mud and misery.
Example Usage
Once we hit hardball, we made good time back to base instead of crawling through the desert.
Origin
Emerged in WWII, likely comparing paved surfaces to baseballs' hardness versus the soft earth of unpaved routes
Fun Fact
The term became so ubiquitous that military maps often mark paved roads as 'HB' while unpaved routes get designated as 'improved' or 'unimproved.'
Source: Military logistics and transportation slang
Related Terms
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See “hardball” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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