folly

noun

Etymology: Uncertain. The most common theory is that term primarily denotes a clump of trees and relates to French feuille, feuillée and English foliage; it has also been suggested that it refers to some perceived connection or resemblance of the named place to an architectural folly, but many places so named have no architectural follies and cannot be named directly for them.

1. A clump of trees, particularly one on the crest of a hill (or sometimes on a stretch of open ground).

   “'Every hill seems to have a Folly' [...] 'I mean a clump of trees on the top.'”

   “Folly Beach, the next island to the south (batik 3.7), bears the name given it by mariners, who looked for the island's tree-crested dune ridge, a volley or folly of trees, as a navigation guide [...] Probably a lot of East Coast islands bore the temporary name of Folly Beach.”

verb

1. To follow.

   “"You got any money?" he said to me. ¶ "Hell no, maybe enough for a pint of whisky till I get to Denver. What about you?" ¶ "I know where I can get some." ¶ "Where?" "Anywhere. You can always folly a man down an alley, can't you?"”

   “"Anybody got the makin's?" he said. "That's one hell of a thick bunch of canvas, but I follied the seam."”