breakage
n.— «Breakage is even more insidious. Breakage is the downward rounding of the odds on the tote board, and consequently the amount paid on winning bets. A horse who may be 5.8-1 will be rounded down to 5-1, a significant reduction. There is no way to tell ahead of time how breakage will affect your bet, but it is more pronounced for favorites than longshots and over time will take another percent or so from your winning bets.» —“An Allegory” by Kevin Depew Minyanville (New York City) May 4, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Astronauts returning from space say they experience what’s called the overview effect, a new understanding of the fragility of our planet and our need to reflect on what humans all share as a species. A book about the end of the universe...
Amid court-ordered busing in the 1970s, a middle-school teacher tried to distract her nervous students on the first day of class with this strange assignment: find a monarch caterpillar. The result? A memorable lesson in the miracle of metamorphosis...