dead rubber
n.— «In Davis Cup parlance, it’s called a “dead rubber,” which has nothing to do with the soles of the players’ sneakers. Andy Roddick having spanked Razvan Sabau in straight sets, giving the Americans an insurmountable 3-1 lead yesterday, there was still one meaningless match to play on a sun-splashed afternoon at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club.» —“Last match meaning is in eyes of beholders” by Don Norcross San Diego Union-Tribune (California) Feb. 13, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The words tough, through, and dough all end in O-U-G-H. So why don’t they rhyme? A lively new book addresses the many quirks of English by explaining the history of words and phrases. And: have you ever been in a situation where a group makes...
When there’s no evening meal planned at home, what do you call that scramble to cobble together your own dinner? Some people apply acronyms like YOYO — “you’re on your own” — or CORN, for “Clean Out your Refrigerator...