flag drop
n.— «The rate increase is the first since 2005, and the second since the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) assumed regulatory authority of local taxis that same year. Though the initial fare, commonly called the “flag drop,” will effectively stay the same at $2.70.» —“Taxi Fares Will Increase In June” by Dan Hirschorn The Bulletin (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Feb. 26, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
We use the term Milky Way for that glowing arc across the sky. But how people picture it varies from culture to culture. In Sweden, that starry band goes by a name that means “Winter Street,” and in Hawaii, a term for the Milky Way...
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...