ghost soldier
n.— «The phrase “ghost soldiers” has a negative connotation in Army parlance—a reference to the administrative practice of filling units with names on paper, but not actual able-bodied soldiers.» —“Troops bask in Bush’s praise” by Michael Gilbert News Tribune (Tacoma, Wash.) June 19, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The proverb when in Rome, do as the Romans do suggests one should respect local customs and traditions, but also more generally that sometimes it’s better to go along with a group’s consensus than resist and make a fuss. But why in Rome and not in...
What does a printed period look like under a microscope? In 1665, English scientist Robert Hooke answered that question in his book Micrographia (Bookshop\|Amazon), a bestseller that showed the unseen world. Hooke had trained as an artist, and his...