graveyard spiral
n.— «You’re talking here about the possibility of a graveyard spiral: increasing rates forcing reductions in purchases.…If the commission today freed the company to go forward with the Midland project, it may have freed the company to commit economic suicide.» —“Consumers Power’s Plan Is Approved For Gas-Fired Project at Midland Plant” by John Bussey Wall Street Journal Oct. 23, 1986. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In 1916, a small-town newspaper in Pennsylvania printed a fanciful item about a local gathering with a guest list that included, among others, Miss Ella Vader, Mr. Ray Zor, and other punny names. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
A Havertown, Pennsylvania, listener wonders why her mother used to answer queries about how she was doing with phrase that sounded like either fair to midland or fair to middling. Middling has long meant “just OK” or “right in the middle,” and the...