gravy plane
n.— «The United States Postoffice Department is getting on a gravy plane come September 1.…Under the 1938 CAA Act, the Postoffice Department has to pay the airlines enough revenue to keep an air transportation system in effect, in the interest of national defense. And up until now, the department has been paying for airline space it hasn’t been using.» —“Gravy Plane Due Sept. 1 For Postoffice” Washington Post June 27, 1948. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
National Book Award winner Barry Lopez had wise advice for young writers. First, read widely and follow your curiosity. Second, travel or learn a foreign language. And third, find out what you truly believe, because if you’re not writing from...
Twice a day the River Thames recedes, revealing a muddy shoreline. Hobbyists known as mudlarks stroll the surface searching for objects that have found their way into the river over the centuries, everything from ancient Roman jewelry to modern...