gravy plane trip
n.— «O’Mahoney opposed the flight pay amendment. Senator Douglas (D-Ill) who sponsored the amendment, declared it was aimed at removing “gravy plane trips” for airmen who go up only for the bonus pay and would save 100 million dollars a year. » —Galveston News (Texas) Sept. 14, 1951. (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...