hair on it
v. phr.— «TOO HAIRY. Perhaps the biggest potential woe in a WorldCom asset deal: A new owner would still be liable for any fines levied by the government. And a large fine or indictment of senior management or the company as a whole could quickly sink WorldCom’s prospects. That’s what happened at Arthur Andersen, where customers bailed out when the government sued. Says one Bell executive: “WorldCom has too much hair on it right now.”» —“WorldCom: Take My Assets, Please” by Charles Haddad, Heather Timmons BusinessWeek July 23, 2002. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A flashlight emits a steady beam of light. So what’s the flash part of that word about? Also, if you’re a nervous Nellie, you’re skittish and indecisive—both characteristics of an American politician who earned that nickname in the...
Sigrin writes from Albany, New York, that she misheard our earlier conversation about the expression shaving yak hair meaning “performing a monotonous, tedious task.” At first she thought we said shaving gnat hair, which she figures is...