hall walker
n.— «The departure of Adm. William J. (“Fox”) Fallon gives us a rare insight into a secret world of relationships between the highest-ranking general officers and their civilian masters.…Eventually, in the words of one Pentagon official, Fallon became what is called a “hall walker,” with less and less responsibility and little to do.» —“Petraeus Wins in Iraq Battle, Kills Iran War” by William M. Arkin Washington Post: Earl Warning Mar. 13, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Cynthia in Austin, Texas, grew up hearing her father say, No soldiering! when the kids weren’t pulling their weight in the kitchen. She was recently reminded of his admonition when she saw a bumper sticker that read no sojering. Both soldiering and...
Tommy in Lexington, Kentucky, reports that when he was serving in the U.S. military in Vietnam he heard the expression Mox nix, meaning “I don’t care” or “It doesn’t matter.” It’s a version of a German es Macht nichts, or “It’s nothing.” This is...