happy hello
n.— «A new phrase is doing the rounds in the recruitment industry—the happy hello. The phrase has been coined for the joining bonuses that companies are offering to coax the best employees into their fold. Such incentives are particularly prevalent in SA’s financial-services sector, which is being hit badly by a shortage of highly skilled professionals.» —“South Africa: Win the Best Staff With a Happy Hello” Business Day (Johannesburg, South Africa) May 30, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Jim in Columbia, South Carolina, has noticed sportscasters’ use of the phrase on the season with reference to a period of time. This construction shows up in the sports pages as early as the 1880s, first referring to a team’s revenue and...
The slang phrase someone ate and left no crumbs means the person did something really well. In a previous call, a listener who works in theater noted the use of ate to mean “did something well,” as in they really ate that haircut! This...