mommy factor
n.— «With U.S. soldiers and Marines now serving 15-month combat tours, with casualties on the increase, and with deployments to a combat zone a virtual certainty for new soldiers, military experts blame the “Mommy Factor” for the drop in new enlistments. If we can’t blame the Army itself for this state of affairs, and apple pie won’t do, I guess Mom is it.» —“Is a Bigger Army a Better Army?” by William M. Arkin Washington Post July 10, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In 1971, when a new public library opened in Troy, Michigan, famous authors and artists were invited to write letters to the city’s youngest readers, extolling the many benefits of libraries. One of the loveliest was from E.B. White, author of...
Arthur in New Bern, North Carolina, wonders why we say something that isn’t difficult is as easy as pie when making a pie is a whole lot of work. This phrase most likely refers to the ease of eating a pie, not making one. This is part of a...