pushing on a string
n.— «The attempt to pump money into the banking system failed, and as a result, the phrase “pushing on a string” was coined to describe the futility of inflationary policies in this environment.» —“Wisdom from Richard Russell on the Inflation/Deflation Topic” by Jay Taylor HoweStreet.com Nov. 21, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
While reading Great Expectations (Bookshop|Amazon) by Charles Dickens, a listener in Arlington, Texas, is surprised when one of the characters inherits some money, which Dickens describes as a cool four thousand. Were they really using cool that way...
The word filibuster has a long and colorful history, going back to the days when pirates roamed the high seas. Today it refers to hijacking a piece of legislation. Plus, the language of yoga teachers: When doing a guided meditation, you may hear...