rice bowl n. in the military, a jealously protected program, project, department, or budget; a fiefdom. Etymological Note: Perhaps related to the Chinese concept of the rice bowl as a metaphor for the basic elements required to live, as seen, for example, in the iron rice bowl, employment that is guaranteed for life. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Katie in Kalamazoo, Michigan, wonders about the expression throw the book at, meaning to “try every means possible.” Did it originally involve literally throwing books? It’s just a metaphor in which the book refers to “the...
Cat hair may be something you brush off, but cat hair is also a slang term that means “money.” In the same way, cat beer isn’t alcoholic — some people use cat beer as a joking term for “milk.” And imagine walking on a...
Please add law enforcement “speed/etc traps” to “Rice Bowls”.
It is an often used description for motor vehicle traffic zones that have questionable/not obvious restrictions on motor vehicles and motorists.
They appear to have more to do with fund raising than safety.
I’ve read that at least one community, on a state highway between two larger cities, abused motorists to the extent that a state law was passed to limit their income from traffic related fines to a certain percentage of their operating budget.
Examples:
– Highway #41 in North Ft. Meyers, FL.
– Anywhere in Pantego, or Dalworthington Gardens, TX
Anotherpossible origin of this metaphor – See “Sand Pebbles”; as When Holman refuses unnecessary services he could provide himself- e.g. a shave and is is rebuked with
Hey don’t take away his rice bowl.