rubber room
n.— «He cites the process in New York city, where the best they can do with teachers that are incompetent, violent or sex offenders is to put them in what is called a “rubber room,” a segregated space where they do no work all day while still getting full pay because the process for dismissal takes years.» —“Do not believe everything that you’re told” by John Christie Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Maine) July 2, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Sigrin writes from Albany, New York, that she misheard our earlier conversation about the expression shaving yak hair meaning “performing a monotonous, tedious task.” At first she thought we said shaving gnat hair, which she figures is...
Chris from Kittery, Maine, wonders about the colloquial expression no sirree, Bob! or yes sirree, Bob!, which is an emphatic way of saying “definitely not!” or “no way!” The sirree (sometimes spelled with one r, as siree) in...