rubber room
n.— «Deatherage, a 31-year railroad veteran, and two other Burlington-Northern employees are paid for their time in what they call the “rubber room.” The firm calls it an alternative work location. The three have been reporting to work in the 2.5 by 3-metre room (8 by 10 feet) at the El Bandera motel in Yakima since Oct. 13, when Burlington-Northern sold a division that employed them as clerks.» —“Railway clerks get $100 a day to do nothing” Toronto Star (Canada) Dec. 3, 1986. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The words tough, through, and dough all end in O-U-G-H. So why don’t they rhyme? A lively new book addresses the many quirks of English by explaining the history of words and phrases. And: have you ever been in a situation where a group makes...
There was a time when William Shakespeare was just another little seven-year-old in school. Classes in his day were demanding — and all in Latin. A new book argues that this rigorous curriculum actually nurtured the creativity that later flourished...