self-licking ice cream cone
n.— «The “self-licking ice cream cone” that is the Congress of the United States prevents the closure of redundant factories and is satisfied by minor reforms, such as procuring a few items “off the shelf.”» —by Stephen B. Wickman in National War College The Emotional Base Of America’s Military-Industrial Complex (Washington, D.C.) Apr. 24, 2003. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Asthenosphere, a geologist’s term for the molten layer beneath the earth’s crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way from ancient Greece to the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Plus: What the heck is a dogberg? It’s when...
Some TV commercials launch catchphrases that stick around long after the original ads. The exclamation Good stuff, Maynard! is still a compliment almost 40 years after it was used in a commercial for Malt-O-Meal hot cereal. And: what do you call...