stained-glass ceiling n. a barrier to the advancement of women within the hierarchy of a church. Etymological Note: This is a specific form of “glass ceiling,” which is the barrier to advancement of women in any profession. A related term is marble ceiling, which applies to the same situation in politics. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
What’s up with ketchup? The shifting history and spelling of the name of this condiment. For centuries, ketchup was a fishy sauce originating in Asia—the tomatoes came only later! Plus, a new book shows what’s lost when a language dies: when there...
Amy from Charlotte, North Carolina, reports a dispute arose when visiting her brother’s family. Is a large container for storing sugar properly called a can or a canister? The answer involves prototype theory, which in cognitive linguistics and...