Stephen Girard job
n.— «Years ago in Philadelphia they had what was known as a Stephen Girard job. During some previous hard times this philanthropist fenced in vacant ground, and anyone in need came in, carried bricks from one side to the other, and when the bricks were all stacked on one side, the reverse happened. When the men went home at night they received their pay.» —“Useless Work” by John Frier in St. Louis, Missouri Chicago Tribune Sept. 2, 1969. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Ben calls from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to say that he and his wife, who is from Germany, were taking a leisurely stroll at Valley Forge. They ended up leaving one of the trails and taking a diagonal route across a field and agreed that in...
Wendy from Charlotte, North Carolina, was baffled when a co-worker asked, Are you ready to race for pinks? The phrase racing for pinks refers to participating in car races where the winner gets ownership of a car, the pinks referring to the pink...