︎submarine patent
n.— «A man fought with the Patent Office for 15 years while lots of different laser products were being developed. Eventually, makers of laser products were forced to pay him. “We call those “submarine patents,” Nickey said. “When he came to the surface, he made a lot of money.”» —“OSU Could Lose Out In World Of Patents” by James W. Crowley Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio) Dec. 12, 1993. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Old. Elderly. Senior. Why are we so uncomfortable when we talk about reaching a certain point in life? An 82-year-old seeks a more positive term to describe how she feels about her age. And: a linguist helps solve a famous kidnapping case, using the...
Dan, an accountant in Cincinnati, Ohio, wonders about the origin of the term bean counter. This is part of a complete episode.
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