What is a dog-and-pony show? This disparaging term goes back to the 1920s, when actual dog and pony shows competed with far more elaborate circuses. Many times the dog-and-pony offerings served as a front to hoochie-coochie shows or tents serving...
dark derivative n.— «In his testimony, Greenspan recommended to Congress that regulation of Over-The-Counter (OTC) derivatives between private parties was not necessary. These derivatives are referred to as “dark derivatives” as they take place...
midnight rule making n.— «Anticipating an end-of-administration rush to churn out hundreds of regulations—a practice known as “midnight rule making”—the White House counseled agencies to restrain themselves. “We need to continue [our] principled...
cog n.— «The drugs, known as “cognition enhancers” could improve brain performance in a number of ways, from sharpening short-term memory and increasing speed of thought. The Academy of Medical Sciences has already advised ministers that the use of...
crowd out n.— «Throwing a wrench in Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s plan are new Bush guidelines that require children be without private insurance for at least a year before being provided SCHIP coverage. The regulations are aimed largely at preventing...
top hat plan n.— «Supplemental executive retirement plans (SERPs), or “top hat” plans as they are often referred to, were created decades ago to get around a government cap in pension payouts that affects managers earning more than $100,000 per...