take a haircut
v. phr.— «D’Amico “did one dastardly deed, and now he is missing in action and won’t talk to anybody,” the major-label financial executive says. “There hasn’t even been an ‘ask’ yet.” By that, he means Tower has not requested an extension to make payments or for suppliers to “take a haircut”—music-industry parlance for partially forgiving money owed.» —“Tower Headed For Chapter 11″ by Ed Christman Book Standard Aug. 11, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A librarian opens a book and finds a mysterious invitation scribbled on the back of a business card. Another discovers a child’s letter to the Tooth Fairy, tucked into a book decades ago. What stories are left untold by these forgotten...
If you speak a second or third language, you may remember the first time you dreamed in that new tongue. But does this milestone mean you’re actually fluent? And a couple’s dispute over the word regret: Say you wish you’d been able...