take a haircut
v. phr.— «To account for the fact that the shares cannot be sold, FBR uses an accounting technique known as a “liquidity discount,” or, in the jargon of Wall Street, “taking a haircut.” Back to your house, the one with the value that increased to $300,000 from $200,000. If you decide to take out a home equity loan to pay your child’s college tuition, most lenders won’t let you borrow the full $100,000 increase in value. They’ll lend you only 80 percent of the value, which means taking a haircut of 20 percent.» —“Evaluating FBR’s Earnings: ‘Haircut’ or a Close Shave?” by Jerry Knight Washington Post Nov. 20, 2000. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The adjectives canine and feline refer to dogs and cats. But how does English address other groups of animals? Plus, cabin fever has been around much longer than the current pandemic. That restless, antsy, stir-crazy feeling goes back to the days...
The archaic English word ruelle means “the space between a bed and the wall.” It’s adapted from French ruelle meaning “a small alley or lane.” This is part of a complete episode.
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