white horse
n.— «I was enlisted for NS in 1994. My platoon mates and I were at first unaware that there was a “white horse” among us. Therefore, we were generally surprised with the “special privileges” accorded to us that ranged from more frequent canteen breaks, later wake-up hours and sometimes better food servings. It was only till the passing-out parade (for recruits) that the truth dawned on us. One of our platoon mate, who did not stand out in any way, be it in physical tests, shooting skills or leadership qualities, was named the company’s best recruit instead of other more worthy ones. The puzzle was quickly solved when it was known that the “white horse’s” influential father is the guest-of-honour for our batch’s passing-out-parade.» —“White Horse Issue” by Dawei Yan Workers’ Party of Singapore Nov. 17, 2003. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
If someone’s got melon, it means they’re smart. The expression most likely arose because of the resemblance between a melon and a human head. Several other foods are associated with having brains, including a cabbage, a gourd, and even a...
Quiz Guy John Chaneski serves up a Common Bonds puzzle, in which the object is to guess the common idea in each of three things. For example, what’s the one word that connects a grade on a report card, USDA inspected beef, and an incline? This...