tail cost
n.— «That was not counting so-called tail costs, such as caring for veterans and replacing lost equipment, which the Iraq Study Group said “will run into the hundreds of billions of dollars.”» —“The Iraq war has cost each of us $1,333—so far” by Bill Glauber Journal-Sentinel (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) Feb. 6, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
As we’ve previously discussed, firefighters don and dofftheir equipment, terms deriving from do on and do off. They are also said to dout a fire, meaning they “extinguish” it, dout being a similar shortening of do out. This is part...
After our discussion about nieflings and niblings and other collective nouns for “nieces and nephews,” an Eau Claire, Wisconsin, listener offers kindlings, suggesting new beginnings and warmth. This is part of a complete episode.
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