waterbed effect
n.— «The larger chains can extract more favourable conditions from suppliers than other types of retailer can. They are able to do this because of their market shares and integrated supply chains. The result of these practices can be what is known as the “waterbed effect,” when suppliers raise prices for other buyers (including independent shops) as a knock-on effect.» —“Tesco could be built in Farnworth” by Amanda Smith Bolton News (Lancashire, United Kingdom) Mar. 31, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when people disagreed over the best word to use when answering the phone. Alexander Graham Bell suggested answering with ahoy! but Thomas Edison was partial to hello! A fascinating new book about...
“What has a head like a cat, feet like a cat, a tail like a cat, but isn’t a cat?” Answer: a kitten! A 1948 children’s joke book has lots of these to share with kids. Plus: an easy explanation for the difference between...