happy hello
n.— «A new phrase is doing the rounds in the recruitment industry—the happy hello. The phrase has been coined for the joining bonuses that companies are offering to coax the best employees into their fold. Such incentives are particularly prevalent in SA’s financial-services sector, which is being hit badly by a shortage of highly skilled professionals.» —“South Africa: Win the Best Staff With a Happy Hello” Business Day (Johannesburg, South Africa) May 30, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Ash in Huntsville, Alabama, wonders about the phrase all stove up, which is how his body feels after a long day’s work. It comes from the expression to stave in, meaning “to smash in,” as when something smashes in the staves of a barrel. This...
Sam in St. Charles, Illinois, says that when he mentioned a big old water tower nearby, his mother corrected him, saying the water tower wasn’t old, it was new. Can’t you use big old or big ol’ in that way? Of course you can! The...