leave money on the table
v. phr.— «The difference between what the high bidder on a lease parcel offers and the bid of his nearest competitor is called in the industry “leaving money on the table.” Humble left the table well laden on several of its bids.» —“Record $603 Million Bid for Santa Barbara Oil Leases” by Thomas W. Bush Los Angeles Times Feb. 7, 1968. (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...