on the tarmac
adj.— «The panel found the agency was “lenient” and “ineffective” and in some cases lost track of people enrolled in the program. As many as 200 people at any given time, or 40 percent of those enrolled, are “considered to be lost from the program,” referred to as “on the tarmac,” according to the report.» —“Grand Jury: Drug program needs overhaul” by Jessica Keating Ventura County Star (California) June 22, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Unwrap the name of a candy bar, and you just might find a story inside. For instance, one chewy treat found in many a checkout lane is named after a family’s beloved horse. And: 50 years ago in the United States, some Latino elementary...
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...