paper water
n.— «because DWR has historically been unable to deliver a substantial portion of the promised amount, this leaves the purchaser, often a municipal water district, holding a large amount of what is known as “paper water.” Paper water only exists on paper—in the contracts—and cannot be delivered.» —“C-WIN Demands Reduced Delta Pumping as answer to Delta Eco-Crash” by California Water Impact Network YubaNet.com June 4, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The edge of the Grand Canyon. A remote mountaintop. A medieval cathedral. Some places are so mystical you feel like you’re close to another dimension of space and time. There’s a term for such locales: thin places. And: did you ever go...
If someone urges you to spill the tea, they probably don’t want you tipping over a hot beverage. Originally, the tea here was the letter T, as in “truth.” To spill the T means to “pass along truthful information.” Plus...