rice bowl n. in the military, a jealously protected program, project, department, or budget; a fiefdom. Etymological Note: Perhaps related to the Chinese concept of the rice bowl as a metaphor for the basic elements required to live, as seen, for example, in the iron rice bowl, employment that is guaranteed for life. (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...
Why is an exciting event called a barnburner? A real barn on fire can be a spectacular sight, with so many combustible materials inside. Metaphorically, then, a barnburner is a “humdinger” or a “doozy.” There’s also a...
Please add law enforcement “speed/etc traps” to “Rice Bowls”.
It is an often used description for motor vehicle traffic zones that have questionable/not obvious restrictions on motor vehicles and motorists.
They appear to have more to do with fund raising than safety.
I’ve read that at least one community, on a state highway between two larger cities, abused motorists to the extent that a state law was passed to limit their income from traffic related fines to a certain percentage of their operating budget.
Examples:
– Highway #41 in North Ft. Meyers, FL.
– Anywhere in Pantego, or Dalworthington Gardens, TX
Anotherpossible origin of this metaphor – See “Sand Pebbles”; as When Holman refuses unnecessary services he could provide himself- e.g. a shave and is is rebuked with
Hey don’t take away his rice bowl.