Words of today, 10 September 2005

Windfall

Sudden, unexpected profit caused by events not controlled by the beneficial person or company. For example, oil companies and their shareholders in the 1970s earned windfall profits because of oil prices increases.www.millennium-traders.com/Glossary/w.htm

Bonanza

the discovery of an exceptionally rich vein of gold or silver.members.tripod.com/~mr_sedivy/colorado41.html


Cronyism

favoritism shown to friends and associates (as by appointing them to positions without regard for their qualifications) www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn2.1

Down Payment

A sum of money put down to buy a house, car, or other large item. This is a portion of the purchase price which is generally required by the seller to be paid in cash upfront.
www.beneficial.com/learn/Glossary.jst

Red Tape

the pinkish-red tape that surrounded nearly all English and French legal documents that were also sealed with wax and stamped with an official government seal. Hence, to read these documents a person had to get through the red tape by breaking the wax seal and sliding off the tape.
pbsvideodb.pbs.org/resources/liberty/primary/gloss.html

Hobble

limp: walk impeded by some physical limitation or injury; "The old woman hobbles down to the store every day"
www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn2.1