Pronounced: AH-ah, noun
Notes: This is a word you either know or don’t know
Yesterday’s phrase
The phrase golden handcuffs are “special benefits offered to an employee an an inducement to continue service”
First usage
Our phrase came into English in the 1970s
Background / Comments
I have heard of a “golden parachute”, which refers to a very generous severance package, given to executives if they are let go before they choose to leave – usually because of a corporate merger or takeover. I have also heard the phrase “golden handshake”, which I thought was just an expression used for retirement, but apparently it is a tempting severance package to get people to retire early. However, our word is new to me, and is the opposite of a “golden handshake”, from which our word is derived.
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 