iron rice bowl

English

Etymology

Calque of Chinese 鐵飯碗／铁饭碗 (tiěfànwǎn), from 鐵／铁 (tiě, “iron”) + 飯碗／饭碗 (fànwǎn, “rice bowl”).

Noun

iron rice bowl (plural iron rice bowls)

  1. A guaranteed state job in China that lasts until retirement and pays a pension until death.
    (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)

Further reading
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