dear hive mind,
where’s the difference between :
[ul]
[li]something that is eponymous and a double entendre
[/li][li]a segue and a jumping off point
[/li][*]wall street companies that are doling out obscene bonuses to its’ staff vis-a-vis wall street companies that are cutting bonuese but increasing basic pay[/ul]
[/li]
Eponymous means something is named after someone (or something else). A double entendre is a word or phrase that could have another meaning, usually (but not always) something dirty. See IYKWIM. 
[li]a segue and a jumping off point[/li]
A segue is a transition between different topics by means an intermediate concept somehow related to both. A jumping-off point is a good beginning.
[li]wall street companies that are doling out obscene bonuses to its’ staff vis-a-vis wall street companies that are cutting bonuese but increasing basic pay[/ul][/li]
Bonuses are never guaranteed. You might make more money as a general rule, but if the bonuses are rescinded for some reason, that pay increase disappears. Basic pay increases may represent lower income year-by-year, but they’re more or less a certainty, as opposed to relying on a bonus that may never come.
The trick is that bonuses were contractually guaranteed by Wall Street firms. I think the idea was to encourage retention (you have to stick around to collect the bonus.)
Badgerspoon,
you rock!
And some of the bonuses were mandated by an act of Congress. i.e. AIG’s
Isn’t AIG a dutch company?
See ya, Steve! heheheh…