FICA Tax

An modest tribute of 15.5% imposed by captains of industry on their lower echelon employees collected by garnishing wages for the improved morale of the owners of the company, typically shown in the potted fig trees (L. ficus, plural fica) and mahogany conference table (a.k.a. FICA tax tables ). Sadly the top management most deserving of this tribute had it stolen by the New Deal Social Security Act. Remnants of this practice can be witnessed in phrases such as "I don't care a fig about Johnson" followed by a knowing wink.