Gravy boat

Not only have suggestions for their elimination evoked a great hue and cry of protest, but other pressure groups are plugging diligently in an effort to get aboard the "gravy boat."

Everybody had climbed aboard the "gravy boat”—except the landlord; and he wanted to get in, too.

Through drawing attention to that, many organisations which had never previously put in an application for assistance had tried to get on the gravy boat.

This herd behavior in not wanting to miss the gravy boat led to a collective lowering of standards that ended with the 2008 financial implosion.