Fringe benefits

Posted by R. Berg on July 26, 2007

In Reply to: Fringe benefits posted by Karla DeTienne on July 25, 2007

: Where did the term Fringe Benefits come from?

By extension from the use of (literal) fringe as an edging to fabric. "Fringe benefits" comes from a visual metaphor in which the fringe is the outer edge of something. If your salary is the central part of your compensation, all the extras such as sick pay, vacation pay, and health insurance form the fringe. ~rb