Dictionary definition of “graveyard spiral”

graveyard spiral

n. originally, an inescapable winding descent of an airplane that leads to a crash; (hence), the rapid decline or devaluation of something, such as a career, a company, etc. Subjects: English, Aviation, Slang

Editorial Note: Synonyms are dead man’s spiral and the far more common death spiral.

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Citations: 1949 Lloyd Norman Chicago Daily Tribune (Sept. 17) “’Chutes 6 Miles And Lives” p. 1: He told naval authorities that while he was over Cherry Point in thick clouds at 40,000 feet the Banshee suddenly went out of control and nosed into a “graveyard spiral,” a downward banking motion at increasing speed. 1986 John Bussey Wall Street Journal (Oct. 23) “Consumers Power’s Plan Is Approved For Gas-Fired Project at Midland Plant”: You’re talking here about the possibility of a graveyard spiral: increasing rates forcing reductions in purchases.…If the commission today freed the company to go forward with the Midland project, it may have freed the company to commit economic suicide. 1989 Patrick Taggart Austin American-Statesman (Texas) (Feb. 12) “Affable Reynolds stays afloat in a sea of miserable movies” p. 4: Smokey, a goofball, silly but friendly car-chase comedy, became a runaway hit and locked Reynolds into a series of road-race films that put his film career into a graveyard spiral. 1990 [Ronald J. Wanttaja] Usenet: rec.aviation (Jan. 22) “Re: American Aviation!”: I don’t remember ever hearing of a single crash due to an accidental, *recoverable* spin. Pilots get killed in graveyard spirals…but they aren’t spins, and the root cause is not the airplane. 1998 [Antonius Pius] Usenet: comp.software-eng (Nov. 24) “Re: AOL buying Netscape”: t looks to me like AOL has just paid $4.21B for a company that has yet to make money. (AOL, did you check NSCP’s P/E ratio?) and was in a Graveyard Spiral. 2006 Phil Marques PezCycling (June 29) “PEZ Profiles: ’Toona’s Rick Geist”: While practicing takeoffs and landings in a new ultralight he intended to purchase, Geist crashed in Edenton, North Carolina. His ultralight stalled and corkscrewed into the ground. It’s what pilots refer to as a graveyard spiral.

Posted 11 Jul 06 | Permalink | Tell a Friend