back-log
(ˈbækˈlɒg)
[f. back a.]
a. A large log placed at the back of the fire.
| 1684 I. Mather Illustr. Provid. v. 115 The spit..came down with the point foremost, and stuck in the back-log. 1829 J. MacTaggart Three Years in Canada I. 52 A..blazing fire with a maple back log. 1882 Howells in Longm. Mag. I. 49 A back-log big enough to smoulder..for days. 1883 E. C. Rollins New Eng. Bygones 63 Brightened by a roaring backlog. 1895 H. L. Twisleton Poems 28 The back-log's yellow light. 1900 H. Lawson On Track 7 A fresh back-log thrown behind the fire. 1901 N.Z. Illustr. Mag. IV. 596 He cut up a lot of maire backlogs. |
b. fig. Something in reserve, reserves, an accumulation.
| 1883 Wheelman I. 294 The back-log of raw eggs and milk beginning to take effect, the pace was improved. 1952 J. Steinbeck East of Eden 63 If one is accused of a lie and it turns out to be the truth, there is a backlog that will last a long time and protect a number of untruths. 1953 Encounter Oct. 55/2 This backlog of goodwill produced by a century of free immigration. |
c. Arrears of unfulfilled orders, etc.
| 1932 Sun (Baltimore) 9 Feb. 16/5 From April through December..there was a steady decrease [in the number of unfulfilled orders] and the backlog at the year-end was the smallest in 21 years. 1947 Times 30 Apr. 2/1 It is argued that the prospects of making up this back-log of 500,000 cars cannot be considered good. 1954 Economist 25 Dec. 1079/1 The backlog of unfilled orders on manufacturers' books is growing at last. 1958 Listener 2 Jan. 19/2 Court cases of which there was a considerable back-log. |