The capital that earns a variable return--the equity, the common stock--is taxed twice.

FORBES: How The Government Subsidizes Leveraged Takeovers

Five-speed automatics and six-speed manuals are common, and there's the new fuel-saving, infinitely variable transmission.

FORBES: Falling in love

Today its most common usage is in the workplace where it refers to such things as flexi-time, variable hours and extended periods of leave.

ECONOMIST: Idea: Flexibility | The