That, says Mr Hodges, means overall costs are usually flat or higher.

ECONOMIST: Outsourcing

The tube-shaped panels, put together on racks, capture more sunlight than flat panels, which are usually tilted in one direction.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Taxpayers usually have a choice: Either deduct a flat 51 cents per business mile (in 2011), or write off IRS-approved depreciation plus actual costs for gas, maintenance and insurance, among other things.

WSJ: Tax Report: The New Tax Breaks for Business Autos

Around the fourth day of the illness, a rash - flat red or brown blotches - may appear, usually starting on the forehead and spreading downwards.

BBC: Q&A: Measles and MMR

But: If yours is a "personal service corporation"--meaning the corporation's main output is your own work effort, for instance as consultant or pet groomer--then all your profits are taxed at a flat 35% corporate rate and you'll usually do better with a passthrough.

FORBES: Investment Guide: Self-Employment

Italian gardens usually have hillside terraces, but Suarez and Chalfin transformed the low, flat swamp into the best Italian-style garden in America, with only a small amount of fill.

WSJ: An American Renaissance Gem

Experts say flat tax models, such as the plan put forward by Mr Perry, are usually favoured by those hoping to increase efficiency and fairness in the system, while reducing complexity.

BBC: Republicans 2012: Rick Perry unveils flat tax plan

All these things usually would have been thoroughly checked and double checked before leaving the UK, but when you're flat out trying to summon up the required sponsorship (and we're still looking for a major sponsor), one has to prioritise time accordingly and I knew most hiccups would be solvable, somehow.

BBC: Explorer set for historic Arctic adventure

In the music industry, a custom studio usually refers to a recording business, built small and charging cheap, designed for aspiring artists with big dreams but flat wallets.

NPR: 'Downriver Revival': Documenting The Double U