sticky floors
Shoes slightly resisting
Sticky floors refers to barriers that keep people—especially women and minorities—trapped in low-wage, entry-level positions, unable to advance.
The metaphor complements the glass ceiling: while ceilings block advancement near the top, sticky floors prevent movement from the bottom.
Lack of childcare and inflexible scheduling create sticky floors for working mothers.
The literal sense describes floors tacky with spilled drinks or grime, characteristic of dive bars and movie theaters.
- tackyVulgar or slightly sticky
- gummySticky and soft
- residueMatter left behind
- spilled drinkBeverage tipped over accidentally
- spilledAccidentally released liquid
beer · beer pong · soda · fruit juice · nightclub · dive bar · mop · mop bucket · grimy · cinema · syrup · bar · movie theater · squelch · grime · dirty · unwashed · mess
- old movie theatersmall screen, ticket booth
- movie theaterscineplex, AMC, screens, auditoriums, lobby
- barscocktail bar, gold bar, silver bar, bartender, bar stools
sticky floorsmarble floors
Flooring of polished stone
fine dining · VIP lounge · boutique hotel · velvet ropes · champagne bar
sticky floorsglass ceiling
Unacknowledged limit blocking advancement
sticky, floor, stick, sticks, stuck, sticking, stickiness, stickier, stickiest