Commitment to the company's existing technology, product line, distribution system or customer base becomes a sacred cow.

FORBES

"A sacred cow is going to get slaughtered, it's just a question of which one, " says one senior Whitehall source about the coming welfare cuts.

BBC: Budget 'sacred cows�� under threat in welfare row

Republicans are the first to sacrifice a sacred cow.

FORBES: Boehner's Millionaire Tax Hikes Move Us Closer To A Fiscal Cliff Deal

The new law is a success for Carla del Ponte, Switzerland's federal prosecutor, who rails against the banks' sacred-cow status.

ECONOMIST: Private banking