casting couch

Noun

casting couch (plural casting couches)

1. (euphemistic) The now illegal practice of soliciting sexual favors from a job applicant in exchange for employment, particularly in the entertainment industry.
   • ...when a writing test at a radio station turned into the casting-couch routine. She was typing a piece of copy when she realized the station manager had locked the door and was caressing her shoulders.1978 June, Caryl Rivers, “Sexual Harassment: The executive's alternative to rape”, in Mother Jones Magazine, volume 3, number 5, page 22
   • What the term "casting couch" hints at is that roles or jobs are given in exchange for sexual favors.1982, Martin A. David, The dancer's audition book, page 111
2. (slang) An actual couch or sofa used for this practice.
   • There was a wide damask covered divan in a shadowy corner, like a casting couch.1940, Raymond Chandler, chapter 8, in Farewell, My Lovely