Dictionary for the recession

vivatifosi

Every year new words and phrases enter the common vocabulary of this country. Sometimes they are technical terms that become part of common parlance, sometimes they are slang terms that get adopted into wider use. Whatever the reason our language is changing.

Given the state of the economy currently, the next time the dictionaries get updated they are likely to contain a number of such words/phrases to reflect the impact of the economy on our lives. So...

What new words and expressions have you picked up since this all kicked off? This is the recession board, let's start our own dictionary. I'll kick off with a couple of contributions:

Irrational exuberance: phrase coined by Alan Greenspan in 1996 to indicate that the market appears overvalued. In the future I'll know to run a mile in the opposite direction if I sense this is happening.

Staycation: staying at home for the family holiday instead of going away, due to either poor economic conditions or high petrol/fares.

Over to you... What would you all add?

kabayiri

Inspired from 'Fred the Shred'.....

In years to come if you were to rip something to pieces and remove value from it, you would have "fredded" it.

Also, redefine 'crunch'. A 'crunch' is a loss that can't be blamed on anybody, and is therefore a perfect excuse.

When the schoolkid hands in an unreadable essay, he can then say "my work is affected by the grammar crunch Sir".

PasturesNew

cashtrated was one that I liked the sound of ... the lenders lopping off the b4lls of the over-stretched!

lana22

I am exceedingly fed up with the term "credit crunch". If I hear it one more time I shall scream.

A guy at work uses it all the time and it's driving me up the wall.
I am almost entirely certain the credit crunch hasn't affected him - he has a stable job (doctor), rents (in cheapish hospital accomodation), has no debt apart from student loan, doesn't have any savings either, and doesn't use credit in any form.

So why does he insist on talking about it all the time?
He gets out his packed lunch and goes "Credit crunch and all that....",
When talking about washing the car by hand adds "got to do what you can in a credit crunch"
When I mentioned going shopping in town he said, "better watch out love, credit crunch and everything..."
When I asked him where his tie was from because it was nice, he said "oooh, credit crunch time, it's from Tesco"
When I bought a diet coke from the machine at work and offered to buy him one he said "I can't be buying drinks now, there's a credit crunch on".
and so it goes on, all day, every day.

I have no problem whatsoever with people cutting back (in fact it's a breath of fresh air), but to justify every activity with "there's a credit crunch" is just beyond boring. I asked him how it had affected him, and he said "Ooooh it hasn't as such, but we've all got to be careful... there's a credit crunch on, don't you know...."

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Mr_E_Man_2

lana has just invented a new word - Creditin. Used to identify a cretin uneffected by credit.

kabayiri

How about....

'Recessioneering' : working out solutions to a crisis which you have personally been involved in creating.

(this one doesn't really have legs, does it...)

mewbie_2

Browned off.

lostinrates

lana22 wrote: »

I am exceedingly fed up with the term "credit crunch". If I hear it one more time I shall scream. !

Ooooops, I think I fall in that catagory, sort of.

To be fair I say it as a joke, and always with an Italian accent -sort of -crrrredit-e-crrranch-uh-...which gets some funny looks if people hear me, but DH and I say it all the time, and giggle. People probably think we are irreverant towards the credit crunch.

ETA: I also say high lights with an Italian accent. Luckily my hair dresser is Italian-Australian so gets it.

lana22

lostinrates wrote: »

Ooooops, I think I fall in that catagory, sort of.

To be fair I say it as a joke, and always with an Italian accen -crrrredit-e-crrranch-uh...which gets some funny looks if people hear me, but DH and I say it all the time, and giggle. People probably think we are irreverant towards the credit crunch.

I said it in Tesco as a joke when my boyfriend suggested buying own brand condoms instead of Durex. I said "Credit Crunch Hits the Sex Lives of Young Brits" in a bit too loud voice as if it was a newspaper headline.
An old lady behind me tutted and said "teenagers now days". I was so embarrased, but secretly pleased she thought I was a teenager!

mewbie_2

lana22 wrote: »

I said it in Tesco as a joke when my boyfriend suggested buying own brand condoms instead of Durex. I said "Credit Crunch Hits the Sex Lives of Young Brits" in a bit too loud voice as if it was a newspaper headline.
An old lady behind me tutted and said "teenagers now days". I was so embarrased, but secretly pleased she thought I was a teenager!

One of the more interesting anecdotals today. I'm working on a suitable joke.

Really2

Oooops

Also will banker in the dictionary now read.

Once a respectable occupation now more hated than estate agents.