Turn of a Phrase: The Slow Motion Slow Down
One of the fun things about publishing regularly is that on rare occasion, you get to coin a phrase. Publish enough and eventually one of your unique phrases will get some traction.
Folks who write regularly and have created a catch phrase include Doug Kass (Blah-flation), Jeff Saut (Ag-flation) and John Mauldin (the Muddle through Economy).
Inflation Ex Inflation is probably the best known prase I've coined, but there have been several others. The most recent was July 2007's "Retail Slumming."Perhaps one day, the Pervasive Pollyannas of Prosperity will offset the Nattering Nabobs of Negativity.
One phrase I've mentioned a lot for several years now is the "Slow Motion Slow Down." The first time I used something close was in January 2006:
"In my mind, the significance of this is that the Real Estate may slow down in a slow motion fashion also."
And then more explicitly a few days later:
"Our expectation for the slow motion slow down rests on Real Estate cooling (which its been doing since August), home construction and sales slipping, and prices slowly sliding. That may stop the Fed from tightening appreciably further (2 and through?). Mortgage rates staying below 6.5% allows Real Estate to maintain a moderate level of activity -- but one that is obviously way off its prior white hot pace."
Which brings us to today. In a NYTime's OpEd, Paul Krugman used the phrase "A Slow-Mo Meltdown." To be blunt, it doesn't have quite the alliterative pop of Slow Motion Slow Down; plus, a meltdown tends to occur rapidly, and the present meltdown has been going on for nearly a year. (Paul, feel free to borrow "Slow Motion Slow Down" -- you'll find its quite effective!)
~~~
Question: What other interesting words or phrases have crept into the finacial vernacular over the past few years? Anything specific that you particularly like or dislike?
If you can include an author and/or URL, that would be great.
What say ye?
>
Previously:
Retail Follow Up (Friday, July 13, 2007)
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2007/07/retail-follow-u.html
Top Ticking Real Estate is Different Than Stocks (January 26, 2006)
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2006/01/top_ticking_rea.html
The Real Estate Soufflé (January 30, 2006)
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2006/01/clear_signs_tha.html
Source:
A Slow-Mo Meltdown
PAUL KRUGMAN
NYT, August 4, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/04/opinion/04krugman.html
Monday, August 04, 2008 | 08:53 PM | Permalink
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Comments
NINJA Mortgages - No Income, No Job or Assets.
Posted by: Bodz | Aug 4, 2008 9:11:02 PM
Risk management.
Oh wait. That's been around a long time but it seems to have dropped out of conscious thought for awhile. Suddenly it's in vogue again.
Posted by: BobC | Aug 4, 2008 9:13:20 PM
One phrase that should have made it: Markets Gone Meshugena
Posted by: W T F | Aug 4, 2008 9:17:09 PM
MMI - Muddled Metaphor Index
Courtesy of Tanta...
http://calculatedrisk.blogspot.com/2008/03/mmi-were-all-icebergs-now.html
Posted by: Tim | Aug 4, 2008 9:19:05 PM
BRIC - Brazil,Russia,India,China
Posted by: Bodz | Aug 4, 2008 9:26:00 PM
The word you were looking for was assonant, not alliterative.
Oh well, this is a finance blog, not a literary one.
~~~
BR: I went alliterative for the two "S" words, but assonant -- a word I was previosuly unfamiliar with -- is much better!
Posted by: Vic | Aug 4, 2008 9:28:51 PM
...mmm "credit crunchy"
via Robert Salomon
http://blog.robertsalomon.com/2008/01/18/executives-not-optimistic-about-2008/
Posted by: tastes like chicken | Aug 4, 2008 9:30:01 PM
My favorite is still "asshat"
I'm not sure if you created it but I think its a great great slander!
..........
Posted by: nades | Aug 4, 2008 9:36:36 PM
Using bland euphemisms or labels for illegal or/and unethical behavior:
Spin ---- LIE
negative growth ----- CONTRACTION
goldilocks ----- GOLD for 1%; eventual Bankruptcy for the country.
flexibility ----- BUCK PASSING
agressive ----- IRRESPONSIBLE
responsible ----- What everyone else but the CEO is supossed to be.
Golden Parachute ---- Golden SHOWER on the rest of us.
conditional convertibility -- U-HU
write downs ---- CAPITAL LOSSES
Posted by: AGG | Aug 4, 2008 9:50:18 PM
Actually if he means what he says then he should in fact use Slow Motion Meltdown instead of Slow Motion Slow Down. This is because they both technically imply different meanings. You are just implying this is a simple slow down and it is happening in slow motion. He on the other hand is implying that this is in fact a meltdown...which is happening in slow motion. Of course a meltdown implies it happens quickly, which is why he didn't just say meltdown.
Posted by: Adam J. | Aug 4, 2008 10:00:49 PM
I tried to coin "blogorrhea" a while back... you know, those blogs or blog posts that just go on and on and on, with nothing substantive?
Yeah, wonder why it never took off.
http://www.jcg3.org/2006/12/blogorrhea/
Posted by: Jason G. | Aug 4, 2008 10:02:07 PM
"Incession". I think I heard Insana use it on ToutTV. Heavier on the recession, lighter on the inflation as compared to stagflation, but still not pleasant. I particularly like the connotations of incestuous relationships, which sums up what has been going wrong on Wall Street/Washington the last few years but especially since the crunch started.
Posted by: pr | Aug 4, 2008 10:09:12 PM
We're freaking doomed!!! - The Mogambo Guru
Posted by: Winston Munn | Aug 4, 2008 10:10:26 PM
From Diane Swonk of Meisrow Financial: "growth recession"
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=763491256
[at about 3:56 in the video]
Growth recession - "rising unemployment with not enough growth to accomodate those workers coming into the labor force." Not a recession, per se.
Posted by: Irish Blues | Aug 4, 2008 10:31:18 PM
I've already become fond of the term bazookanomics. The earliest reference I can find was July 15, in the comments section of dealbreaker.com. The post only contained the word, and writer only identified "guest".
http://www.dealbreaker.com/2008/07/capitol_hill_lawmakers_to_hank.php
I'm using the term to describe any price action I don't agree with (therefore PPT manipulated), but hey, he didn't post a definition.
I'm concerned that these new buzzwords are supplanting old ones. The one I miss the most is fiduciary.
Posted by: mark mchugh | Aug 4, 2008 11:08:32 PM
Abandominium: a foreclosed and vacant property occupied by squatters.
I came across this one on CR, but I don't know who the originator is.
Posted by: bluestatedon | Aug 4, 2008 11:14:17 PM
Down here in Australia we've undergone a surge in activity in and around the prospects of Coal Seam Gas. The idea is that these companies can produce LNG for the higher-priced export market to Japanese and other Asian buyers.
Consequently any stock that has ever heard of CSG rallied a few months ago.
Not sure who coined it, but it is being called the 'dot-gas' boom.
Posted by: JEC | Aug 4, 2008 11:27:01 PM
"it is being called the 'dot-gas' boom."
Sounds like a digestive tract problem.
Posted by: bluestatedon | Aug 4, 2008 11:31:39 PM
Truthiness = Its what you want the truth to be because it feels good, i.e., housing has bottomed and we will now see 3-5% growth.
Posted by: johnnyvee | Aug 4, 2008 11:32:19 PM
Barry! You forgot another phrase you have used that has caught traction and you even blogged on it's traction before...
the big picture
Posted by: Darin | Aug 4, 2008 11:33:59 PM
I'd like to second blogorrhea and bazookanomics as legitimate words.
Blogorrhea goes on everywhere. The people who post comments with the link to their blog attached are spouting blogorrhea.
Bazookanomics is our national fiscal policy.
Posted by: s0mebody | Aug 4, 2008 11:42:58 PM
I kind of like "The Big S--tpile" which I first saw over at Eschaton (http://www.eschatonblog.com/). I know it's kind of vulgar, but it always makes me think of the Augean stables. Our financial system is quite a mess. It will take a river (or two) to mop away all the financial bogosity and reveal that the emperor has no clothes and mixes his metaphors.
Posted by: Kaleberg | Aug 4, 2008 11:44:08 PM
"They know nothing!!!" A phrase shouted by someone to create the false impression that he's had the situation figured out all along, when in fact he's been at least as clueless as the persons he's shouting at.
Posted by: Eric | Aug 4, 2008 11:48:58 PM
How about: "Sold Down the River by Our Own Government for the Sake of The Chinese?"
Posted by: TheGuru | Aug 5, 2008 12:27:48 AM
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=azswcZQvmUX0&refer=home
Posted by: TheGuru | Aug 5, 2008 12:28:43 AM
