There have been some very smart and funny responses to the competition word maven Ben Schott has been holding this weekend at his New York Times blog. Inspired by Recessionwire’s Recession Lexicon, he asked readers to submit new, downturn-related words and phrases. Some of the early standouts are below. Thanks to Ben and his many fans!
grayoff: firing older workers to hire younger, cheaper labor in their place
cabeer: when one turns to alcohol to deal with a job loss they are starting a new cabeer.
stressure: feeling stressed from the pressure of doing more with less (e.g., whether it be from job loss, increased workload due to cutbacks, or lack of money).
405er: someone on the max $405/week unemployment benefit from NY state.
howbout, Weedlief: Using a certain “herb” to bring relief from the stress of the recession.