Recession Lexicon

New times demand a new vocabulary—how else are we supposed to describe all these ideas and situations we’ve never encountered before? Here’s a glossary for the words the Recession has added to our conversations. (Plus a few we coined ourselves.)

Bleakonomics /n.  Refers to the dire forecasts, depressing warnings, and otherwise gloomy chatter that’s still brewing beneath the recent round of cheerier economic predictions. Click for full definition.

Bridge Job /n. Jobs that tide you over if you’ve been laid off and can’t find another job in your profession. Click for full definition.

Brokavore /n. People who try to eat very cheaply. Click for full definition.

Canniversary /n. A year from the date when you got canned from your job. Click for full definition.

Clunkerf*ck /n. What happens when the government issues coupons on cars but doesn’t use the same printing machine as it seems to for currency. Click for full definition.

Downturnaround /n. Describes the period when the economy stops worsening and starts improving. Click for full definition.

Dumpies /n. Downwardly mobile professionals. Click for full definition.

Femterprise /n. Female-run business. Also, fempreneur. Click for full definition.

Funemployment /n. A period of joblessness that you actually enjoy. Click for full definition.

Homeworking /v. Setting up shop in kitchens, spare bedrooms, and alcoves. Click for full definition.

Lazylancing /v. Paying for your travel with freelance work. Click for full definition.

Mancession /n. A downturn in which men are affected more than women. Click for full definition.

Nouveau Poor /n. You’re feeling poor, but you’re not actually poor-poor. Click for full definition.

Outshipped /adj. When your company lets you keep your job, but makes you relocate to a developing country. Click for full definition.

Prayoff /n. A layoff you’re desperately hoping and praying for. Click for full definition.

Pre-Fired /adj. Losing your job before you’ve even started it. Click for full definition.

Propportunity /n. What you get when you look at a problem as a potential opportunity. Click for full definition.

Putpockets /n. Aware of how people have been hit by the downturn, former pickpockets who are giving back by slipping cash into the pockets of unsuspecting pedestrians.. Click for full definition.

Recessed /adj.  Experiencing a mild condition of discontent, ennui or disillusion triggered by job loss, portfolio plundering or home value decline. Click for full definition.

Recession Hacking /v. Finding and using smart strategies and ideas for dealing with the downturn. Click for full definition.

Recession Roadkill /n. Refers to the laid-off, the unemployed and those generally getting run over by the merciless wheels of the economy. Click for full definition.

Silver Crime /n. Aggressive and potentially criminal backlash from the over-65 crowd angry about getting screwed by the economy. Click for full definition.

Slasher /n. A person with more than one profession, such as a banker-slash-entrepreneur, or an accountant-slash-yoga instructor. Click for full definition.

Slayoff /n. A particularly cold-blooded method of laying off employees. Click for full definition.

Vicarication /n. Traveling vicariously through other people who have more money and time than you. Click for full definition.

Terms for the recession from beyond our borders.