Recession Lexicon: New Words for a New Era

The world has turned truly upside down. The Dow used to be way up, now it’s down (climbing back, but still down). Your house used to be a source of pride — and value. Now it’s underwater. Job security? Forget about it. And all that shopping and spending — now, saving’s the name of the day.

As we navigate this new, sometimes foreign turf, we’re learning to speak a new language. Here are a few of the terms you’ll need to know:

Pre-Fired
n. Being dismissed from a new position before you even start. Usually because the company folds between the offer and your start date.

Bleakonomics
n. The dire forecasts, depressing warnings, and otherwise gloomy chatter that’s still brewing beneath the recent round of cheerier economic predictions…