Aurophobia (fear of gold)
"Aurophobia" means the fear of gold. (The symbol of gold is "au" for aurum.) The term was almost never used until the James Bond film Goldfinger (1964), when it was reported in…
Austerian (austerity + Austrian school of economics)
The word "austerian" (sometimes capitalized as "Austerian"), meaning someone who advocates "austerity" measures, became popular in June 2010. "Austerian"…
Austerical (austerity + hysterical)
"Austerical" (austerity + hysterical) is a term used by those who criticize austerity measures. "How do the Austerical Auks expect the private sector to create jobs in a period when…
Axe (bad financial asset)
Greg Smith, an executive director of Goldman Sachs. wrote the Op-Ed "Why I Am Leaving Goldman Sachs" in the March 14, 2012 New York (NY) Times, stating in part: "What are three quick…
Backstop
To "backstop" (or "back stop") something is to support or back up or bolster it. A monetary "backstop" is financial support against bankruptcy or other financial…
Bad News Bear (Bear Stearns nickname)
Bear Stearns is a brokerage firm that was founded in New York City in 1923. In March 2008, the firm's stock price fell rapidly and negotiations were made to sell the firm. Bear Stearns was…
Bagel Land
A bagel is a bread product with a hole in the center. The bagel -- like the donut, with its hole in the center -- has long symbolized the number "zero" or "0." The tennis…
Bail-In
An opposite term to the "bailout" (giving a loan to a company or country which faces serious financial difficulty) is the "bail-in" In May 1998, The Independent (UK) declared:…
Bailout
A "bail out" (now the one-word "bailout") is a financial rescue to a failing entity, such as a government loan to support a failing bank. The term began in 1932 with the…
Balance Sheet Recession
A "balance sheet recession" is the slowing of business activity after the bursting of an asset bubble (or bubbles). Economist A. Gary Shilling said in December 1990, "This is a…
Baloney Dollar
Former New York Governor Al Smith (1873-1944), in an open letter to the New York State Chamber of Commerce published in the December 1933 New Outlook, stated that President Franklin D.…
Ban Collie Day (bank holiday)
"Ban Collie Day" sounds a bit like "bank holiday." "Ban collie day weekend" was posted on the newsgroup uk.rec.sheds on April 12, 2001. "Yeah. In England you…
Banco Unpopular (Banco Popular nickname)
Banco Popular (or BPPR, for Banco Popular of Puerto Rico) opened a branch in the Bronx in 1961. The obvious Banco Popular nickname of "Banco Unpopular" has been cited in print since at…
Bang Point
A "bang point" is a point in time when the bond market believes that a country (such as the United States or Greece) can no longer pay its bills. A "bang point" is a sort of…
Bank Holiday
A "bank holiday" is a day when the bank is normally open (such as a weekday), but when it's closed instead. Bank holidays in the United States usually occur on federal holidays, such…
Bank of Amerika or Bank of Amerikkka (Bank of America nickname)
Bank of America is one of the Big Four of America's banks (along with Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo). The nicknames "Bank of Amerika" (indicating a communist influence)…
Bank of Apartheid (Bank of America nickname)
Bank of America is one of the Big Four of America's banks (along with Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo). Bank of America was nicknamed "Bank of Apartheid" since at least…
Bank of Assholes (Bank of America nickname)
Bank of America is one of the Big Four of America's banks (along with Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo). Critics of Bank of America have given it the unflattering nickname of…
Bank of Crooks and Criminals International (Bank of Credit and Commerce International nickname)
The Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) was founded in 1972 and was raided by government authorities in July 1991. BCCI's world-famous nickname in 1991 was "Bank of Crooks…
Bank of Failmerica (Bank of America nickname)
Bank of America is one of the Big Four of America's banks (along with Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo). The United States of America has been called "Failmerica" (fail +…