Debt Man Walking
"Debt man walking" (a pun on the title of the 1995 film Dead Man Walking) refers to someone in a lot of debt. The moniker was the title of a book, Debt Man Walking: a 10-step investment…
Debt-Serfdom
"Debt-serfdom" (or "debt serfdom") is a condition where someone works like a serf or slave to eliminate a large debt. The term "debt serfdom" has existed since at…
Debtberg (debt + iceberg)
"Debtberg" (debt + iceberg) is a reference to the RMS Titanic that hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean and sank on April 15, 1912. Like an iceberg, the debt obligations of the…
Debtcropper (debt + sharecropper)
A "debtcropper" (debt + sharecropper) is someone who is a slave to debt. Matt Stoller's "A Debtcropper Society" in Next New Deal (The Blog of the Roosevelt Institute)…
Debtmageddon (debt + Armageddon)
"Debtmageddon" (debt + Armageddon) became a popular term in July 2011, as the federal government discussed raising the nation's debt ceiling and debated cutting spending (to decrease…
Debtocracy (debt + democracy); Debtocrat (debt + bureaucrat/Democrat)
The movie Debtocracy (2011) about the Greek debt crisis of 2010 defined its title as "debt" and "democracy." While the film popularized the term, "debtocracy" has…
Debtoholic (debt + -oholic)
Entry in progress -- B.P. TwitterJF@jmf27614Democrats have no grasp of reality. Spendoholics, Debtoholics. #tcot #glennbeck #rush #tcot #sgp #teaparty http://www.cnbc.com//id/354586226:42 PM -…
Debtpocalypse (debt + apocalypse)
"Debtpocalypse” (debt + apocalypse) became a popular term in July 2011, as the federal government discussed raising the nation’s debt ceiling and debated cutting spending (to decrease the…
Deep Pockets (“short arms and deep pockets”)
Money (such as coins and a wallet) is often kept in the pockets on a person's garment. A "deep pocket" would be able to hold more money. Lawyers developed legal strategies to go…
Deepcession (deep + depression + recession)
"Deepcession" (deep + depression + recession) is a term that has been cited in print since at least December 2007 and has been used infrequently since the 2008 recession. David Brauer of…
Deer Market
A "deer market" is neither a "bull market" (a rising market) or a "bear market" (a falling market). Investors in a deer market are perplexed about which way the market…
Deflationista
Entry in progress -- B.P.(deflation + -ista, as in words such as “Sandinista” and “fashionista”) A similar term is "inflationista."…
Delay-and-Pray
"Delay and pray" is what a lender might do with a "toxic" asset, such as a mortgage. A bank doesn't want to foreclose and take possession of the property, so it often…
Derivatives Dealers’ Club
Robert E. Litan of The Brookings Institution coined the nickname "derivatives dealers' club" in his April 7, 2010 paper: "The Derivatives Dealers’ Club and Derivatives Markets…
Devil’s Metal (silver nickname)
Nickel has long been called the "devil's copper" or the "devil's metal." Copper is called "Kupfer" in German and nickel is "Kupfernickel." The…
Dirt Bond
"Diirt bonds" have been popular in California, Florida, Texas, Colorado and Louisiana, helping new developments by financing against the land (or "dirt"). Quasi-governmental…
Dirt-poor
Someone who is "dirt-poor" is extremely poor, owning little except, perhaps, dirt. The expression began in the United States in the second half of the 19th century, although it's not…
Disaster Divide
The term "disaster divide" means that natural disasters (such as earthquakes) cause more fatalities in poorer areas than in richer areas. In richer areas, the building construction is…
Diworsification (diversification + worse)
"Diworsification" (diversification + worse) is diversification for the worse. Diversification is often sought so that one doesn't have the high risk of "all the eggs in one…
Doctor Doom or Dr. Doom (economic pessimist)
Many bearish economists have been given the nickname "Dr. Doom." Henry Kaufman was the first such "Dr. Doom," having acquired the nickname by at least 1981. Conrad Vane wrote…