econorrhea

trevorbutterworth commented on the word econorrhea

Economic equivalent of logorrhea but with an effect more akin to actual dysentery.

Broadly refers to attempts to explain why trillions of dollars in the world economy suddenly ceased to exist in the fall of 2008.

Specifically, any attempt to explain an economic principle, process, or effect that fails to follow the linguistic conventions of syntax and sense.

Financial Times columnist Lucy Kellaway highlighted a perfect example of econorrhea in her 2008 Top Twaddle Awards. It came from a World Bank economist talking to the BBC World Service:

"In our base case simulation there is an upside case that, er, corresponds on the flipside of the downside case in kind of an adverse direction"

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/7518a0b8-dac8-11dd-8c28-000077b07658.html

January 7, 2009