Financial terminology

The commonest words used in conjunction with 'banker(s)' over the last two years are greedy, disgraced and shame, according to Collins Dictionaries, and cited in this BBC article. Surprisingly, the word 'responsible' also often appears in close proximity to 'banker', but usually only because the sentence is something like 'bankers are responsible for the mess'.

 

The terms 'the 1%' and 'the 99%' have been much in evidence recently, mostly due to the Occupy movement, but they are not new terms.

 

Bankers are often referred to as 'fat cats', a term that dates back to the 1920s. The term was once used almost exclusively about bosses in the private sector, but over recent years council leaders and other public-service workers have been accused of being fat cats, too. Collins discovered that 'fat' is now the commonest adjective used with 'cat', ahead of pet, stray, pussy and scaredy, the next four in the list.

 

The BBC piece that this information comes from also considered how difficult it is to give exact definitions of financial terminology. When some people think of 'rich' people, they are referring to earnings, others consider their total wealth, while yet others regard anyone running their own business, regardless of size and profitability as rich. Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich and one of the richest men in the world apparently said in court, when asked, that it was hard for him to say whether someone was wealthy or not. Robert Frank, author of Richistan, found when he interviewed people that most people's definition of 'rich' was subjective and was often considered to be twice their own current earnings.

 

Here's the BBC piece.

Comments

[John]

I cringe when "bankers" as a group are vilified by the occupiers et al. What is a "banker"? Is he or she one of the tens of thousands of honest, hard-working bank employees - tellers, branch managers, administrative people, etc., who have done nothing to precipitate our common financial debacle? A relative few at the top who formulate policy may deserve the negative connotation, but certainly no where near all employees.

I remember watching BBC coverage of the riots in the UK a few months ago, specifically in Croydon, in which a couple of young girls were interviewed. They very bluntly referred to small shopowners as "rich" and deserving of the treatment their businesses were receiving. Sad, but as you suggest, the term is highly relative.

[Virtual Linguist]

Yes, thanks, John. The BBC article I linked to mentions how it is high-waged individuals that are vilified, while people ignore those with wealth from property etc. It is, indeed, highly subjective.

[Cheap UGGS Boots]

I cringe when "bankers" as a group are vilified by the occupiers et al. What is a "banker"? Is he or she one of the tens of thousands of honest, hard-working bank employees - tellers, branch managers, administrative people, etc

[meizitang]

The best way to relieve tension is to down a stiff drink and play silly computer games for hours on end.