7 definitions by wellwell
a term used in German concentration camps during the Second World War to refer to the building where valuables confiscated from prisoners were kept; German prison guards thought of Canada as a non-specific place of great wealth; for prisoners, 'Canada' connoted both wealth and freedom.
by wellwell January 29, 2009
There is so much despereal estate in this neighborhood. Behind every 'for sale' sign is a mortgage debt greater than the value of the house itself.
by wellwell February 1, 2009
(n.) a steep decline in global stock markets, triggering suicide attempts by investment professionals.
by wellwell February 1, 2009
(adj. derived from John Thain, former CEO of Merrill Lynch): describing extravagant behavior by the head of a failing organization, e.g. office renovations ordered by a CEO when the company is insolvent or bankrupt; akin to 'fiddling while Rome burns'
by wellwell February 5, 2009
(n.) embonusment: a form of embezzlement involving authorization of year-end bonuses in failing banks and investment firms, financed by government bailouts
(v.) to embonus
(v.) to embonus
The insolvency of many Wall Street firms did not prevent widespread embonusment, as industry professionals took whatever they could before the lights went out.
by wellwell February 1, 2009
(n. from the same root as 'baleful'):
(1) an expensive and hasty government bailout of an entire industry
(2) a government bailout that creates negative incentives for corporate executives while doing little to resolve an underlying economic crisis
(3) a government bailout that causes more harm than good
(1) an expensive and hasty government bailout of an entire industry
(2) a government bailout that creates negative incentives for corporate executives while doing little to resolve an underlying economic crisis
(3) a government bailout that causes more harm than good
Time will tell whether the Troubled Asset Relief Program is a bale-out that hurts the economy over the long-run.
by wellwell February 1, 2009
sounds made by government officials when interviewing a member of the public, intended to convey empathy but promising nothing.
As she listened to the refugee's heart-wrenching story, the immigration officer made non-specific encouraging noises.
by wellwell January 29, 2009