The calculated practice of manufacturing or manipulating scarcity for the express purpose of exaggerating and sustaining the perceived value, desirability, or exclusivity of a commodity, service, or even an abstract idea. The term takes its name from the historical strategies of the De Beers diamond corporation, which successfully fostered a cultural and economic mythology of rarity around diamonds despite their relative geological abundance. In this sense, De Beering refers to any deliberate attempt to withhold supply, obscure availability, or construct a narrative of uniqueness that serves to elevate market prices and social prestige. It encapsulates a mode of economic and cultural engineering in which scarcity itself becomes the principal product, reshaping consumer behaviour, fuelling aspirational demand, and embedding the illusion of preciousness within the collective imagination.
A clear example of De Beering could be seen in 2022, when Shell capitalised on the lingering perception of oil scarcity in the wake of Covid-19. By maintaining the narrative of shortage despite stable reserves, the company achieved a record-breaking profit margin of around £40 billion, the highest in its history. This reflected not natural market conditions but the strategic engineering of scarcity to inflate value and consolidate shareholder wealth.
by DemocracySold September 4, 2025
Get the De Beering mug.A can made out of a tin like metal (usually aluminum) that looks and seems tough on the outside at a first glimpse, it's not until all the liquid drains out that people realize it crunches and flattens like a pancake, and that it was always like that. The liquid was keeping it inflated the entire time.
The beer can of a car they were riding around in seemed tough and resilient until the first accident. Until then, nobody thought there was anything dangerous about it.
by The Original Agahnim August 25, 2021
Get the Beer can mug.by guyontop69 June 6, 2018
Get the Stone Cold Beers mug.The produce lady thinks we don’t like her because the fruit is rotten. In reality, it’s because she slept with Lola’s man. She’s such a head beer.
by Lipton4 August 9, 2021
Get the Head Beer mug.That redneck’s best friend is his beer.
by Swag-o-Cato January 9, 2018
Get the Beer mug.An event that happened on 6th of January 2021, where supporters of President Donald Trump got very angry about losing the election and decided to storm the capitol building to pose for pictures. And maybe coup the government.
Y'all wanna have a Beer Gut Putch? Ain't ya angry about the election fraud? Don't ya just wanna run up to Congress to let everyone know how angry we are? You know I talked to my cousin Hayden in the DC police, the'll let us right in!
by David7 January 7, 2021
Get the Beer Gut Putch mug.The act of receiving a beer from your wife or barmaid/bartender immediately when entering your home or a bar.
If your wife is beer-o-matic, she will have a cold one in your hand before she even utters a word.
If a barmaid/bartender is beer-o-matic, she/he will have a frosty beer sitting at your favorite stool before you can hang up your jacket.
All of which usually means you are a drunk and spend too much time drinking beer...oh well, such is life.
If a barmaid/bartender is beer-o-matic, she/he will have a frosty beer sitting at your favorite stool before you can hang up your jacket.
All of which usually means you are a drunk and spend too much time drinking beer...oh well, such is life.
by TodiRow February 21, 2011
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