Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Wordwise, '07 Was a Subprime Year

“How was I?”

“Subprime.”

How was your golf game, dear?

“Subprime.”

“And what do you think of the word of the year?”

“I’d say it was a subprime pick.”

“Subprime sucks?”

“Subzero is okay. Subzero is useful. Subprime’s a fad. It’s a flaky word”

“Why do you say that?”

“Subprime’s marginal.”

“Isn’t that the meaning of the word?”

“Subprime is borderline.”

“Yes, but you can’t just go in and ask for a borderline loan.”

“In that case you would ask to see a loan shark.”

“No banker wants to be called a loan shark.”

“That’s the problem with a word like subprime. Suprime lending is a national

disgrace. It’s loansharking by another name, predatory lending at the least.”

“So how was I?”

“You were a shark, hon.”

“You were positively predatory.”
“And not subprime? I feel better already?”

“So how was the golf game.”

“I was a shark out there.”