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Joe's Cafe, 24/7 pit stop for ESL learners and teachers | March 2009
Egg's off, bacon's off, bread's off, tea's off. English is on though.
The R WordIn these times of apparent worldwide economic gloom and despair emanating from the collapse of the USA’s financial system, you may have heard reference on TV or elsewhere to the R word. What on earth is the R word? Sometimes it is difficult for people to accept facts. At such times, there may be certain words that people don’t like to say. If they need to express that word, they may use the first letter only, and hope that everyone else understands. It also suggests, and this is done partly in humour, that the word is a bad, “dirty” or otherwise offensive word. So just what is the R word? RECESSION. Recession (noun): a period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced (often defined as a fall in Gross Domestic Product in two successive quarters) Now we can see why no-one wants to use the R word. No-one wants to admit that they may be entering, or may be in, a period of poor economic performance. Now what could be worse than the R word? Well, what could be worse than a recession? There’s only one thing worse than a recession, and that’s a major recession. And we have a word for a major recession: DEPRESSION. So that explains why you may have heard people pussy-footing around another dirty word with the term the D word. Depression (noun): a long and severe recession in an economy or market The Depression (or the Great Depression): the USA’s financial and industrial collapse of 1929 and subsequent years, which ended with World War II What’s a country to do to avoid a depression? In the USA’s case, the government has decided to print as much money as possible and throw it at the problem as fast as possible. Even if that means buying up private companies like AIG, a process normally known as NATIONALIZATION. That’s fine, if you’re a communist or even a socialist country. But the USA is the bastion of capitalism, the very antithesis of communism. Thus it is that we now hear the term the N word being bandied about. All these funny R, D, N words are all very well, as long as they don’t end up with the W word. Of course, when I wrote “There’s only one thing worse than a recession, and that’s a major recession”, I wasn’t being wholly truthful. In fact there are many things worse than a recession, and one of them is WAR. It will not have escaped your attention that World War II marked the end of the Great Depression. Joe | Monday, March 23rd, 2009 | Filed under Vocabulary
56 Responses to “The R Word”Leave a Comment |  Personal blog of Josef Essberger, English Club founder
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24th March 2009 at 2:53 pm
Interesting article. The topic is the talk of the town these days and the definitions are humorous. I have had a bit of fun by reading it.
Fathi
24th March 2009 at 3:27 pm
Exactly the word war will not have to escape my attention, cause I live in Iraq. The bleeding country.
24th March 2009 at 3:29 pm
I find the article interesting even though I’m kind of affraid that the present global economic crisis invariably leads us to the ‘W’ word! God forbids!
24th March 2009 at 3:34 pm
This writing is very interesting. It provides us some more knowledge about burning issues happening on our earth with only four words : R, D, N and W. What a wonderful article!
24th March 2009 at 4:48 pm
There is an intelligent way to activate our brains by linking the word/ideas together.
I feel sorry who are innocent but are obliged to live in these cruel conditions of WAR!
Thank you for the nice exercise which proves that there are invisible connections between us and all the elements of the universe;therefore, we aren’t alone…
24th March 2009 at 5:44 pm
I think it´s very important for us as english learners, cause that way we can understand native speaker when they speak that way.
24th March 2009 at 5:49 pm
The R word that will save the economy is RECONSIDER. If government and people work together in order to emend some errors I’m sure that the ugly word WAR will be replace for the word PEACE. God will.
24th March 2009 at 8:17 pm
The definition is really interesting and funny in the same time.
But thE end of it is so terrifying “the W word”
God forbids
24th March 2009 at 9:02 pm
Very witty. It’s quite fun to learn these very simple tricks in teaching and/or learning English as a foreign language. Of course I use the word “trick” in good will !
I love this site anyway.
Smiles
Samaa
24th March 2009 at 9:31 pm
this is interesting and enlighting
25th March 2009 at 1:31 am
Well, a good way to keep those words in mind and also get familiar with the current social topic. I love this way of studying English. Thanks
25th March 2009 at 2:39 am
Wow the sense of words R, D and N are very unpleasing, but the way this story goes is very enlighten. Good Day everyone
25th March 2009 at 4:24 am
i got it on my Birthday 25th of march, just say tanx, ur really helpful!
25th March 2009 at 4:50 am
I found the Article interesting, entertaining but
mainly familiar, since everybody around the world have read or heard about the R, D, and N threat, so because of the way the Article goes, it´s not difficult to keep them in mind. Thanks.
25th March 2009 at 6:07 am
Hi!
This is the first time I came across this “R” word business. It is really informative and keeps us aware .I really thank you for keeping us updatedwith the modern trends
25th March 2009 at 7:08 am
Wow!
It’s interesting article. Really useful to be updated with fancy words.
Good regards
Pradeep
25th March 2009 at 10:04 am
It’s a good for my learning.
25th March 2009 at 10:45 am
An interesting write -up. It is indeed very educative.
25th March 2009 at 2:02 pm
Hi everybody,
downturn, slowdown, recession, depression, nationalization are so heavy words, so why not use the abreviate version ? i like it !! it’s time for economists to think about a new system based on risks share and not interest rate, Do you agree with me ??
25th March 2009 at 3:35 pm
Hi…………..
This is a good artical
I listin first time this R D N Word……
25th March 2009 at 5:01 pm
i enjoyed reading the article, it is really interesting and funny explanation…
i hope that peace be among all the world!!!
25th March 2009 at 5:48 pm
very interesting article soo funny too but iwant tr replace peace instead of war i think you agree with mee
25th March 2009 at 8:19 pm
thank you for exeplainig this to us
hatem
26th March 2009 at 4:57 am
Hello everone !
Really this is very interesting article. The writer has interestingly linked the word: R D N with this turbulent world where economic crisis has weaken the thninking of humanbeings. May Almighty Allah say us from economic crisis. Ameen.
Thanks to writer
Ghani-Pakistan
26th March 2009 at 5:06 am
I really enjoyed reading the comments from all of you, we all have different opinions or mind to say things around us. Some of us do not care to say any words whatsoever dangerous they are, but another are very careful which words to say in public or on the airwaves. That why most of us used the”R,D, N and the W word.
Nobody wants to live in bad condition in their live time, we all wish to live better live foreever, no matter where we are! I wish for all of us to have nice and better live in future without “R,D,and W” words.
Thank you all very good article.
26th March 2009 at 11:51 am
thank you
i was interested to read the article coz it contain a useful and new words
im waiting for more
26th March 2009 at 1:23 pm
woow!! very interesting article. thanks my pals
i get many knowledge from this
26th March 2009 at 2:13 pm
Glory!!! very interesting article.I can clearly understands that “WAR” is the solution to economic “RECESSION” and “DEPRESSION”
27th March 2009 at 6:23 am
Hi,
This is my first time reading ESL articles. It was interesting and insightful. Sometimes it’s quite difficult to get grasp of economic TV shows which use such words. The simple translation usually won’t help, but articles like this provides crystal clear understanding of such expressions.
Thanks
27th March 2009 at 2:29 pm
Intersting and funny article, every day we learn new things.
Thank
27th March 2009 at 2:37 pm
Many many thanks for writing about those crucial issue.Before i could not distiguish betwen Depression and Recession,now i know it all.thank you again
28th March 2009 at 1:56 am
It is an intresting article.Thank you.
29th March 2009 at 4:42 am
The writer gives us a good explanation about our world where goes to with four words including meaning by hot & interesting issue so,i would like to say our world will sustain in RECESION it doesn’t goes to WAR until it gets better.
29th March 2009 at 8:02 pm
economic crisis originated financial system.as the economic crisis worsened unemployment went up. government prints as much money as
needed.but inflationary policies are no remed for an economic crisis .
people are knowning enviroment pollution and proctect it. what is the best way stop economic depression .i hope economist can give an answer.
30th March 2009 at 6:31 pm
R has just receded to recession! Worse R word is racism, I believe. In retrospect, recession was inevitable, the world got so crazy after money! Priciples were compromised, laws were bent and ideals were chucked. What did the world expect? You can’t have the cake and eat it too. Recession is transient like superfluous wealth. Perhaps if people learn to think high and live a bit easy, recession can still be tackled without sustaining many “scratches”.
Let me admit it it was good reading the article! Its just that I couldn’t help gabbing a bit!
2nd April 2009 at 2:09 am
Its quite interesting to read this article.This article helps to understand the meaning of many words.This way of teaching is very good for the english learners.
2nd April 2009 at 1:52 pm
R word. is it real?
7th April 2009 at 9:27 am
Is very interesting in article R word in world wide
economic crisis.
I think the period of temporary economic crisis
you can use the article verb
Recession,Depression,decline,deterioration and regression,There are many verb can use in situation economic crisis for Financial,industrial Business,Bank,and stock market index our world
wide.
Good Luck
Linda Kososak (Hollywood)
7th April 2009 at 6:34 pm
Intersting article.
I like the humour in it..
Hope the R word will not lead to a W word!
13th April 2009 at 5:46 am
It’s very interesting to know the abbreviation of the words R, D, N,W. Thanks to E.C@com for updating us. As a peace loving country and penchant to develop quickly we don’t want the above words to happen in reality.
13th April 2009 at 9:13 am
This is a good article,i love it so much.it includeS several words to describe the economic situation,i think this is a good way to increase our vocabulary.and the information this article offered are terrific.
14th April 2009 at 3:48 pm
It’s an interesting articles, that give us the possibility to learn about this topic. And it’s sounds funny. Thank you very much
14th April 2009 at 5:01 pm
Hi all..
this is very good article . we got the most imbertont abbreviation of the words,R,D, N,W.
I hope pease [t willbe the fifth,and get(P).
I would like to think the writer for that .
with me great full..
15th April 2009 at 2:19 pm
thanks a lot for this artile but w have to resist this words such as recession which make us affraid to mention the whole word
15th April 2009 at 8:09 pm
make H no W = Make humor no make war
make L no W = Make love no make war
16th April 2009 at 5:10 pm
interesting article, even in the face of economic depression, after reading this article one would still have some minutes to either smile or laugh.
Good work.
22nd April 2009 at 2:25 am
wow… good job. congratulation
23rd April 2009 at 3:56 pm
So I guess a WAR of some kind will get us out of this mess? Well how sad if the answer is true.
4th May 2009 at 10:58 am
What ever the world look like we will keep staying a life in this world so don’t be frustrated to the worse world it will happen to every periods from our ancestor up to now, You will see and can learn to what has happened and that all will be back to the God power.
Nothing to say just keep praying to save our own life to face this world in a good way.
20th May 2009 at 2:51 pm
ya i too familiar the word W (war)
as i live in Pakistan,for the last eight years the people frm my country are facing a lot of troubles which are the product of bloody war.
The USA played and is playing,or will be playing a major role.They are the bloody people they dont care anyone,they claim that they are the right one in the world,but by God i m telling u the truth they dont ve any sncerity for human beings,
They always get thier own purposes.they want ot rule the oveer the world.dear look at Iraq,Afghanistan,Libia,Lubnan,Phalisteen,Pakistan,they killed thousand of people on the name of humanity.There is no Talbinization in Pakistan,American People just highlight it,
But i m here to Ruquset the whole world,please please fot God sake stop killing the number of people,if u want to see HUMANITY so come to Pakistan and see the homeless people and the thousand of families which vave lost their love ones,
I dont understand the one question? why only Muslim r in trouble,in hot water,have they committed the sins which r not forgiveable????????????????????????
or the jews, the christian,the hinduo’s,the sikh,the mongoles, are they innocent people?
only Muslims are the responsible for this destrucrions?
for God sake people please do mend their ways,please
look at yourself and analyse it what is wrong and what is right?
the things you watch or read on media r far away from reality,
3rd June 2009 at 2:01 pm
The way to introduce words is interesting and therefore those are easy to remember. R leads to D, D leads to N and N leads to W.
Some responses is very impressive. The response from TariqShakoor give me the question what is the truthly humannity.
17th June 2009 at 10:42 am
Is very interesting in article R word in world wide
economic crisis.
I think the period of temporary economic crisis
you can use the article verb
Recession,Depression,decline,deterioration and regression,There are many verb can use in situation economic crisis for Financial,industrial Business,Bank,and stock market index our world
18th June 2009 at 9:55 am
It is very nice how it flows. However I think as you say war is the worst thing. As a third world country Srilanka has suffered from war for twenty or more years and economic crisis is not a strange thing to us.!!!
18th June 2009 at 9:57 am
TariqShakoor, I’m not a Muslim but I’m totally agree with you!!!
27th June 2009 at 2:03 am
R world - Rule word
4th July 2009 at 4:47 am
hi,
it is very interesting !
now i am learning english myself.
it’s a little difficult to remember new words for me because of my second language.
so , any idea or any help will be welcome !
minsoehan.msh@gmail.com