Asked by a journalist at The Scotsman about whether credit crunch buzz-words that put a positive spin on tough times actually help us to face up to them and feel better about the future, I said: “For many, it will be either business as usual or simply more stress… Using positive words to frame a situation makes people view it more favourably, but many of these neologisms sound too contrived to really catch on. Everyone is trying to come up with one that will stick. Thriftifarian, anyone?” I went on to advocate the word at Comment is Free, defining it as “noun. colloq. derog. Also thriftafarian. A middle or upper class person who takes virtuous pleasure in making selective economies they do need to make, esp. during times of recession.”

Before The Scotsman piece was published, Google returned no search results for Thriftifarian or Thriftafarian.) Now it’s a measly 84. But there’s still time! Spread the word, literally!