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Euphemisms investment bankers use to talk about money

A small dictionary of ambiguous banker words

What do you say when you've made it in banking? What is the core banker-vernacular indicating maximal importance on Wall Street or in the City of London?

Here we have a comprehensive list of banker-words in time for the weekend. Beware ambiguities.

1. Bar

Banker meaning: In banking terms a bar is another word for $2m. Five bars is a euphemism for $10m, therefore.

Not to be confused with:  A place purveying alcohol or a rectangular prism.

2. Buck

Banker meaning: In banking terms, a buck is $1m. Ten bucks a euphemism for $10m.

Not to be confused with: A male deer or rabbit. $1.

3. Execution

Banker meaning: The work involved in implementing a trade or M&A deal.

Not to be confused with: Killing someone.

4. Expectation management and expectations managed 

Banker meaning: Being informed, subtly or otherwise, that you won't be paid.

Not to be confused with: Being informed, subtly or otherwise, that your Christmas present will come from eBay.

5. Flattener

Banker meaning: A strange environment where long term interest rates are falling at a faster rate than short term interest rates so that the yield curve gets flatter.

Not to be confused with: A close encounter with someone whose eaten a lot over Thanksgiving.

6. Position

Banker meaning: A stock or bond that you've bought or sold short in the hope of making some money.

Not to be confused with: A particular bodily arrangement. The antecedent of an argument.

7. Prop 

Banker meaning: Proprietary trading.

Not to be confused with: A three dimensional item used to illustrate a point or set the scene in a play or movie.

8. Unwind

Banker meaning: Selling your positions.

Not to be confused with: Chilling out after over-eating.

author-card-avatar
AUTHORSarah Butcher Global Editor
  • OM
    OMG
    1 December 2013

    To get huge salary you shld:
    1) wear expensive suits
    2) pretend to be too posh
    3) pretend to be too clever
    4) chat a lot in a manner that is seen as "management skills" by top managers of the company
    ))

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