Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.At last! An acronym I can identify with. Friday's property pages of The Times introduced us to the Grend: a "graduate renting, employed, no deposit". Grends are the generation unable independently to afford deposits on new homes – despite usually paying more in rent than they would on mortgage repayments.
The Grend joins an illustrious list of irritating generational acronyms that, despite probably being used by no one but newspaper writers (ahem), are often fairly accurate. And the ones that stick often help to define certain time periods, most famously the yuppie (young upwardly yada yada yada), who became, alongside Diana, Princess of Wales and Dusty Bin, one of the defining icons of the Eighties. So what are the Matadors (modern acronyms that are defining our recession society)?
There's the neighbouring species to the Grend, the Kipper (kids in parents' pockets eroding retirement savings). The Kipper works but is unable to afford city rents or is trying to save up for a mortgage. A more maligned acronym group (Mag?) is the Neet (not in employment or training), a government acronym from the late Nineties.
Anything a bit cheerier? Not quite; how about Sitcom? That's the Matador for single income, two children, oppressive mortgage – the opposite of that old classic the Dinky (dual income, no kids, yet).
Time will tell for other possible Matadors. But how about a Bob (banker on bail)? Or, perhaps, a F*cker (fat cat using cash kickbacks ever ruthlessly)? Meanwhile, come back tomorrow for another Dafti (daft article from The Independent).
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments