• Word Spy , Thursday, October 30, 2008 10:45 AM

n. Style and elegance on a tight budget. Example citation from Gwen Halley writing in Ireland's Herald :

"Because you have to ask why [Marks & Spencer] -- bastion of sleek, chic, understated style -- would belatedly embrace fussy, decadent, fast-fashion Carrie [of "Sex & The City] when everyone is moving towards recession chic; which means investing in shift dresses instead of smock dresses and stilettos instead of wedges.

"Recession chic" also has been spotted on this side of the pond, as recently as last week.

If we're lucky, though, the economy will come roaring back and recession chic will suffer the same fate as a related phrase that, Word Spy informs us, dates to 1991 but never gained currency: frugal chic. But maybe it's because "frugal" feels like a linguistic logjam in the throat; in other words, it doesn't exactly dance off the tongue. After 15 minutes of craze, the frug never really caught on either.

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