What's in a name

by Russ Roberts on February 4, 2009

Some have been calling the proposed plan to spend $800 or so billion, porkulus. My variant is spamulus, but that requires knowing the ancient use of the word, spam.

Any other suggestions?

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{ 50 comments }

1 Alan Forrester February 4, 2009 at 2:15 pm: How about "screwyoulus".
2 tw February 4, 2009 at 2:23 pm: People understand the term "pork" as that's hit home. Perhaps a witty diatribe about "What Is Pork vs. What Is Stimulus" along the lines of your podcast "What Is Garbage vs. What Is a Resource" would be effective.
3 ardyan February 4, 2009 at 2:28 pm: ridiculus
4 thrill February 4, 2009 at 2:30 pm: theftulus
5 SaulOhio February 4, 2009 at 2:37 pm: Just a big waste of money.
6 andrew February 4, 2009 at 2:38 pm: scamulus
7 Mark February 4, 2009 at 2:39 pm: Lovely Spam!!!!! Wonderful Spam!!!!

Spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam. . . .
8 gasman February 4, 2009 at 3:05 pm: craptacular!
9 MnM February 4, 2009 at 3:15 pm: stimu-loss
10 Ike February 4, 2009 at 3:41 pm: Since it is all speculative, let's call it:

Speculus.

Although Specious also fits…
11 dg lesvic February 4, 2009 at 3:54 pm: I like the tennor of this thread, that we need more than economic logic, we need propaganda too, wit, flair, style, to grab attention, and not just wait it for it come to us.
12 Lee Kelly February 4, 2009 at 4:10 pm: Obamulus
13 Morgan February 4, 2009 at 4:12 pm: From the perspective of providing false hope, I propose "pseudulus"

From the perspective of being undertaken because no one has any better ideas, "desperatulus"

From the perspective of presumed ineffectiveness, "stimuless". Or maybe "flatulus".
14 P February 4, 2009 at 4:17 pm: How about "Stimugeddon".

I've been referring to it as the Obama-Reid-Pelosi Eternal Debt Plan.
15 Morgan February 4, 2009 at 4:28 pm: From the perspective of catering to special interests: "pandulus"

From the related perspective of being a source of funds for various favored causes: "petprojectulus"

From the perspective of artificially boosting consumption today at the expense of future taxpayers: "screwulus"
16 Lee Kelly February 4, 2009 at 5:44 pm: STIMULUSSR
17 John Limberakis aka Econotics February 4, 2009 at 6:01 pm: I'd name it in honor of one of my favorite recipes:

Bacon Explosion

Just like the stimulus bill it is overloaded and wasteful and will make you worse off in the end. 5,000 calories and over 500g of fat.
18 Dr. T February 4, 2009 at 6:54 pm: SSLOPPS: Stimulus Spending Lines Our Politicians' Pockets Superbly
19 LowcountryJoe February 4, 2009 at 6:56 pm: Tyrantosaurus Wrecks; like an evolution of leviathan. Just don't let its short arms fool you…they have quite the reach when going for your back pocket. Tends to wreck all natural rights of mankind in its path.
20 Mesa Econoguy February 4, 2009 at 7:17 pm: Spamerican Idol?

[Bloody Vikings….]
21 Oil Shock February 4, 2009 at 7:23 pm: Obama's scandolous package.

I liked stimugeddon, stimuloss etc.
22 JP February 4, 2009 at 8:17 pm: Icarus the Inflationary
23 Jim February 4, 2009 at 8:33 pm: "The Stimulus of Obamanation" or "The Emperor's New Stimulus".
24 Unit February 4, 2009 at 8:49 pm: The mega-pork bill.
25 mcwop February 4, 2009 at 10:06 pm: Governmnet "Festivus". So far the holiday activities have been "Airing of Grievances" as the bill gets worked up. Once it passes each special interest will tell everyone else all the ways the stimulus has disappointed their cause. Next the "Feats of Strength" are performed, involving special interests wrestling over the money, with the holiday ending only once the federal and state budgets are pinned for decades.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivus
26 MHodak February 4, 2009 at 10:29 pm: I don't have a better name for the stimulus bill than others posted here, but the meaning of the word "stimulate" has been transformed into "throw wild amounts of money at." On NPR, I heard an arts council type arguing why the Feds should "stimulate" the NY art scene.

He also said that they asked for $1 billion, but only got $50 million put into the legislation, "which is nowhere near enough," which kind of changes the meaning of "enough" in my mind.
27 Greg Ransom February 4, 2009 at 11:29 pm: Keynesosaurus!!
28 Greg Ransom February 4, 2009 at 11:34 pm: Romulous and Remus founded Rome

Obama's Stimulus and Reamus bill destroyed America.
29 Jacob Oost February 5, 2009 at 12:45 am: Grimulus, dimulus, stick-it-to-us, crap-sandwich-ulus.
30 BoscoH February 5, 2009 at 3:02 am: "Shoot me now".
31 EclectEcon February 5, 2009 at 8:13 am: Generation Theft Act
32 Methinks February 5, 2009 at 8:46 am: "STIMULUSSR" & "Tyrantosaurus Wrecks" are two of my favourites. I'm not very clever, so I just call it BS. Short USA.
33 E. Barandiaran February 5, 2009 at 9:55 am: Russ,
I'm glad that your call was answered by some clever people (including Methinks). It's not a lot of fun, but it's fun anyway. On the contrary, reading Tyler and Arnold's posts and the many comments on them has become a waste of time. They are pathetic–Tyler does no longer know what to say but keeps writing; Arnold is angry because he cannot reinvent the wheel.
34 Seth February 5, 2009 at 10:04 am: How about: "This-is-what-the-older-generation-was-worried-about-when-they-said,-'I-can't-believe-these-kids-will-run-our-country-someday.'"-ulus?
35 Sam Grove February 5, 2009 at 10:10 am: stymulus: to stymie much needed correction
36 Sam Grove February 5, 2009 at 10:31 am: Maybe "stymielus" would be better.
37 vidyohs February 5, 2009 at 10:39 am: I am late to the party, but I see you've started without me, good deal!

the obvious: SHAFTULUS.

the subtle: DOOMULUS.

the short range: GOTCHALUS

the long range: ITSOVERULUS

Remember the "Road to Serfdom", well their isn't any more road left, so that leaves us, where?

However, naming the idiocy all depends on perspective.

What do you suppose it is called by the young black woman who was recorded calling an auto dealership and telling them where they could find the car they wanted paid for or repossessed. Where in her conversation (rant) she ended the call by saying, "we ain't rich like you folks, but we're gonna be, cause now we got Obama!"

You just gotta wonder what label she and her soulmates put on it.
38 Bob February 5, 2009 at 10:42 am: "BEND OVER ul US" and grab your ankles because Obama & Co. have some stimulus for you!
39 Flash Gordon February 5, 2009 at 11:21 am: Neither Prof. Roberts nor a single commenter credits the one who first referred to the "stimulus" as "porkulus," so I will. It was Rush Limbaugh.

Ordinarily, you academic types are sticklers for crediting sources. I guess it depends on the source.
40 The Drunken Priest February 5, 2009 at 11:58 am: I like:

Hopium for the masses.
41 Parknfly February 5, 2009 at 1:45 pm: My suggestion:

Industrial Policy instituted by the People via its government instead of by the corrupt and wealthy few.
42 Thurston February 5, 2009 at 1:51 pm: Porkzila
The Aporkcalypse
Aporkcalypse Now
The Porkalypse
Obama, Pelosi, Reed and Geithner — the Four Hogmen of the Aporkcalypse
God's Own Trough
The Bottomless Trough
43 Thurston February 5, 2009 at 1:56 pm: Porkzila
The Aporkcalypse
Aporkcalypse Now
The Porkalypse
Obama, Pelosi, Reed and Geithner — the Four Hogmen of the Aporkcalypse
God's Own Trough
The Bottomless Trough
44 Thurston February 5, 2009 at 2:25 pm: The grimulus?

Sorry for the double posting — my error. But I claim that the extra post is in the spirit of the "stimulus" — why settle for just one when you could easily slip in another?
45 BoscoH February 5, 2009 at 2:49 pm: How about just "stimulus":

http://www.reason.com/blog/show/131517.html
46 TrUmPiT February 5, 2009 at 3:26 pm: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Say it and wild animals would not seem so ferocious.

Little did Keynes know that reciting this word would calm the "animal spirits" that he spoke about. I guess Nancy Pelosi is the new Mary Poppins. I bet she doesn't realize that either. A spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down…
47 Brandybuck February 5, 2009 at 3:40 pm: "Hope and change" really means "Hope I have Change left in my pocket after eight years of this."
48 Morgan February 5, 2009 at 3:45 pm: The MOAT (Mother of All Troughs).

With a definite nod to "God's Own Trough" by Thurston.
49 Len February 5, 2009 at 3:56 pm: If you don't try they don't buy. I say give the President what he wants. That is why the people elected him. If it works, good. If it doesn't we try again. If we continue the bull crap nothing good can happen. If we do nothing it can only get worse. Everybody is a critic Where are the wise men who don't run for office but hang on the rim with opinions but no solutions.
50 kuato February 5, 2009 at 4:21 pm: Suckubus
Hambonus