Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

Are Those Assets “Toxic,” “Dodgy,” “Devalued” or Just “Legacy”? "There's a widening dichotomy in the way industry observers describe subprime-related financial instruments, such as those included in the financial rescue plan the Treasury Department announced yesterday: what some call “toxic,” 'troubled' or “dodgy' assets, others (such as the current Administration) refer to as simply “legacy' assets. They've certainly been suffering a liquidity problem and probably performance issues, but are these assets truly 'toxic'? On the other hand, are they a gift, as the word 'legacy' implies?"