Talking About Economic Troubles Download MP3 (Right-click or
option-click the link.) I'm Susan Clark with the Special English
program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. In the nineteen thirties, a
song, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?," was very popular in the
United States. It was the time of the big Depression. The song
had meaning for many people who had lost their jobs. A dime is a
piece of money whose value is one-tenth of a dollar. Today, a
dime does not buy much. But it was different in the nineteen
thirties. A dime sometimes meant the difference between eating
and starving. The American economy today is much better. Yet,
many workers are concerned about losing their jobs as companies
re-organize. Americans have special ways of talking about
economic troubles. People in businesses may say they feel the
pinch. Or they may say they are up against it. Or, if things are
really bad, they may say they have to throw in the towel. A
pinch is painful pressure. To feel the pinch is to suffer
painful pressure involving mon