Skip to content

Lingo topic · 28 terms

Slang and nicknames

Cable, Fiber, Loonie, Kiwi and the trading floor's private language.

A

Australian Dollar (AUD)Australia's currency, code AUD, nicknamed the Aussie, and one of the most traded currencies in the world.

B

BearA trader who expects prices to fall and may sell or go short to profit from it.
Big FigureThe leading digits of an exchange rate that rarely change during the day, which dealers leave out when quoting.
BTFDSlang for 'buy the dip': buying after a price drop on the belief it will bounce back.
BullA trader who expects prices to rise and buys to profit from it.

C

D

F

FiberTrader slang for the EUR/USD pair.

G

GrexitShort for 'Greek exit': the possibility, feared during the debt crisis, that Greece would leave the euro.

H

HawkA central banker who favours higher interest rates to keep inflation under control.

J

JobberAn old London term for a market maker who traded on their own account, quoting buy and sell prices to brokers.

K

Keep the Powder DryTo hold back cash and wait, rather than committing it, so you are ready when a better opportunity appears.

M

O

Old LadyA nickname for the Bank of England, which sits on Threadneedle Street in London.

P

PIIGSA blunt acronym for Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain, the eurozone countries hit hardest by the debt crisis.

S

T

U

UglyTrader slang for violent, unforgiving market conditions where moves are fast and painful.

Y

YardTrading-desk slang for one billion units of a currency.

Private Lounge

Learn the whole topic

Your Private Swap Lounge tracks which of these you know and quizzes you on the rest. Portal under construction. Expected delivery date is December 01, 2026.