As seen in The New York Times, and lots of other venues, as a compromise to avoid panicking us peons worried about money while also imparting the urgency of our economic predicament.

Used in a sentence (from 2047): "Sonny, during the Great Recession, we still used fossil-fuel-powered mass transit, and we liked it!"

(word of the day/phrase of the day: I highlight a word or phrase, especially new coinages or clever usages, that tickles me)