This cartoon by Andy Davey from The Sun relates to yesterday's shock revelation that Britain's economy has slipped into its first double-dip recession since 1975. A double-dip recession refers to a recession followed by a short-lived recovery, followed by another recession. Read more >>
The cartoon shows UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne on a big dipper, a fairground ride that carries people up and down steep slopes on a narrow railway at high speed. Some big dippers go through shallow troughs of water but the "Double Dipper" (an obvious reference to the double-dip recession) is completely submerged.
METAPHORS GALORE
The torrential rain, being underwater, the out-of-control ride could all be considered as metaphors for the parlous state of the UK economy.
VOCABULARY
1. If something dips, it makes a downward movement, usually quite quickly.
2. Another word for big dipper is rollercoaster.
ALSO SEE
• Double-dip recession figures mark another bad day for George Osborne (The Guardian)
• UK economy in double-dip recession (BBC News)
• Adams cartoon (The Telegraph)
