What it means: No, it's not what happens when you eat too much Christmas pud and then try to compress yourself into a slinky evening dress. It's what happens when the Government keeps going back to the same group of people in each budget, and tries to wring a few more pennies out of them. They're obviously not going to target the rich – get real – and they want to be seen giving the poor a break, so they're always going to go after the middle-earning section of society, who might just grumble a little, but will take the hit without a fight.
Squeezed Middle has been named the Oxford English Dictionary’s word or phrase of the year for 2011, beating such contenders as Arab Spring, occupy and hacktivism.
Where it comes from:Labour leader Ed Miliband used the term this year to describe Britons who were most feeling the pinch of inflation, pay freezes and cuts in public spending, but it was previously used by Miliband's old boss, Gordon Brown. The term was derided at first, but as the year progressed, and more middle-income people felt the financial screw tightening, the phrase began to take hold, until it now occupies the number-one slot in the 2011 word chart.
How to say it:"I used to be one of the squeezed middle – but now I'm financially a size zero."
