Depression or not?

Per the International Herald Tribune, the office of Prime Minister Gordon Brown now says his suggestion that the global economy was in a depression on Wednesday was just "a slip of the tongue." Brown had told members of Parliament, "We should agree, as a world, on a monetary and fiscal stimulus that will take the world out of depression."

The word choice left many twittering Brits puzzled, trying to interpret the incident.


@banksuk (London): So is it a recession or a depression, Gordon? First he 'saved the world', now Brown fluffs his lines again http://ff.im/UwAc

@codfather (London): Did Gordon Brown have a slip of the tongue or deed he really mean that we are in a depression? Worrying if it wasn't a slip


@StephenWinfield (Reading, U.K.): So, are we in "Depression"? If Gordon Brown's brain can't trust his mouth to deliver how can we trust him on anything else. lol


@martinejmartin (Leeds, Hull, & London): Was Gordon Brown describing the economy or his own state of mind a la Freud by using the word "depression" today? Jury's still out

Depression or not?