From the creators of Brexit now comes 'flextension'

Top Stories

From the creators of Brexit now comes flextension

Despite a 24-month period, the negotiations between the UK and the EU failed to materialise.

By Vicky Kapur (From the Executive Editor's desk)

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

Published: Tue 29 Oct 2019, 7:00 PM

Last updated: Wed 30 Oct 2019, 4:36 PM

"Dad, I want two Apple shares as my birthday gift," my then-14-year-old told me in mid-October, a week or so before his 15th birthday. He'd done the math - across several conversations, he'd probed me craftily to arrive at an estimation of my budget for his gift. Apparently, he then googled the must-have shares in a portfolio, and picked a favourite. I must say I was suitably impressed even though I wasn't sure how I could invest in Apple shares - and only two - from here in the UAE.
Anyway, before I could act on it, he changed his mind and swapped two Apple shares for three Facebook ones. My predicament remained the same even as his choice of stocks changed once again, in a few hours, to Netflix. That's when I realised he was working his way through FANG shares, and Google wasn't on the table simply because it was way over budget. He kept oscillating until, eventually, the day arrived - and I handed him an IOU of the budgeted amount.
Being the father of a 15-year-old who can't seem to make up his mind, I can imagine the predicament of the European Union. The EU was, on Monday, once again tasked with ratifying an extension request by the UK, 31 months after the then-Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 and kicked off the two-year countdown to the UK's official exit. Despite a 24-month period, the negotiations between the UK and the EU failed to materialise into something that was acceptable to both the parties, and from March 29, 2019, the date for Brexit moved to April 12, then to October 31, and now, a 'flextension' to January 31, 2020.
Flextension is, like Brexit, a portmanteau - a word formed by combining two different terms to create a new one. I have a feeling that, like Brexit, which combines Britain and exit, and Bollywood, which is a spicy mix of Bombay and Hollywood, flextension - an amalgamation of flexible and extension - is here to be part of our water cooler conversations. There are a few more that Brexit has given us, including Brexodus, Brexthrough, Brexiety, Brexchosis, Brexiteer, Braccident and, my personal favourite, regrexit (regretting to have voted for Brexit!). Can you think of some more?


More news from