Gnomes of Zurich

Also found in: Idioms.

Gnomes of Zurich

A pejorative term for bankers in Switzerland. They acquired this nickname because of their reputation for discrete and indeed secretive policies. Harold Wilson coined the term in 1956 when he was the British shadow chancellor of the exchequer and believed that Swiss bank speculators were artificially weakening the pound.

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References in periodicals archive ?

"Then Jack turned to Jim and said how the Gnomes of Zurich had to be given what for."

Lord Brooks laid to rest in city he served

But then what do the gnomes of Zurich know about finance?

BANK ON TORY HELP

As in the phrase 'gnomes of Zurich,' which refers to bankers, gnomes are often associated with the world of finance.

Screening liberty

All that wonderful technology and the footballing gnomes of Zurich are still sitting around in the stone age resisting anything more technologically advanced than a whistle.

None so blind as them that will not see

The Swiss, whom the British deride as "the gnomes of Zurich", were now pointing an accusing finger at the British?

A theatre of the absurd: nothing is completely settled yet in Egypt. Nor even Tunisia, which led the way. But that has not stopped the people of Bahrain, Libya, Algeria, or Iran, Syria, and Morocco from listening to their own heartbeat. Inanity in the political affairs of nations will be ended

He wants the land of the cuckoo clock, the gnomes of Zurich and Alpine mountains abolished -- and the land shared between its neighbours France, Italy and Germany.

Gaddafi in bid to wipe out Swiss; POLITICS

Mind you, this is Switzerland, that neutral nation of cuckoo clocks, money and gnomes of Zurich.

Reality is a bitter pill to swallow ..

The Gnomes of Zurich, a phrase coined by a disparaging Harold Wilson in 1956, are not immune from the credit fall-out.

Gnomes of Zurich not immune from fall-out; Analysis

The day he played an idiot the Gnomes of Zurich decided to cough up on money stolen by the Nazis from their victims.