ambiguous word

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Englishsz

#529824 Fri, 20 Jun 08 01:14 AM

His really big worry was whether the Fed should tell the world that its bias regarding future rate hikes was "symmetrical"or "asymmetrical ".

Their deliberations show just how much faith they put in their own jawboning as they haggled endlessly over the two choices.In the end symmetry won, meaning that the Fed had no predisposition either way regarding its likely course of action .

How to understand 'symmetrical', ' asymmetrical', 'symmetry', and 'either way' in the red text?

Many thank!

Englishsz

Joined on Thu, Dec 14 2006

Full Member (122)

Mr Wordy

#529840 Fri, 20 Jun 08 02:37 AM

As I understand it, the words are referring to the relative likelihood of the Fed putting interest rates up or down.

"Symmetrical" = rates just as likely to go up as down. In other words, "no predisposition either way".

"Asymmetrical" = a bias in the stated direction; rates more likely to go up than down, or vice versa.

Mr Wordy

Joined on Tue, May 27 2008

Regular Member (960)

Native British English speaker

Englishsz

#529847 Fri, 20 Jun 08 03:20 AM

Thank you for your help, Wordy.
Does 'symmetrical' or 'asymmetrical' refer to different attitudes of Fed meeting members on rates change ?

Englishsz

#529964 Fri, 20 Jun 08 09:41 AM

Englishsz

Mr Wordy

#530052 Fri, 20 Jun 08 12:54 PM

Englishsz
Thank you for your help, Wordy.
Does 'symmetrical' or 'asymmetrical' refer to different attitudes of Fed meeting members on rates change ?

As I understand it, it refers to the collective opinion, which will be some sort of consensus/compromise/majority arrived at by the individual members.

Mr Wordy