http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-net-worth_individual
In one E. Nesbit book, a character who's identified as "the American millionaire" prefers to call himself "a man of independent means".
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I misread that as "euhemerism of the week."
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Willis, it seems like every other time you post, I need to look up a word that's in the OED or Urban Dictionary but not both.
-Mimir
What's euphemistic about this? It seems pretty straightforward to me.
It's a longer and less idiomatic but less socially charged replacement for expressions like "rich people".
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Alright, your story checks out: it's a euphemism. But is it a bad one? It doesn't really obscure the meaning in any way.
For one thing, it seems like an understatement. I would consider 200 grand a high net worth (at least for homeowners who haven't paid off their mortgage yet), but the term seems to be reserved for multi-millionaires.
For another, as with any euphemism, the use of the term seems like an attempt to squeeze the discussed notion (viz., wealth) past common prejudices that have ultimately legitimate origins. Why might we be delicate about the term "rich"? Because, I'd expect, extreme personal wealth reminds us of uneven wealth distribution and hence of poverty. Rich people who think they've merely gotten what they deserve by working hard, just like all Americans can get if they work hard enough, are deluding themselves.
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I always considered the difference between rich and high net worth to be the same as cash and total assets.
When I hear rich I think, "Oh, he has a lot of money."
When I hear high net worth, I think "Oh, he's got money AND lots of other things."
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Well, there is a new accent of n00b language. It's called: Vet LUEser goes Foreign!-MegaSpy22
Those must be the pants of the gods!-Digitalpython
I don't think there are many rich people who keep much of their wealth in cash, though. Better to invest it and keep your checking account full with the returns.
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Nice use of viz. Indeed it may be the viz of the week.
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Willis, it seems like every other time you post, I need to look up a word that's in the OED or Urban Dictionary but not both.
-Mimir