dollarshadow
/ˈdɒləˌʃædəʊ/nounVerified NewThe unofficial practice of mentally pricing, saving, and planning in a hard currency while officially transacting in the local one.
In a country with a wobbling currency, shopkeepers quote "like in dollars" and settle in local notes that reprice by the week. The national money remains legal; the hard currency remains real; citizens live in the overlap.
Etym. — dollar + shadow: the second currency as the economy's parallel self, present but unacknowledged.
Rel. — courtesypar
Novelty check: NEW · checked 2026-11-08
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