– Origin unknown, but the saying gained popularity after Pehr G. Gyllenhammar, CEO of Volvo, used it after the global stock market suddenly crashed in Oct. 1987.
I was in the QFC grocery store at Harvard Market on Saturday, and about to put in my credit card to pay for my items at the self check-out.
‘Attention, customers!’ came an announcement. ‘For the next 20 minutes, no credit card, no Apply Pay, no Google Pay can be used; it will be cash only’.
The in-store transaction server must have keeled over or frozen up; maybe it had to be rebooted.
Lucky for me I had cash in my wallet, to let loose— and vamoose.