Question: when was the term great depression first used
Answer: The term `` The Great Depression '' is most frequently attributed to British economist Lionel Robbins , whose 1934 book The Great Depression is credited with formalizing the phrase , though Hoover is widely credited with popularizing the term , informally referring to the downturn as a depression , with such uses as `` Economic depression can not be cured by legislative action or executive pronouncement '' ( December 1930 , Message to Congress ) , and `` I need not recount to you that the world is passing through a great depression '' ( 1931 ) .