the.com/slowdown
Momentum tapping the brakes instead of slamming them — the universe downshifting.
means A reduction in speed, activity, or pace — whether in traffic, an economy, or a deliberate work protest.
from American English of the early 1900s, fusing slow and down — first naming the labor tactic of working sluggishly on purpose to pressure bosses without the legal risk of a strike.
Sneaky strikeOriginally a protest where workers crawl, not quit.
Economic dreadHeadlines fear it as recession's polite older cousin.
Not a stopImplies motion survives, just embarrassed about its speed.