English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

Euro +‎ creep

Noun edit

Eurocreep (countable and uncountable, plural Eurocreeps)

  1. (uncountable, dated) The spreading use of the Euro as currency in countries that have not officially adopted it.
    • 2002 February, Benito Giordano, “Euro (sceptic) land: a response to Pollard and Sidaway”, in Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers:
      On the other hand, so-called 'Eurocreep' (Economist 2002b) is not sufficient in itself to overcome reticence in the UK about membership of the Euro, which is why detailed debate needs to take place to inform people of the benefits of EMU ...
    • 2002, Financial Management, page 35:
      Drew warned of the danger of "Eurocreep", ...
    • 2004, Jonathan Sutherland, Diane Canwell, Key Concepts in International Business, →ISBN:
      Eurocreep has become a marked trend, particularly in countries which either intend to adopt the currency at a later date, or have intentions to join the European Community at a specified point in the future.
  2. (countable, by extension, derogatory) A proponent, in the 1980s, of closer ties between Britain and the European community.
    • 1983, Rosalind Miles, Danger!: Men at Work, page 198:
      'John doesn't speak any French', explained the wife of one highly-placed British Eurocreep, 'and his secretary is French, so of course that makes things quite difficult for him.'
    • 2011, Alan Clark, Ion Trewin, Alan Clark: A Life in his Own Words, →ISBN:
      The Eurocreeps have written for her a really loathsome text, wallowing in rejection of our own national identity, which has come up to me for comment in the trade context.
    • 2013, Richard Vinen, Thatcher's Britain: The Politics and Social Upheaval of the Thatcher Era, →ISBN:
      The Bruge speech of September 1988 did not turn out as the 'Eurocreeps' had intended. Instead of making the 'positive' statement on Europe that the foreign secretary had hoped for when he first suggested she make the speech, Thatcher delivered her most celebrated attack on the European Community.