In our inbox this week, we received this profanity-laced inquiry. Ahem:

I know I'm not the only one, so what the fuck does "subprime" mean anyway? Still confused.

No, potty-mouthed reader, you are not alone. Believe us.

To find out more, we asked one of SFist's closet pals. He's one of those ivy-league kids who now works in the banking industry, performing one of those insanely smart kind of jobs that continues to baffle us. His answer is rich, detailed, and thorough. Want to know more about "subprime," the Word of the Year? Follow the jump.