Waiting in limbo for Return to Jurassic Park? Whoop whoop

However, there is a faintly detectable, to my mind anyway, note of optimism to that view, an idea that the issue maybe resolved in a positive and, dare one say, beneficial manner.

Personally I prefer the Cambridge version: ‘an uncertain situation that you cannot control and in which there is no progress or improvement’ that carries with it additional notes of despair and hopelessness.

As the inexorable crawl towards Brexit unfolds, the latter interpretation seems more fitting especially in light of the comments yesterday from Danske CEO Kevin Kingston, a generally cheery man who has every right to be given that his bank reported profits of £92 million and income mortgage and business lending all up on the previous year.

“What we have seen is that larger businesses have been taking decisions to try to safeguard their operations, but the smaller businesses are far less prepared, making them the most vulnerable,” he said.

“At this point, I am gravely concerned about the challenges ahead should a hard Brexit become a reality.”

That prompted a response from Manufacturing NI chief executive Stephen Kelly who has effectively become the voice of the opposition in the province as our elected representatives spend time with their families, go skiing or whatever it is you do when you take an MLA salary but don’t actually do most of the things associated with it like running the country.

“Banks have a better sense of what’s going on within companies than most,” said Mr Kelly.

“They see how money flows, who is investing or bringing forward investments (critical for longevity), support innovation, market development and working capital. They know what cash is stockpiled.”

Combine that with the stress on the Good Friday Agreement; “devolution - cold storage, North/South relations - frosty and East/West relations - driving full steam ahead towards a Brexit iceberg” and there was just one conclusion he said.

“It’s not a great outlook.”