The Week in Words: Freaking out, and an oligopoly

"Anyone who thinks this wasn't a catastrophe must be far away from it."

- Bob Dudley, who heads BP P.L.C.'s oil-spill recovery and will take over as chief executive officer

"I was freaking out for the first couple of minutes, but he sat down with us after the press left and made us feel completely at ease."

- Gloucester County business owner Brian Bovio, on meeting Wednesday with President Obama

"The oligopoly of British banks does not [impose] banking charges on customers. The quid pro quo is, they don't provide customer service, either."

- Howard Flight, a director at customer- and dog-friendly Metro Bank, on the bank's opening of a branch in London

"I think everyone in the region is trying to benefit from Chinese economic dynamism but at the same time is trying to make sure China does not become a regional hegemon."

- Greg Sheridan, foreign editor of The Australian newspaper

"Companies are spending, and eventually it will turn into employment."

- Ron Weiner, president and CEO at RDM Financial Group Inc.

"Signs abound that the economic recovery is faltering."

- University of Maryland business economist
Peter Morici

"The more I read about it, the more I think there are still going to be people who fall through the cracks."

- free health-clinic operator Mae O'Brien, on the federal health-care reform
"What gets people buying again? The answer is confidence - confidence in the value not falling and confidence they'll still have a job."

- mortgage broker Peter Buchsbaum, on why even 4.5 percent mortgage rates aren't spurring real
estate sales