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Even the least cynical among us appreciate that it is in Barack Obama's best interest to paint as grim a picture of the current economic situation as possible, hence his announcement that the country is about to hit "a trillion dollar deficit." The only problem is, nobody really has a clue what one trillion means!

"At some point long before the hundred-billion-dollar mark," reports Time, "large numbers simply become figures on the page, well beyond human scale and intuitive understanding." But not to worry, a geek translates it in a way that makes sense to us: If you divided a trillion between all Americans, we'd each have $3,333. Spookily enough, this is the equivalent of our average personal credit card debt or, to describe it in a way meaningful to everyone, about what a new season Bottega Veneta tote will set you back.

How to Understand a Trillion-Dollar Deficit [Time]