Austerity, diet of our lives, girder of our loins. At the moment, the word brings to mind the continuing crisis in Greece and, by extension, the power of the Germans holding the purse strings. Germany has been a big proponent of austerity measures, but German officials avoid invoking Austerität, preferring instead Sparpolitik, or ‘‘savings policy.’’ As it happens, the word "austerity" has it's beginnings in Ancient Greece.