The passing of Alan Greenspan, aged 100, marks more than the end of an era. One of the most quoted central bankers, known for his catchphrases—much like the famous one-liners of Ronald Reagan, the US president who chose Greenspan to lead the Federal Reserve and a role that eventually defined his career. Much has been written about the 19-year expansion of the US economy that he presided over from his vantage point as the Fed chair before failing to anticipate the 2008 financial crisis.