This decade's most cheerful optimist

There was a very entertaining moment on BBC Radio Two yesterday when they interviewed the boss of AIG, who had just announced a $61.7 billion loss.

He said:

"But if you look past the loss, which is, admittedly, a big ask, the business itself is operating very well".

I like that: "which is, admittedly, a big ask".

I like the man's style. Ever optimistic, eh?

P.S: When did "ask" become a noun? (...Presumably about the same time as the creation of "doability" and my personal bête noire, "wellness". )