I Sound Smarter than You!

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Next time you are at a dinner party/social event and someone brings up xenophobia in modern society, casually drop the following term: fremdenfeinlichkeit.

You will have guessed that fremdenfeinlichkeit is a german word. You will NOT have guessed that it literally means hostility to strangers. You could easily argue that fremdenfeinlichkeit can be considered more accurate, since hostility towards strangers is not necessarily a phobia or irrational fear.

Here is an example of its use in a particularly cunning manner.

Sycophantic Backstabber: Well, I agree that many Western European societies are having great difficulties adapting newly arrived immigrants, either adapting to them or having them adapt. But can we really be surprised considering this very civilization invented the term xenophobia?

Lucky Lucille: Hahaha, you're so witty! I took a class on xenophobia and we studied a very interesting comparison between pre and post-modern xenophobic attitudes.

Sycophantic Backstabber: Hmmm, that is quite intriguing. Although I hasten to add that I find the term xenophobia to be inadequate to the task. The German fremdenfeindlichkeit is easily more appropriate and accurate. After all, hostily to strangers is not necessarily a phobia or an irrational fear.



*** The preceding example showed us both a proper use and an adroit use, having stealthily inserted xenophobia in the conversation with the sole purpose of correcting it with our new word.

I Sound Smarter than You! Works for me, works for you!