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jingoism: msg#00002

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Subject: jingoism

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The Word of the Day for February 3 is:

jingoism \JING-goh-iz-um\ noun
: extreme chauvinism or nationalism marked especially by a
belligerent foreign policy

Example sentence:
Albert Einstein found German jingoism in the 1930s so
objectionable that he left his homeland never to return.

Did you know?
"Jingoism" originated during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-
1878, when many British citizens were hostile toward Russia and
felt Britain should intervene in the conflict. Supporters of
the cause expressed their sentiments in a music-hall ditty with
this refrain:
"We don't want to fight, yet by jingo if we do,
We've got the ships, we've got the men,
We've got the money, too!"
Someone holding the attitude implied in the song became known
as a "jingo" or "jingoist," and the attitude itself was
dubbed "jingoism." The "jingo" in the tune is probably a
euphemism for "Jesus."






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