Make Your Point > Archived Issues > XENOPHOBIC

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"XENOPHOBIC" Pronunciation: zen uh FOBE ick Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like “large” or “late.” They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in “a xenophobic accusation” 2. After a linking verb, as in “The accusation was xenophobic.”) Meaning: Someone or something xenophobic is showing a fear or hatred of foreign or strange people or things. In other words, if you're being xenophobic, you're showing how much you hate or fear foreign countries, foreign people, foreign customs, and so on. Other forms: xenophobia (the feeling or the idea), xenophobe (the person) How to use it: Talk about xenophobic feelings, views, beliefs, and ideas; xenophobic comments, speeches, messages, and rants; xenophobic rhetoric or propaganda; xenophobic demonstrations, attacks, and violence, and so on. A person or a group of people, even a whole culture, can be xenophobic, act xenophobic, or just seem xenophobic. According to some psychologists, we start to act xenophobic when we feel threatened by outside groups; still, it's hard to excuse xenophobic comments like "They should learn our language or get out." It's easy to support artistic freedom and creative expression in the abstract, but then we bristle at paintings and songs that make xenophobic statements. Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You'll know you understand what "xenophobic" means when you can explain it without saying "fear" or "hatred." Think of the last time you were startled or weirded out by something foreign, and fill in the blanks: "Sure, I was caught off guard when I (realized/noticed/learned/heard) that _____, but I'm not xenophobic.” Example: “Sure, I was caught off guard when I learned that eating goats is normal in many countries, but I'm not xenophobic.” Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don't go straight to the review now; let your working memory empty out first. Playing With Words: This month's game is "Guess the real pop song title when I give you a long-winded, highfalutin version of it." All the answers this month will be titles of popular songs released no earlier than 2012. Try it out each day and see the right answer the next day. We're playing this in order to appreciate the simple, precise vocabulary of pop song titles, despite how often they are criticized for being sappy, trite, and simplistic.   Yesterday’s answer: A Single Additional Nocturnal Period” is really “One More Night” by Maroon 5.   Try this one today: “An Unidentified Substance in the Dihydrogen Monoxide” A Point Well Made: Lucy Larcom: “If the world seems cold to you, kindle fires to warm it.” 1. The opposite of XENOPHOBIC is XENOPHILIC. Another possible opposite of XENOPHOBIC is A. NARROW-MINDED B. TOLERANT C. UNEDUCATED 2. Despite organizing a _____, the group's leader insists it is not xenophobic. A. program to teach English to immigrants B. book club focused on foreign authors C. march against "Islamization" Answers are below. To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each day for free by Mrs. Liesl Johnson, M.Ed., a word lover, learning enthusiast, and private tutor of reading and writing in the verdant little town of Hilo, Hawaii. For writing tips, online learning, essay guidance, and more, please visit www.HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. C