NationStates Jolt Archive

The secretary of the Press office of the Transportation Department here in Spain is a twit. As a communicator, as someone who needs to keep the population informed of what the agency is doing, an agency that ultimately reflects on the image of the head of state, vocabulary managment is of the extreme importance.

To the point: is it possible that, in this date and age, someone like this person I'm referring to, doesn't know what xenophobia means? And for that matter, define xenophobia, NSG.

Is there a news link or something?

And as for being a poor communicator it is in my experience that a lot of bureaucrat's are poor communicators.

Fear of the Spanish?:D

Is there a news link or something?

And as for being a poor communicator it is in my experience that a lot of bureaucrat's are poor communicators.

No, this is something that happened to me like, 20 minutes ago. This lady asked, as if it was nothing, what did "xenophobia" means.

Fear of the Spanish?:D

*fish-slaps*http://media.bigoo.ws/content/smile/fighting/fighting_58.gif

No, this is something that happened to me like, 20 minutes ago. This lady asked, as if it was nothing, what did "xenophobia" means.

Yeah fair enough, I don't know but then again not everyone knows what all words mean.

And just on the side Nanatsu I noticed you did it in another post too, but there is no need for the "s" in mean.

*fish-slaps*http://media.bigoo.ws/content/smile/fighting/fighting_58.gif

Thank you. I'm now feeling just the right amount of pain and smelling slightly of cod

Yeah fair enough, I don't know but then again not everyone knows what all words mean.

But a person in her position. She should know. Xenophobia is quite the hot topic here in Spain.

And just on the side Nanatsu I noticed you did it in another post too, but there is no need for the "s" in mean.

Thanks for the pointer, mate.

To the point: is it possible that, in this date and age, someone like this person I'm referring to, doesn't know what xenophobia means?
Well, apparently, it *is* possible, no?
Which doesn't mean it should.
And for that matter, define xenophobia, NSG.
Xenophobia is either the fear or irrational hatred of foreign things, customs, and people.

.. and no, I didn't use any resource but that brilliant mind of mine.

Can't this person use a dictionary to look it up?

But a person in her position. She should know. Xenophobia is quite the hot topic here in Spain.

Ah I see I wasn't aware, now how high is the secretary of the Press office of the Transportation Department? Is it a secretary in the sense it is similar to a PA or is it the head?

Thanks for the pointer, mate.

Anytime :)

Fear of her:

http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~thomas/lists/images/xena01.jpg

Perdona-me, Sieptima Luna, pero no pude resistir!

Xenophobia? That's fear of a noble gas, right? Or maybe not.
I don't know what Xenuphobia is either, because I'm too poor.

Ah I see I wasn't aware, now how high is the secretary of the Press office of the Transportation Department? Is it a secretary in the sense it is similar to a PA or is it the head?

She's the press-head of that agency. In other words, she's very high-up the scale.

Can't this person use a dictionary to look it up?

She could. But I think it's easier to ask someone.

The secretary of the Press office of the Transportation Department here in Spain is a twit. As a communicator, as someone who needs to keep the population informed of what the agency is doing, an agency that ultimately reflects on the image of the head of state, vocabulary managment is of the extreme importance.
Speaking of communicators in politics, would you rather have Berlusconi? :D

To the point: is it possible that, in this date and age, someone like this person I'm referring to, doesn't know what xenophobia means? And for that matter, define xenophobia, NSG.

Xenophobia, noun.

Compound deriving from the prefix "xeno-" (from ancient Greek adjective "xenos,xene,xenon": stranger, alien. compare with th element "xenon") and the noun "phobia" indicating a strong, irrational, instinctive fear (from ancient Greek noun "phobos": fear, terror. compare with the name of "Phobos", one of the moons of Mars and a minor god in the Greek pantheon).

Xenophobia is the istinctive fear of what is different from oneself or from one's own group. It specifically applies to the istinctive fear humans have of other human beings with different characteristics or traits (phenotype, ethnicity, religion...) .

Xenophobia should not be mistaken with "racism" (which is a pseudoscientifical theory, not an istinct) or with "ethnical prejudice" (which doesn't imply necessarily fear).



...no, I didn't use a dictionary, nor wiki.

Can't this person use a dictionary to look it up?

You have to know how to spell a word before you can look it up.

You have to know how to spell a word before you can look it up.

Indeed, and she spells it with a z. Of course the x sound in Spanish can be a tad bit similar to the z sound. But come on. She is the one who writes press releases for the Transportation secretary. She must know how to spell.

Fear of her:

http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~thomas/lists/images/xena01.jpg

Perdona-me, Sieptima Luna, pero no pude resistir!

Wouldnt this be xenAphobia? ;)

Wouldnt this be xenAphobia? ;)

Not necessarily. Roots of words sometimes change a (few) letter(s). Indeed, "o" and "a" interchanging are one of the most common cases.

Wouldnt this be xenAphobia? ;)

...uhh...
Iirc my ancient Greek, the declension of Xena would be Xena,-es,-ei,-en. Hence xenephobia.

Not necessarily. Roots of words sometimes change a (few) letter(s). Indeed, "o" and "a" interchanging are one of the most common cases.

Not to mention that language evolves, constantly.

Fear of her:

http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~thomas/lists/images/xena01.jpg

Perdona-me, Sieptima Luna, pero no pude resistir!

Não se preocupe, meu filho. Está tudo te perdôo.;)

Hmm... doesn't the Spanish government use word processors? You'd think the mistake would get caught by a computer, maybe even fixed.

Hmm... doesn't the Spanish government use word processors? You'd think the mistake would get caught by a computer, maybe even fixed.

The thing is that she wasn't writing anything. She read the word and, since she didn't know the meaning of it, she asked. What baffles me is that she, being a press secretary, head of the press office of the agency in question, a word like ''xenophobia'' should be something she knows.

The thing is that she wasn't writing anything. She read the word and, since she didn't know the meaning of it, she asked. What baffles me is that she, being a press secretary, head of the press office of the agency in question, a word like ''xenophobia'' should be something she knows.
oh is she just a pretty face and nice voice?

if a reporter asks a question that she doesnt have a written-out answer for can she answer it?

Try the Japanese PM.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5659941.ece


Or Nancy Pelosi, for gaffes.

"500 million Americans will lose their jobs every month..."

oh is she just a pretty face and nice voice?

if a reporter asks a question that she doesnt have a written-out answer for can she answer it?

Pretty face? No.
Nice voice? Hell no.

She just has the ego-trip. She thinks she knows, but if someone asks her something she hasn't rehearsed, she can't answer for shit.

Pretty face? No.
Nice voice? Hell no.

She just has the ego-trip. She thinks she knows, but if someone asks her something she hasn't rehearsed, she can't answer for shit.
sounds like a recipe for disaster.

sounds like a recipe for disaster.

She is. Journalists here despise her for that. I have no idea why the Transportation secretary keeps her there. She embarrasses him almost on a daily basis.

She is. Journalists here despise her for that. I have no idea why the Transportation secretary keeps her there. She embarrasses him almost on a daily basis.

In a bureaucracy its not the best and brightest, its not talent, its not looks, and it sure as hell not brains that gets you to the top.

In a bureaucracy its not the best and brightest, its not talent, its not looks, and it sure as hell not brains that gets you to the top.

You can reach the top by sucking co... what?

You can reach the top by sucking co... what?

By sucking your lips together and firmly planting them upon the buttocks of your direct superiors.

You can reach the top by sucking co... what?

Or being really good at bending over...

Or being really good at bending over...

Or how good you... spread... your... ass...ets.

Or how good you... spread... your... ass...ets.

The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain...