WORD OF THE DAY

If your car sports a bumper sticker that reads, "my country, right or wrong," you might be accused of being jingoistic, or of taking your love for your country way too far.

The line between patriotic and jingoistic can sometimes seem vague and confusing. Both adjectives describe a devotion to one's country, but jingoistic implies a fanatical allegiance that goes beyond pride, and often includes aggression toward other countries. The word jingo, "mindless, gung-ho patriot," arose from a popular 1878 song that praised Britain's warlike stance toward Russia at the time, and came into American use in the 1890s during the Spanish-American war.