Great topic, Joe. It's just these kind of what I call "hidden bashings" or a word from Zande, New Guinea,
sanza (SON-zah) "disguised insult," that are one of the things that can make forum exchanges unpleasant. Interesting and thought-provoking to try to nail down exactly what feelings are being expressed by your oft-used "except Skater X"
sanza.
Actually your "except Irina" example has some elements of "disguised insult," but it's not the whole thing. The following word also does not define the whole feeling your example is getting at, but I find it to be a useful one when jealousy and envy are around. I bet you know it. It's a German word,
Schaddenfreude, (SHOD-en-froid), noun, def: "Joy that one feels as a result of someone else's misfortune." In your "except Irina" example it might be "hoped for Schaddenfreude." in that the person saying it hopes to feel joy when Irina does not win. (Note: I couldn't use italics everywhere I was supposed to because they messed up the setting of the post. Just pretend the italics are there
)
In the book "They Have a Word for It," author Howard Rheingold says this about Schaddenfreude: "Since this word strikes deep into the mysterious heart of the human condition, nobody is quite sure what the idea really means. Because it names the phenomenon but does not explain it, Schaddenfreude can be an all-purpose, tailored to your feelings at the time you see an opportunity to use it. The next time somebody trips and spills his popcorn, prompting your companion to burst into laughter and then look at you guiltily, you can choose a world-weary but essentially sympathetic expression and say with warmth tinged by sadness, 'Ah, Schaddenfreude.' Or you can look condescending and coldly say, 'Ah, Schaddenfreude.' Unless of course, you choose neutrality and shrug your shoulders, adopt a puzzled facial expression, and mutter, in a baffled tone, 'Ah, Schaddenfreude.'"
Off-topic but on the positive side, here's a Japenese word skating fans may like:
aware, (ah-WAH-ray), noun, def: "The feelings engendered by ephemeral beauty." For example, one might say, "Watching Michelle skate tonight was a real meditation on
aware."
So let's hope for a skating season of much
aware and minimal
Schaddenfreude.
Rgirl
