podsnappery means smug self-satisfaction and a lack of interest in the affairs of others. It carries an Arena rating of 1729, earned across 9 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, podsnappery ranks #502 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #893 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #1,289 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #1,412 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words.
Why “podsnappery” is a great word
Podsnappery is smug self-satisfaction coupled with a willful, almost aggressive refusal to acknowledge unpleasant facts or the troubles of others. From the proper name Podsnap (referring to the character Mr. Podsnap in Charles Dickens' novel Our Mutual Friend) + the suffix -ery (denoting a characteristic or practice). Coined in the novel, published 1864–1865. Unlike "complacency," which suggests a passive contentment, or "insularity," which implies narrowness born of isolation, podsnappery is an active, deliberate performance of dismissal. It is the dinner host who waves away news of famine with a gesture toward the roast, the patriot who declares certain suffering populations "not our concern" with a satisfied smile, and the mind that snaps shut like a well-oiled case the moment the world presents its bill—the luxury of those who have decided that conscience, like bad weather, may be kept outside by an act of will.
Etymology
From Podsnap + -ery, referring to a character Mr. Podsnap in Charles Dickens' Our Mutual Friend (1864–1865), in which this word was also coined. Podsnap was “conscious that he set a brilliant social example in being particularly well satisfied with most things, and, above all other things, with himself”.
noun
- Smug self-satisfaction and a lack of interest in the affairs of others.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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