# Before the Nazis zoomed to being a buzzword **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 1, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993 "2020-08-01T15:53:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/1 "2020-08-01T15:53:37Z")
Everyone you do not agree with is a Nazi (2020)… I believe that before the Nazis became infamous, perhaps Bolshevic was used in the same way. I don’t know. But is there in history other terms that were used to deride folks with another opinion? ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/2 "2020-08-01T16:31:06Z")
Can’t say I have every heard Nazi being used the way suggested. One does hear it overused to describe any overly authoritarian behaviour. “Little Hitler” is another similar phrase. Bolshevism is more associated with revolution. The phrase “getting a bit Bolshy” was used in days past to describe behaviour of someone or a group that were generally being troublesome or a pest. Even children. But more seriously rooted in groups such as trade unions. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/3 "2020-08-01T16:45:00Z")
[There was a previous thread on this subject based on the name ‘Hitler’.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-hitler-before-hitler-was-hitler/698180) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/4 "2020-08-01T16:46:05Z")
Philistines. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/5 "2020-08-01T17:00:47Z")
I knew a guy whose father belonged to the American Nazi party during the depression. Apparently it was considered by some to be just another political party. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/6 "2020-08-01T17:02:34Z")
This questions comes up a lot. Prior to Nazi being used for generic bad guy, people commonly used Hun. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/7 "2020-08-01T17:10:32Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Philistines. Not really. A Philistine is someone indifferent or hostile to the arts. Now that may be true of Nazis, but that word mainly signifies a brutal authoritarian. Hun used to be such a term. Similar ones might be Tsar or Cossack. An even older term for a cruel ruler would be a Turk. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/8 "2020-08-01T17:11:25Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > Can’t say I have every heard Nazi being used the way suggested. We wouldn’t have Godwin’s Law if there hadn’t been some people who reflexively call everyone they disagree with a Nazi or compare them to Hitler. And it’s not new; Godwin’s Law was coined 30 years ago during the Usenet days. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/9 "2020-08-01T17:29:51Z")
I remember those days. Watched many such threads degenerate. Usually the association with Hitler or Nazism still came down to either comparisons to politics or policy, or via accusations of authoritarian behaviour. The conversations had almost always long since departed from the original disagreement. When people are yelling down their keyboard it is grimly amusing just how predictable their lines of argument are. Some things never change. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/10 "2020-08-01T17:57:19Z")
“Fascist” is lamentably popular (including among a faction of this board) for describing virtually any remotely authoritarian proposal or statement with which one disagrees. “Communist” was a popular expletive used against those supporting a greater government role on any matter, largely supplanted now by “socialist”. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/11 "2020-08-01T18:12:04Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > Everyone you do not agree with is a Nazi (2020)… Do you have an example? See, I do not agree with that statement. So, yeah… example, please. ---
**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/12 "2020-08-01T18:56:39Z")
The political dialogue has included this epithet innumerable times. Easiest one, current President Trump. Even though he is the greatest friend Israel has ever had among US presidents. Another example, one out of many: [‘I don’t like to be called a Nazi’ – POLITICO](https://www.politico.eu/blogs/on-media/2018/04/i-dont-like-to-be-called-a-nazi/) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/13 "2020-08-01T19:26:10Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > Even though he is the greatest friend Israel has ever had among US presidents Well that’s just… not correct. Not correct at all. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/14 "2020-08-01T19:36:34Z")
> [@bardos](#): > > Another example “…as well as to his abortive attempt to bring on tech writer Quinn Norton (the hiring was quickly reversed after Twitter posters exposed a friendship with a neo-Nazi). …” Well, OK, a few steps removed from nazihood. I can see why he’s sensetive. Close to home and all that. Anyway, your OP said it was everyone you don’t agree with. I don’t agree with that, and I’m not calling that to which I disagree a nazi. So it’s a false statement But I asked for an example and got one. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2020, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/15 "2020-08-01T20:27:30Z")
The Master did a column on something similar but I can’t find it. IIRC he said that Pharoah was the evilest bad guy before Hitler. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/16 "2020-08-02T01:46:18Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Hun used to be such a term British soldiers disparagingly called Germans “The Hun” throughout both worlds wars. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/17 "2020-08-02T04:36:44Z")
I asked a similar question on another messageboard. It was pointed out to me that (as anyone in the UK familiar with the TV sitcom Dad’s Army should know, which is most of us), before “little Hitler” there was “little Napoleon”. ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2020, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-the-nazis-zoomed-to-being-a-buzzword/916993/18 "2020-08-02T17:59:30Z")
“When people are yelling down their keyboard it is grimly amusing just how predictable their lines of argument are. Some things never change.” Indeed. So very true.