hundred-per-center
Definition
Noun:
A "hundred-per-center" (also spelled "hundred-percenter") is a person who is completely devoted to a particular cause, ideology, or nation, often to the point of extreme loyalty. In American usage, it specifically refers to someone who is a fervent nationalist, fully committed to their country's interests and policies.
Usage Examples
- (A person with unwavering, extreme patriotism.)
- (Devoted supporters of a nationalistic ideology.)
Advanced Usage
- "to be a hundred-per-center": to exhibit absolute, uncritical loyalty.
- In times of war, some citizens become hundred-per-centers, refusing to see any flaws in their nation's actions. (They show total, unquestioning support.)
Variants and Related Words
- Hundred-percent (adj): complete, total, or absolute.
- She gave a hundred-percent effort to the project. (She gave her full, undivided attention and energy.)
- Hundred-percentism (n): the belief or practice of being a hundred-per-center; extreme nationalism or partisanship.
- The era was marked by hundred-percentism, where dissent was seen as treason. (A period of extreme, unquestioning loyalty.)
Synonyms
- Ultranationalist: a person with extreme, often aggressive, patriotism.
- Jingoist: someone who supports a belligerent foreign policy and believes their country is superior.
- Patriot (in a narrow, extreme sense): a person who vigorously supports their country, but "hundred-per-center" implies a more rigid, uncritical form.
Related Idioms
- "To go all the way": to commit fully to a cause or opinion.
- She went all the way with her support for the movement, much like a hundred-per-center. (She gave total, unreserved backing.)
- "To buy into something hook, line, and sinker": to believe or support something completely and without doubt.
- He bought into the nationalist rhetoric hook, line, and sinker, becoming a hundred-per-center. (He accepted it entirely and uncritically.)