Not too long ago, when screening emails of prospective new roommates, one of the candidates described herself this way: “I work at a marketing firm, I love Harry Potter and Desperate Housewives. I’m also a total chore nazi in the kitchen, because a clean home is very important to me. It’s just the way I am.” I didn’t write back, because, well, if we squared off, we might have a conversation I’d regret:

Her: Hey, did you leave that dish in the sink?
Me: Hey, did you gas my relatives?

Why is it that this particular murderous regime became synonymous with a clean kitchen? Phrases like “chore nazi”, “kitchen nazi”, and “dish nazi” turn up lots and lots of Google hits. At this point it’s become so widespread that if it bugs you, you’re liable to be branded as “too sensitive.” So, I’m not going to let it bug me. The more the merrier, I say. There’s nothing problematic or scary about turning a term for perpetrators of genocide into a morally neutral phrase meaning Neat And Tidy. Here is my roommate ad:

I’m a writer, I like music, and I’m a total Kitchen Klansman: I’m always scrubbing that grout to keep it white. I’m also a bit of a House Hutu, a Sink Serbian— an “Ethnic Cleanser” if you will! I like to keep a clean house, it’s just the way I am.

What? Stop being so sensitive.