XYZ affair was a conflict that arose between France and the United States because the French people were not happy with the fact that the U.S reached an agreement (Jay Treaty) with Britain. This event happened from 1798 to 1800. To restore peace between the nations, President John Adams sent three representatives to France.
To their dismay, they were told by French middlemen, namely, Nicholas Hubbard, Jean Hottinguer (X), Pierre Bellamy (Y), and Lucien Hauteval (Z) that before they could see the Foreign affairs minister, they had to pay a loan and bribe. John Adams made the statement above when presenting the matter to congress. He termed those middlemen XYZ.
