Posted on 06/02/2005 4:52:40 AM PDT by secret garden
Word For The Day, Thursday, June 2, 2005
In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day".
shibboleth \SHIB-uh-lith; -leth\, noun
1. A word or pronunciation that distinguishes a particular class or set of persons from another.
2. A word or saying identified with a group or cause; a slogan; a catchword.
3. A saying or belief identified with a particular group and usually regarded by outsiders as meaningless or untrue.
4. A custom, practice, behavior, etc. regarded as distinctive of a particular group. / In the late '60s, however, the loud, open use of the "F" word became a true shibboleth, dividing the student radicals from the Establishment "pigs" they delighted in tweaking. --Elizabeth Austin, "A small plea to delete a ubiquitous expletive: can't we all get along without the 'f' word?" [1]US News & World Report, April 6, 1998
Newspapers accused the West of trying to foment anti-Russian feelings and revive the cold war, substituting the old "Soviet threat" with the new shibboleth "Russian mafia." --Michael Satchell, "Kremlin gilt - or is it guilt?" [2]US News & World Report, September 20, 1999
Most cases, she says, involve the charges of secular humanism -- a "shibboleth invented by far-right organizations and others who object to textbooks, library books and curriculum materials that do not promote their particular brand of religion." --Thomas S. Elliott, "Fight heats up over censoring schoolbooks," [3]US News & World Report, February 20, 1984
Class size is another shibboleth: First, small class sizes do not increase learning, and, second, class sizes have become quite small anyway. --Jay Nordlinger, "The Anti-Excusers," [4]National Review, October 27, 2003
This could not be stated, because the doctrines in the name of which the revolution was carried out -- and which, ironically enough, the revolution did so much to expose and discredit -- were too strongly ingrained as official radical shibboleths to which lip-service was still paid. --Isaiah Berlin, [5]The Sense of Reality
Christmas church attendance will be the last shibboleth of Christian devotion in Europe to fall: it has a wealth of sentiment, mid-winter cheer and good tunes to keep pulling the crowds. --Madeleine Bunting, "Paralysed by panic," [6]Guardian, December 20, 2004
Etymology: Shibboleth is from Hebrew shibboleth, "stream, flood," from the use of this word in the Bible ([7]Judges 12:4-6) as a test to distinguish Gileadites from Ephraimites, who could not say 'sh' but only 's' as in 'sibboleth'.
Rules: Everyone must leave a post using the Word for the Day in a sentence.
The sentence must, in some way, relate to the news of the day.
The Review threads are linked for your edification. ;-)
Practice makes perfect.....post on....
Good Morning Class. Welcome to School!
Here is my example with WFTD.
If the lefties can persist in the shibboleth of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, surely turnabout is fair play.]
Review Threads:
Review Thread One: Word For The Day, Thursday 11/14/02: Raffish (Be SURE to check out posts #92 and #111 on this thread!)
Review Thread Two: Word For The Day, Tuesday 1/14/03: Roister
Review Thread Three: Word For The Day, Tuesday 1/28/03: Obdurate
WFB's attempt to emulate us ; ) No pushing at the door please!
Come join the class party and wish gwmoore a Happy Birthday!
1?
BREAKFAST.COM halted - Cereal port not available
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Good Morning! Did you bring cupcakes for gw?
Please tell me you brought goodies for the party!
I'm sure gwmoore won't complain. Although I don't swing that way...
Morning.
Serious senators should shun the shibboleth "deal" sham shoved shockingly down their throats by the shaky seven. The sheeple should awaken, shake off the shoddy leadership of the McCainiac shills, shouting down their senatorial shinola, and seeking to elect straight-thinking strong conservatives.
(Sometimes I make an ESS out of myself) ;-P
What a great day to celebrate another year of life! Happy Birthday, gee.
An odd week for me. Found a pile of old "National Review" mags from the late 60's - early 70's, and I've been leafing through them. Only to have the Watergate hubbub resurface in the news.
What's most interesting is how nothing's changed. Except, of course, what was considered leftist fringe is now liberal shibboleth.
"Pro-choice" is the liberals' shibboleth
It stands, like a ninety-foot monolith
By the left's allocution
Part of our Constitution
Like most of their premises, fib or myth
Just GROSS.
Only if xs is banned from posting pix of yoko!
I second the motion
The motion carries!
Now I've got to get to a meeting. Will be back this afternoon....
I can't post my favorite cheesecake picture.
'La bonne cuisine est la base du véritable bonheur.' - Auguste Escoffier
(Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness.)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
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