Posted on 07/24/2006 4:07:48 AM PDT by xsmommy
Word For The Day, monday, 7/24/06
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".
hoi polloi; n.
The common people; the masses.
Usage Note: Hoi polloi is a borrowing of the Greek phrase hoi polloi, consisting of hoi, meaning “the” and used before a plural, and polloi, the plural of polus, “many.” In Greek hoi polloi had a special sense, “the greater number, the people, the commonalty, the masses.” This phrase has generally expressed this meaning in English since its first recorded instance, in an 1837 work by James Fenimore Cooper. Hoi polloi is sometimes incorrectly used to mean “the elite,” possibly because it is reminiscent of high and mighty or because it sounds like hoity-toity. ·Since the Greek phrase includes an article, some critics have argued that the phrase the hoi polloi is redundant. But phrases borrowed from other languages are often reanalyzed in English as single words. For example, a number of Arabic noun phrases were borrowed into English as simple nouns. The Arabic element al- means “the,” and appears in English nouns such as alcohol and alchemy. Thus, since no one would consider a phrase such as “the alcohol” to be redundant, criticizing the hoi polloi on similar grounds seems pedantic.
Etymology: [Greek, the many : hoi, nominative pl. of ho, the; see so- in Indo-European Roots + polloi, nominative pl. of polus, many; see pel-1 in Indo-European Roots.]
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....
Here is my example with WFTD.
Condi has gone to Lebanon-- will theArab hoi polloi be receptive to her?
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!
yes, it's early. rise and get shining.
1?
yes indeed you are #1~
In Lebanon, the hoi polloi
On Hezbollah, are being quite coy
Though there are other views
Most don't mind killing Jews
Though now it sucks to be a "goy"
I'd rather be a member of the hoi polloi than be a dick like John Kerry and Theresa Heinz.
A+++ that is great!
and that is entirely thanks to the internet, isn't it? A++
Much cooler to be declasse ; )
oh i am supposing you were looking for a grade for that? ; ) A+
God must be quite fond of the hoi polloi since he made so many of us.
am leaving for 2 weeks of vaca tomorrow, crack o dawn, so i have places to go and things to do today. i will be checking in and beating the deserving, periodically....
William F. Buckley once said that he would rather be governed by the first 537 people in any phone book in the United States than the current group of politicians.
A+ i think he likes us with honey mustard sauce... i don't know why, maybe because the word for chicken in spanish is POLLO but i see a foodstuff in the word hoi polloi! LOL!
Morning!
The hoi polloi of the 'rat party
Obviously has no common sense
Every time they make a statement
They manage to look totally dense
Do they really believe the arabs
In Lebanon are innocent folk?
If so, then those moonbats
Are more than just a joke
They are truly out in lala land-
Or on a fantasy island cruise
If they believe "innocent" arabs
Would kill people for being Jews
I'm off to work-it looks to be a busy day-I'll be back later...
"foodstuff in the word hoi polloi!"
It does sound like food-Ensalada de Pollo, Caldo de Pollo or maybe Pollo con Fideo?
And thus, sleepy-eyed and uncaffienated, I say to you that those Totalitarians for social justice and whatever makes the US look bad that we call the American Left truly see themselves as the next ruling ogliarchy and choose to look down at us as the hoi polloi, the great unswashed, in need of masters.
(been drowning myself in fire news and the Israeli war live thread, but I haven't forgotten everybody here...just stretched myself rather thin.)
I think that instead of calling the Left the liberals, we should call them what they are. Thus, I have decided to call them the Totalitarians for Social Justice and Whatever Makes the US Look Bad.
Good morning!
So, you're joining the hoi polloi and taking two weeks to yourself, shirking your duties, your students, and your responsibilities? Good for you.
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