Posted on 07/09/2009 4:18:17 AM PDT by secret garden
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 peculiarity of pronunciation, behavior, mode of dress, etc., that distinguishes a particular group of persons.
2. A slogan; a catchword.
3. A common saying or belief with little current meaning or truth.
Example sentences:
Accustomed to the veneer of noise, to the shibboleths of promotion, public relations, and market research, society is suspicious of those who value silence.
-- John Lahr
The fish oil shibboleth is only the latest to be overturned in recent years. Vitamin supplements and fibre have also been found to provide no benefits.
-- Nigel Hawkes, "Nice idea, but where's the proof?", Times (London), March 24, 2009
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", National Review, October 27, 2003
Etymology:
Shibboleth is from Hebrew shibboleth, "stream, flood," from the use of this word in the Bible (Judges 12:4-6) as a test to distinguish Gileadites from Ephraimites, who could not say 'sh' but only 's' as in 'sibboleth'.
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....
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!
Rise and shine!
Morning?
Whatever. Beginning tomorrow, I will be listening to the lilting shibboleths of Eastern Kentucky for the next 3 days. Reckon I’ll be going to a medical conference in Lexington.
Round, round, get around, you get around...
How would one define the shibboleth of a teleprompter? By the font used?
And how ‘bout 0bama’s shibboleth? The change of inflection and pause at the end of every phase drives me up the wall. (That’s one reason I hardly ever listen to him.) It’s almost like yo mamma saying “Don’t. Ever. Do. That. Again.”
The shibboleth, “Yes We Can”, ideally fits definition #3...
hh
"Rise and shine!" -- "... a test to distinguish Gileadites from Ephraimites, who could not say 'sh' but only 's' as in 'sibboleth'."
Could I get away with rising and sinning?
Having slept thru 5 different alarms at home this morning, only waking to nature’s call, I frenetically came to the office, sans wallet. Without my cardkey, even speaking a shibboleth at the steel and smokey glass doors would not grant me access. So I just followed someone else in.
Nuh uh. Get ahtta tahn!
In the fine tradition of “three generations of imbeciles is enough.”
r u still ahta tahn?
No, came home yesterday. Our subcontractors for this job were woefully unprepared, so we went back home to give them time to catch up.
Probably go back Monday.
more red roof points??? don’t be stilling anymore innernets neither! ; )
I suggested she should be wearing white robes instead of black.
speaking of white robes, did sheets ever get released from the hosp?
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