Tuesday, July 7, 2009

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.

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'.

mo'

• slang that means a lot or in an excessive amount.

Jeff got mo' booze for the party last night.
Trivia

What is kept in the U.S. Senate chamber in two small lacquered leather boxes decorated with Japanese figures?

• Snuff. Although it’s no longer used by senators, the snuff continues to be kept as a matter of Senate tradition. The boxes are attached to a ledge that flanks the presiding officer’s rostrum.

Today in History:

• California: was annexed to the US after a Mexican garrison surrendered; Hawaii was annexed 52 years later (1846, 1898)
• sliced bread: first commercially produced loaf was sold in Chillicothe, Missouri (1928)
• Hoover Dam: work began on the Colorado River project, then known as Boulder Dam (1930)
• Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini: was canonized as the first saint of the United States (1946)
• London bombings: explosions on a bus and in three Underground stations killed 52 (2005)

Today's Birthdays:

• Gustav Mahler (1860-1911): Viennese composer/conductor
• Marc Chagall (1887-1985): painter, printmaker and stained-glass artist
• Leroy "Satchel" Paige (1906-1982): hall-of-fame pitcher
• Robert Heinlein (1907-1988): sci-fi author of Stranger in a Strange Land and Starship Troopers
• Pierre Cardin (87): French fashion designer
• Ringo Starr (69): drummer for The Beatles; musicians Doc Severinsen (82), Warren Entner (65) and Vonda Shepard (46) were also born on this date
• Billy Campbell (50): actor, Once and Again, The 4400; also, actors Joe Spano (63), Shelley Duvall (60), Jorja Fox (41) and Kirsten Vangsness (37)
• Michelle Kwan (29): five-time world figure-skating champ