Word of the Day: Shibboleth
'Art thou an Ephraimite?'
shib·bo·leth ˈshi-bə-ləth
also -ˌleth
1a: a word or saying used by adherents of a party, sect, or belief and usually regarded by others as empty of real meaning
the old shibboleths come rolling off their lips—Joseph Epstein
b: a widely held belief
today this book publishing shibboleth is a myth—L. A. Wood
c: truism, platitude
some truth in the shibboleth that crime does not pay—Lee Rogow
2a: a use of language regarded as distinctive of a particular group
accent was … a shibboleth of social class—Vivian Ducat
b: a custom or usage regarded as distinguishing one group from others
for most of the well-to-do in the town, dinner was a shibboleth, its hour dividing mankind—Osbert Sitwell
It’s a shibboleth of modern political strategy that candidates should answer the questions they want to, not the ones that are asked, and Ms. Harris faces a unique challenge in this truncated presidential race of introducing herself to an electorate that in many ways still barely knows her. So she might be forgiven for leading with a blizzard of atmospheric biographical detail that makes some voters feel they can’t trust her to answer a direct question.
| Todd Purdum, Kamala Harris Is Great at Asking Tough Questions. She Should Get Better at Answering Them.