Oddly enough, the word “dope” has several different, slangy meanings that don’t seem to have much to do with one another.
“Dope” can mean information, especially inside information. This is the sense of the word used in the idiomatic phrase “the straight dope,” (which, as Mangetout explained, means the honest truth or the real facts of the matter), which was taken as the title of the newspaper column that led to this website (as Wendell Wagner explained).
“Dope” can mean drugs (especially but not only “recreational” drugs such as marijuana).
A “dope” (noun) can mean a fool or stupid person. But “dope” (adjective) can mean excellent or cool—which is how the word was used in your American Idol example. So, calling someone “dope” is a complement, but calling them a dope is an insult.
Also, the fact that the initial attack of the war occurred on Yom Kippur is significant. The intent was to catch the Israelis off guard by attacking on a major Jewish holiday.
I’ve always found it amusing when history books refer to the Yom Kippur attack, or the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, as a dastardly ploy, but the same books refer to Washington’s Christmas Day attack on Trenton as brilliant strategy.
Seriously, it took me several minutes to realize that the OP meant that “Yom Kippur” isn’t English. You’ve got to love our gluttonous, omnivorous language.
Must have missed the October War part… I was tired.
Nitpick: Fast, not feast. And it’s the holiest day of the year, with even secular Jews turning off their electricity. That’s why Israel was attacked on that day… Most people weren’t listening to their radio, and were weak and tired from fasting.
