# Shibboleth: its a word! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 31, 2007, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shibboleth-its-a-word/431792 "2007-12-31T13:09:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shibboleth-its-a-word/431792/41 "2008-01-02T13:17:52Z")
[QUOTE=WotNot] Yup. Just the word to have handy when you suspect you’re dealing with an undercover Ephraimite: [/QUOTE] My absolute favourite part of the Bible, bar none. For the record: Swedes use “sju sjösjuka sjömän” in similar situations. No, you wouldn’t be able to do it. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shibboleth-its-a-word/431792/42 "2008-01-02T13:34:31Z")
Then there is the stereotypical “R” and “L” mixups with different Asian peoples. I can’t recall if it was factual or a spoof, but I remember reading that “Hula Hula” was used to try to single out Japanese spies who were amongst other Asian folks during WW2 - but that might’ve been in the same Ripley’s Believe or Not from when I was a kid… ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2008, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shibboleth-its-a-word/431792/43 "2008-01-02T13:38:58Z")
I’m surprised. It’s in the Bible, and I, too, saw that Ripley’s Believe It Or Not piece on it. But I’ve encountered many references to “Shibboleths” in random writings. I thought this was a very well-known thing, and I’m floored that people _aren’t_ familiar with it. We gotta beef up the Education-By-Stealth in this country. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shibboleth-its-a-word/431792/44 "2008-01-03T00:21:13Z")
> [@](#): > > whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead asked him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he replied, “No,” 6 they said, "All right, say ‘Shibboleth.’ " He said, “Sibboleth,” because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time. Slow learners, those Ephraimites. You kinda wonder what the 42,000th one thought had happened to the other 41,999 guys who had been standing there, just a minute ago. Hey, I know, I’ll check out the fords of Jordan! ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shibboleth-its-a-word/431792/45 "2008-01-04T16:19:34Z")
[QUOTE=Askance] Slow learners, those Ephraimites. You kinda wonder what the 42,000th one thought had happened to the other 41,999 guys who had been standing there, just a minute ago. Hey, I know, I’ll check out the fords of Jordan! [/QUOTE] True. It’s amazing they ever made it all the way to Ephraim Zimbalist, Jr. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shibboleth-its-a-word/431792/46 "2008-01-04T17:11:23Z")
Its a great, forgotten word-I want to make sure it stays in the language! Please use it! ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shibboleth-its-a-word/431792/47 "2008-01-04T17:32:23Z")
[QUOTE=ErinPuff] I learned it from The West Wing (it’s the title of an episode in season 2). [/QUOTE] Knew the word before, but saw that episode too. I thought it was a really good one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shibboleth-its-a-word/431792.md?page=2)