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.
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…
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.
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!
True. It’s amazing they ever made it all the way to Ephraim Zimbalist, Jr.
Its a great, forgotten word-I want to make sure it stays in the language! Please use it!
Knew the word before, but saw that episode too. I thought it was a really good one.