# The Tsunami shibboleth **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 5, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198 "2005-01-05T14:53:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FriendRob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecc23a/32.png) [@FriendRob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriendRob)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/1 "2005-01-05T14:53:03Z")
I know there’s been a terrible tragedy and it’s stupid to be worrying about such trivialities at a time like this, but… What’s with **tsunami**? That’s what it’s been called in \*every \* news report I’ve seen. In English the thing is called a **tidal wave**. OK, it has nothing to do with tides. But **tsunami** is Japanese for “harbor wave”, and it has nothing to do with harbors, either. Why should we replace an inaccurate English word with an inaccurate Japanese word? Except that foreign words sound more intelligent than English words, I guess. It’s like the whole thing with **Neandertal** … ---
**Author:** ![Marathon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@Marathon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marathon)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/2 "2005-01-05T14:58:41Z")
[A previous discussion on this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=293992&) ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/3 "2005-01-05T16:06:55Z")
Hey, I know I’ve been posting a lot about the tsunami, but don’t drag me into yer beef on semantics. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/4 "2005-01-05T16:21:56Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Hey, I know I’ve been posting a lot about the tsunami, but don’t drag me into yer beef on semantics. And while we’re on _this_ subject–the plural for “beef” is…“beef”. How screwed up is _that_? ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/5 "2005-01-05T16:23:41Z")
No worse than mooses and meese. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/6 "2005-01-05T16:31:14Z")
And here I was wondering just how **Shibb** managed to cause a tsunami. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/7 "2005-01-05T17:02:07Z")
> [@swampbear](#): > > And here I was wondering just how **Shibb** managed to cause a tsunami. Sure, I’ve put on a couple of kilos lately, but are you calling me fat? ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/8 "2005-01-05T17:29:09Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Sure, I’ve put on a couple of kilos lately, but are you calling me fat? Not if you can cause that kind of destruction. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/9 "2005-01-05T17:30:56Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Sure, I’ve put on a couple of kilos lately, but are you calling me fat? Let’s just say, maybe I don’t want to be around you for a couple hours after you eat Chinese if you can cause tsunamis. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/10 "2005-01-05T18:34:23Z")
> [@swampbear](#): > > Let’s just say, maybe I don’t want to be around you for a couple hours after you eat Chinese if you can cause tsunamis. 😃 Memo to self: In view of recent tragic events, never treat **ShibbOleth** at a Thai restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/11 "2005-01-05T18:38:53Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Memo to self: In view of recent tragic events, never treat **ShibbOleth** at a Thai restaurant. A small poll, Dopers. Should we buy **ShibbOleth** [ul] [li]A Weight Watchers Membership[/li][li]Soap[/li] Or [li]Some Beano[/li][/ul] ? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/12 "2005-01-05T21:21:56Z")
Hey **Shibb** , you’re lookin’ good man. What, did you lose a couple units of displacement? ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/13 "2005-01-05T21:56:13Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > A small poll, Dopers. > > Should we buy **ShibbOleth** [ul] > [li]A Weight Watchers Membership[/li][li]Soap[/li] > Or > [li]Some Beano[/li][/ul] Well, if you buy him the WW membership, I’d recommend kicking in the beano as well. Eating healthy can, uh, cause some rippling of air, if you know what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/14 "2005-01-05T21:59:37Z")
\*\*[Beeves.](http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/beeves) \*\* ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/15 "2005-01-05T22:05:04Z")
> [@Rodd Hill](#): > > \*\*[Beeves.](http://www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/beeves) \*\* Well, at least **Rodd Hill** didn’t check in here just to abuse me. Unless there’s something snarky in the above [Ask Beeves](http://www.askbeeves.com%5B/url)? comment. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/16 "2005-01-05T22:08:07Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Well, at least **Rodd Hill** didn’t check in here just to abuse me. Unless there’s something snarky in the above [Ask Beeves](http://www.askbeeves.com%5B/url)? comment. I can’t think of any thing at the moment **Shibb** but the Indonesian government is respectfully requesting you stay away from Mexican food from now on. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/17 "2005-01-05T22:14:02Z")
A couple of the afterfarts have sent entire villages scurrying. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/18 "2005-01-05T22:33:47Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > A couple of the afterfarts have sent entire villages scurrying. Just for **Shibb** I gotta give this a: \ ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-tsunami-shibboleth/283198/19 "2005-01-05T22:40:59Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Sure, I’ve put on a couple of kilos lately, Kilo_Tons?_ Kilo_Grams?_ Kilo_METERS!??_