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In another thread, tsuwm says he has a watchword. Exactly what IS a watchword, in practical terms? Does everyone have the same interpretation?
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probably not, since it has a couple of major senses...
()
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Jackie asks: what is a watchword? That's easy. My dictionary says:"a word or phrase embodying a principle or precept, esp. as the slogan or cry of a group or party".
Less easy, what should our watchword be?
And let us all have a word watch, always alert for words worth making posts of here in AWADtalk.
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watchword
word watch
Sweet, in both the phrasing and the sentiment.
May I add, and let us watch our words?
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isn't a watch word, a code word? as you go on patol, or watch, you are told the word of the day. when you detect an intruder, to tell friend from foe-- you ask him the watch word..
if he knows it, he is friend- if he doesn't a foe..
a watch word could be a shibboleth.. of sorts.
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Dear Ken: On searching I found "shibboleth" had been mentioned perhaps a dozen times. I didn't read all of them, but I think it highly probable that you can give a much better discussion, for the benefit of the many new members who may never have heard the original story about it. Proceed, please.
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Okay, I had to look up shibboleth. Atomica says it's ultimately from a Hebrew word meaning torrent of water, and was used to discern one tribe from another. Hmm...[mental gears ticking]...in an arid land, people would have made their homes around a source of water, if possible; so, perhaps this is comparable to a family today saying, "Hi, we're the Smiths from Bubbling Springs"? Does that sound reasonable?
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Dear Jackie: I am astounded that after going to Sunday school only until my voice changed and I got kicked out of the choir, I remember so clearly about the war between two tribes of Jews.
the test word used by the men of Gilead to distinguish the escaping Ephraimites, who pronounced the initial (sh) as (s): Judg. 12:4-6
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the war between two tribes Good that the world is a better place nowadays, eh Bill?  No-one would dream of going to war in the Middle East over trivial little differences that mean bugger-all to other citizens of the world.
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