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The word for today is…
shibboleth (noun) –
1a : a word or saying used by adherents of a party, sect, or belief and usually regarded by others as empty of real meaning
b : a widely held belief
c : truism, platitude
2a : a use of language regarded as distinctive of a particular group
b : a custom or usage regarded as distinguishing one group from others
Source : Merriam -Webster
Etymology : The Bible’s Book of Judges (12:4-6) tells the story of the Ephraimites, who, after they were routed by the Gileadite army, tried to retreat by sneaking across a ford of the Jordan River that was held by their enemy. The Gileadites, wary of the ploy, asked every soldier who tried to cross if he was an Ephraimite. When the soldier said “no,” he was asked to say “shibboleth” (which means “stream” in Hebrew). Gileadites pronounced the word shibboleth, but Ephramites said “sibboleth.” Anyone who left out the initial “sh” was killed on the spot. When English speakers first borrowed “shibboleth,” they used it to mean “test phrase,” but it has acquired additional meanings since that time.
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