Well, sometimes I think the official name for Texas should be “The Shibboleth State.” Know what a shibboleth is? The term is of biblical origin, from Judges 12. The Hebrews were in a war with the Ephramites, and since the two tribes looked alike, the Hebrews needed a non-visual test to tell friend from foe at the Jordan River ford. Some bright fellow came up with a password — one that the enemy couldn’t pronounce, because a critical phoneme wasn’t in their language. That word was “shibboleth,” meaning an ear (or kernel) of corn. If the person crossing the river pronounced the password ‘sibboleth,’ he (or she, I suppose) was wasted on the spot. Bloody bunch, those biblical-era folk, eh?
Anyway, the word’s found its way into semi-common usage, meaning a word — usually a place name — that “foreigners” pronounce differently from natives. I call Texas the “Shibboleth State” ’cause there are so darn many of ’em in the Lone Star State! If you pronounce a word wrong, then the natives know you’re not one of ’em, and you’re liable to get slain on the spot. Well, maybe not slain… So I’ve compiled a list of some shibboleths from Texas (and a few from other parts of the country) that might help you pass…
I have to agree with this person. Here are a few examples. I’m sure anyone who lives here in Texas could come up with some more.