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I’m not Jeff Sessions’ biggest fan, but neither am I his biggest critic. When someone doesn’t like someone else, they usually think the worst of that person. Case in point is some criticism of what Jeff Sessions said yesterday.

The position of sheriff is an English office. The word sheriff is a contraction of the words shire and reeve. Most of us know that shire is another word for county. Some may not know that a reeve oversaw various functions in the English counties before there was organized law enforcement. Hence shire-reeve (sheriff); think the Sheriff of Nottingham chasing after Robin Hood.

No, the term certainly didn’t come from the word sharif, an Arabic word referring to nobility. Sheriffs were working individuals who answered to the nobility, but were not noblemen themselves.

So for those who think the word sheriff is Arabic, I have to ask: Did you sleep through English History 101? Or perhaps you never made it to college in the first place?

Thank you, Dr. Earl McGee!

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FVPOA posted:

Perhaps I should have said "at the time" shire was another word for county? Personally, I'm all for bringing back some old words, our language is shrinking. I read recently that the word "counterpane" was archaic. Obviously, whoever said that hadn't been to the hills of Tennessee.

I use the word addlepated, usually in connection with Democrats.  They have to look it up.

direstraits posted:
FVPOA posted:

Perhaps I should have said "at the time" shire was another word for county? Personally, I'm all for bringing back some old words, our language is shrinking. I read recently that the word "counterpane" was archaic. Obviously, whoever said that hadn't been to the hills of Tennessee.

I use the word addlepated, usually in connection with Democrats.  They have to look it up.

That's funny. I use the word dolt, usually in connection to you or other Republicans. Evidently, y'all don't understand it, yet.

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