What the Heck Is That?

Jan 07, 2019 · 4 comments
unwell (texas)
You failed to mention the Sabra and Shatila massacres as part of your definition as well. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/16/sabra-and-shatila-massacre-40-years-on-explainer
mikeyh (Poland, OH)
Thanks for defining Sabra. I can go back and put that in and hopefully solve the puzzle.
gideon brenner (carr's pond, ri)
Similarly to my experience: Israelis have always explained to me that Sabras are "prickly on the outside, but sweet on the inside," just like the prickly pear. The cactus is native to Mexico, but was imported to Palestine during Ottoman times, where Palestinians called it "al-Ṣabbār," or, "the very patient one." Like so many other words, it comes into modern Hebrew via Palestinian colloquial Arabic. Since the 17th c. Palestinian farmers have planted this cactus at the edges of gardens and yards as a barrier hedge, which also happens to give prodigious fruit. It also needs no maintenance and is very difficult to remove which is why to this day people use prickly pear cactus hedges to locate the remains of the 400 indigenous villages that were destroyed in 1948-49.
Lee Elliott (Rochester)
You should list the same kind of words for the Japanese. Born in Japan, First generation child of Japanese parents but born abroad, etc...