Message-ID: <25446545.1075846758772.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 17:26:00 -0700 (PDT) From: wsmith@wordsmith.org To: linguaphile@wordsmith.org Subject: A.Word.A.Day--omerta Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: Wordsmith X-To: linguaphile@wordsmith.org X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \Susan_Scott_Dec2000_June2001_2\Notes Folders\All documents X-Origin: SCOTT-S X-FileName: sscott5.nsf omerta (o-MER-tah) noun Secrecy sworn to by oath; code of silence. [Italian.] "Roth wrote that Congress should take further steps to make sure IRS employees aren't held to a mafia-like omerta, code of silence, so they can `share information necessary for appropriate oversight and reform.'" Senator: IRS targeting whistle-blowers, Las Vegas Review - Journal, Mar 23, 1999. This week's theme: words from the Italian language. ............................................................................. In order to form an immaculate member of a flock of sheep one must, above all, be a sheep. -Albert Einstein (1879-1955) Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "Language is a city to the building of which every human being brought a stone." Invite your friends and family to join in the quest by sending a gift subscription of A.Word.A.Day. It is free! http://wordsmith.org/awad/gift.html Pronunciation: http://wordsmith.org/words/omerta.wav http://wordsmith.org/words/omerta.ram