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fifth column (fifth KOL-uhm) noun
A group of traitors acting in sympathy with their country's enemies. [From Spanish quinta columna, from the column of supporters that General Mola claimed to have in Madrid while he was leading four columns of his army to invade the city during the Spanish Civil War.] "I shudder to think what future generations may say about our obsessions with Area 51, alien abductions, astrology, `X-Files' Web sites, black helicopters and interplanetary fifth columns in league with the CIA." John McDonough, Today's Audiences Are Just as Gullible As Orson Welles's, The Wall Street Journal, Oct 31, 2000. "Everybody line up alphabetically according to your height." These words of Casey Stengel (1891-1975), U.S. baseball player and manager, sum up nicely the deep human need to arrange things in order, to sort, classify, and enumerate them. This week we'll see phrases that characterize concepts, in descending order from fifth through first. -Anu ............................................................................ I am not sincere, even when I say I am not. -Jules Renard, writer (1864-1910) Send your comments about words to anu@wordsmith.org. To subscribe or unsubscribe A.Word.A.Day, send a message to wsmith@wordsmith.org with "Subject:" line as "subscribe <Your Name<" or "unsubscribe". Archives, FAQ, gift subscription form, and more at: http://wordsmith.org/awad/ Pronunciation: http://wordsmith.org/words/fifth_column.wav http://wordsmith.org/words/fifth_column.ram
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