golden thread
n.— «This reluctance to sign up for the army life is being ascribed partly to the merger last year of the six Scottish regiments into one, with the consequent loss of regional identity. This identity is referred to as the golden thread which would see today’s Scottish soldier risking his life in Basra under the same badge as that worn by his father on the streets of Belfast, his grandfather on the Normandy beaches, or his great-grandfather in the trenches at the Somme. It may be no bad thing that this golden thread is broken. It is no bad thing that our young people appear to have less of an appetite for war.» —“Not enough soldiers? Then turn to the Household Chavalry” by Tom Shields Sunday Herald (Glasgow, Scotland) Sept. 22, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
There was a time when William Shakespeare was just another little seven-year-old in school. Classes in his day were demanding — and all in Latin. A new book argues that this rigorous curriculum actually nurtured the creativity that later flourished...