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Catchword for “wasta”
Catchword: wasta
Gloss: the Arabic word for influence, personal connections; “pull” or “juice.”
Note: While not yet fully adopted as an English word, wasta is increasingly familiar to American soldiers serving in the Middle East. A previous surge in use of the term among Anglophones happened during the first Gulf War.
Filed Under:
Part of Speech: n.
Quotation: The vernacular has even followed the Army home: In the halls of the Pentagon, where nearly every Army officer has served at least two tours in Iraq, officers ask whether this or that official has “wasta”—Iraqi shorthand for “influence” or “pull,” though with a slightly more corrupt tinge.
Article or Document Title:
“Home Thoughts From Abroad” (URL)
Author:
Lawrence Kaplan
Article, Document, Publication, Web Site:
Slate
Date of Publication:
Dec. 26, 2007
This catchword has yet to be researched.
Posted 28 Dec 07 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

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