By bringing pencil sharpening out in the open, David Rees has lifted a taboo: he has given us all permission to express our love of pencils, to abandon ourselves to penicilophilia — a love that till now has always been slightly embarrassed to speak its name.
His conclusion: "If we know the Bible has content that is false, how can we believe any of it?" Unavailing as such exchanges may seem, they are a fact of life in parts of the country where for some people, taboos against voicing doubt have lifted for the first time.
The taboo has been lifted on national stereotyping and scapegoating – lazy Greeks, bossy Germans, chauvinistic French, haughty Brits.
Televised scenes of jubilation over the arrival of American troops in Baghdad appeared to have lifted that taboo.
However, I would like to thank you, Commissioner, and also thank the Commission, for finally having lifted a taboo.
Now, German states can set their own shop hours, and most have lifted restrictions during the workweek — though Sunday is still taboo in most places.
