A.Word.A.Day--Maginot line ,
 Maginot line (MAZH-uh-no lyn) noun

   An ineffective line of defense that is relied upon with undue confidence.

[After Andr? Maginot (1877-1932), French Minister of War during World War II
who proposed a line of defense along France's border with Germany. Believed
to be impregnable, the barrier proved to be of little use when Germans
attacked through Belgium in 1940.]

   "France has no shortage of linguistic generals who seek to regiment
   French and see an enemy lurking behind every new word or phrase. Yet what
   security do they bring? Franglais continues to infiltrate French ranks,
   despite a Maginot line of laws, word-vetting committees and diktats from
   the Academie Francaise."
   Ado Cherche Appart, The Economist (London), May 11, 1996.

   "Absent some sober rethinking, forward engagement is likely to produce an
   American Maginot Line around Asia's rim, as myopic demands to stay there
   automatically lead to costly missile defenses."
   Paul Bracken, America's Maginot Line, The Atlantic Monthly (Boston),
   Dec 1998.

This week's theme: eponyms.

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Pronunciation:
http://wordsmith.org/words/maginot_line.wav
http://wordsmith.org/words/maginot_line.ram
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