Do you know what a sham is?

[CostaCosta]

Ds came home from school having learnt this word. I have never heard of a sham (only in the sense of abbreviated "shambles."

[lottiegarbanzo]

Great. Now, do we all know the difference between a folly and a Potemkin village?

[justhereforthecraic]

i originally come from a small town in Ireland and a SHAM can mean a local "townie" person.... usually well known around the town,. its like a nickname ! Sometimes locals might use it as a greeting.... "howya Sham!"

This takes me back to my days when i lived there and made me smile a lot!

[MsStillwell]

How strange nobody has already mentioned that sham is a synonym for mate in some places of Ireland.

[mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork]

Probably someone has already posted a link but here is (just one of many) dictionary definitions. It is a proper word, nothing to do with shambles.
dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sham

[justhereforthecraic]

@MsStillwell

hence my post above yours lol
cant believe nobody had mentioned it

[CareBearFan]

I do know the meaning of the word, but have an interesting sidebar: in the Middle East there is a large region called 'The Sham' (although it is often rendered as Cham). It includes Syria and names like 'The Sham Palace' can often be seen at restaurants (or used to be). Sham meant the North in that usage.

[CorianderLord]

Yes it means a fraud. 'The business was a total sham'.

[MsStillwell]

hence my post above yours lol. cant believe nobody had mentioned it

lol.