The Veil

[lankeela]

Is there only one veil? We are constantly hearing on the TV and Radio about Muslim women wearing 'the veil' - surely it should be 'veils' unless there really is only one and they take it in turns...

Just as a matter of no interest I passed the 100 question mark tonight - this is number 101.

[raysparx1]

wait till a bank robbery occurs by some blokes dressed up with them on, how are they gonna pick them out in an identity parade.

Err what did they look like ? umm they had a veil on, I think I would recognise it !!!!

[Quizmonster]

100 questions? Much too inquisitive, L! This particular one is in jest, I assume...the word 'the' is often used to represent a much wider matter than just something singular. 'The cloth' = clergy as does 'the church' and so on.

[bustergutt]

On the news last night 2 items, a criminal on the run evaded police while he wore a veil, another was a woman who was told to go straight through airport security without being checked, She was wearing a full veil!

[RogK]

"The Veil" is a sort of collective thing and emphasises the fact that amongst a certain group of people it's a universal item of clothing. Nuns, I think, are referred to as "taking the veil" when they join an order.