What's the difference between scintilla and tinsel?

Scintilla


Definition:

  • (n.) A spark; the least particle; an iota; a tittle.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) But there's not a scintilla of doubt in Kurzweil's mind about this.
  • (2) "I don't believe that the Conservative and Liberal coalition has yet come to terms with the fact that they've no mandate to run Scotland, no mandate whatsoever, not a scintilla of a mandate," he said.
  • (3) Its conclusions, a number of which point unerringly to the guilt of Sacco and none of which add a scintilla to the case against Vanzetti, are analyzed in this paper, which is in two parts.
  • (4) So whether any of the above is the same as wielding a scintilla of power or real influence over anyone but the already terminally idiotic is deeply debatable.
  • (5) Belittling comments like these don't warm Republicans' hearts to help Obama advance one scintilla of an issue in his second term.
  • (6) He says only journalists and politicians would be interested in putting names to salary numbers that look like lottery wins and there is "not one scintilla of evidence that such a policy would improve corporate governance".
  • (7) They are totally untrue and are not supported by a scintilla of evidence.
  • (8) The Abbott government trumpets turnbacks as the key to stopping the flow of unauthorised boats, and the Coalition is keen to exploit any scintilla of difference between itself and Labor when it comes to deterrence policies.
  • (9) Doctors have never been much given to saying sorry, presumably because to admit a scintilla of self-doubt would paralyse the scalpel hand while opening up the prospect of a damages claim worth at least a couple of hip replacements.
  • (10) Billy Hayes, general secretary of the CWU, said: "Shares will make no scintilla of difference to postal workers who are far more concerned about their jobs.

Tinsel


Definition:

  • (n.) A shining material used for ornamental purposes; especially, a very thin, gauzelike cloth with much gold or silver woven into it; also, very thin metal overlaid with a thin coating of gold or silver, brass foil, or the like.
  • (n.) Something shining and gaudy; something superficially shining and showy, or having a false luster, and more gay than valuable.
  • (a.) Showy to excess; gaudy; specious; superficial.
  • (v. t.) To adorn with tinsel; to deck out with cheap but showy ornaments; to make gaudy.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The tinsel coiled around a jug of squash and bauble in the strip lighting made a golf-ball size knot of guilt burn in my throat.
  • (2) Men dressed as Hindu deities, with tinsel crowns and tridents, wait for their turn on the stage.
  • (3) Imagine the biggest supermarket you've ever been to, then replace all the food with tinsel, artificial trees and decorations, and you'll be close to the spectacle that Bronner's Christmas Wonderland provides.
  • (4) Baubles and tinsel lose their shine Facebook Twitter Pinterest Sales of Christmas baubles fell.
  • (5) He’s a great leader, a great Australian and a great prime minister,” howls Reynolds, in a checked shirt, striking white beard and with tinsel around his neck.
  • (6) Britain’s retailers are hanging out the tinsel and looking forward to a bumper Christmas, with unemployment down, living standards finally climbing and house prices on the rise.
  • (7) This year, after the turkey and tinsel are put away, why not start small and plot a sustainable course for success?
  • (8) Ignoring my entreaties that you really didn’t need to dress up to go to a gig, my daughter had her hair tied up with tinsel, her best party dress on and a purple sequined stole.
  • (9) Silver frost on barbed wire, strange tinsel, sparkled and winked.
  • (10) So here we are in frosty, socially conscious Poplar, passing tinsel-garlanded forceps to the doughty district nurses of Nonnatus House as they tend to a flurry of imperilled postwar flimflams.
  • (11) The reason I am so non-judgmental of Hoffman or Bieber and so condemnatory of the pop cultural tinsel that adorns the reporting around them is that I am a drug addict in recovery, so like any drug addict I know exactly how Hoffman felt when he "went back out".
  • (12) Like most of his generation, he became infected by the mutant spores of rock’n’roll – Buddy Holly and Little Richard were favourites – but he also loved the tinsel, glamour and artifice of old-time show business.
  • (13) The duchess sat at a table with a group of children decorating picture frames with stars and tinsel flowers.
  • (14) Photograph: Alamy After two years of growing sales from 2011, sales of festive products such as baubles, tinsel and artificial Christmas trees dropped almost a third last year.
  • (15) We stopped, and Susie motioned for Mae to open a gate decorated in yellow Christmas tinsel.
  • (16) It was bizarre coming to work: there was the big Christmas tree up in the square, and every set was covered in tinsel and Christmas lights.
  • (17) At full-time golden tinsel exploded from the rafters at the Stade de France and it rained down on to the pitch.
  • (18) His penchant for pinstripe trousers, Cuban heels and chunky jewellery meant Davis stood out from his fellow BBC correspondents, as did the rumours of tattoos, pierced nipples (office nickname: Tinsel Tits) and a Prince Albert, which he has consistently refused to confirm or deny.
  • (19) Look under the tinsel in LA, they say, and there's real tinsel.
  • (20) Sue and Brian Legg, in their 60s, window shopping beneath tinsel banners in the George Yard shopping arcade, couldn't really see what the fuss was about.

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