Is ‘Shyster’ Anti-Semitic?

Sometimes the most common terms mean different things to different people. Meaning depends on context, as we lawyers well know. After all, interpretation is a large part of what we do. The New York Observer, for example, recently (April 21) complained about the National Review’s use of the word “shyster.” According to the Observer, “shyster” is a “deplorable and demeaning word,” “not acceptable in polite company,” “offensive, redolent with prejudice and hatred.”