Some of you may remember the quizly disaster that ensued when I posted a misspelled word with classical originas origins and asked for its meaning. Wombats don't look any better with egg on their faces than do other creatures; hence it is with trepidation that I return to the lexical field for this week's quiz.
And yet, return I shall. The word which is the subject of today's brain-loosener is more than extremely apt, since it so aptly describes at least one aspect of this venue and your humble editor here. Therefore, after a careful check of source and spelling, without further a-do:
If one is said to be (either generally or in a particular moment) "ultra-crepidarian," what does this mean?
**A note to those taking the etymological approach: the usage of the word we seek is drawn from, but not equivalent to, its literal translation from the language of origin.**
First correct answer posted to comments wins a copy of Hamlet II: Ophelia's Revenge. No Googling, of course, and keep those cheatin' hands away from the OED. You may post as many comments as you like, but only one guess per comment, please.
Posted by BT at March 28, 2003 09:43 AMReally, really, really like a flat pancake rolled up and stuffed with goop.
Posted by: boxjam on March 28, 2003 10:24 AMI had some classical Orangina once, but then the company changed the formula.
Posted by: Gavin on March 28, 2003 10:30 AMGuessing:
Prolix?
Posted by: Gavin on March 28, 2003 10:31 AMRe: Prolix -- given the clue, that would have been a little obvious, wouldn't it?
Posted by: BT on March 28, 2003 10:34 AMI can't tell 100% if Bill's joking or if prolix was really the right answer. And anyway, I'm going to say you're a "giant jellfish", because I wish the clue were actually "ultra-cnidarian."
Posted by: Matt on March 28, 2003 11:08 AMI can't tell 100% if Bill's joking or if prolix was really the right answer. And anyway, I'm going to say you're a "giant jellyfish", because I wish the clue were actually "ultra-cnidarian."
Posted by: Matt on March 28, 2003 11:09 AMSorry, to be clear: prolix ain't it.
Posted by: BT on March 28, 2003 11:09 AMProne to walking around on shoes whose soles are so quiet as to be completely silent.
Posted by: KF on March 28, 2003 11:31 AMOkay, in that case:
"too clever by half"?
Posted by: Gavin on March 28, 2003 11:38 AMOr "prone to misspelling"?
Posted by: Gavin on March 28, 2003 11:39 AMOr perhaps,
"like unto a scavenger of knowledge"?
Posted by: Gavin on March 28, 2003 11:43 AMThat's all my guesses for now--unless it means "plagued by frequent references to the Whiskey Rebellion."
Posted by: Gavin on March 28, 2003 11:43 AMGavin and Kathleen should combine forces, as both of them have come within hailing distance, from completely different directions, of the target.
Posted by: BT on March 28, 2003 11:51 AMOK, I'm going to provide a clue: the literal translation is "beyond the sole."
Posted by: BT on March 28, 2003 12:59 PMreally, really short.
Posted by: Matt on March 28, 2003 01:11 PMOoh, ooh--in the seabed? Get it? I'm in a littoral mood today.
Posted by: matt on March 28, 2003 01:12 PM"better acquainted with knowledge from books than first-hand experience"?
Posted by: Gavin on March 28, 2003 01:28 PMGavin is on target with the notion that his has to do with knowledge, but otherwise his guess is off.
Posted by: BT on March 28, 2003 01:40 PMGod, I was even close? I was really kidding.
How about off the beaten path?
Posted by: KF on March 28, 2003 01:46 PMOoh, ooh--in the seabed? Get it? I'm in a littoral mood today.
Oh, man, that hurt.
KF -- it was your reference to "sole" that was in the ballpark. Off the beaten path isn't it.
"Wise with knowledge from far-flung sources"?
Posted by: Gavin on March 28, 2003 02:21 PMOr maybe just:
"a guy who knows a lot about feet"?
Posted by: Gavin on March 28, 2003 02:21 PMNope.
The word is in particular a reference to the story of Appelles and the cobbler -- Appelles being the favorite painter of Alexander the Great.
Posted by: BT on March 28, 2003 02:42 PMMan, I don't even know what some of the guesses mean. I'm so dumb.
Um...'having practical knowledge or street smarts better than book larnin'.
Posted by: boxjam on March 28, 2003 02:48 PMAble to deduce facts from small details?
Posted by: Jonathan on March 28, 2003 02:51 PMDescribing knowledge gained quietly.
Posted by: boxjam@planet-save.com on March 28, 2003 02:51 PMHaving leathery skin, as in cobbler's hands, shoes, or the skin of the scrotum or aureole; thus its secondary meaning, having knowledge of one's gender before one is born, in a Barneyesque sorta way?
Is that Matthew Barney or Big Purple Barney?
**Pictures combo of two**
**Smoke emerges from ears**
Anyway, nope. It is, incidentally, moderately pejorative.
Posted by: BT on March 28, 2003 03:53 PM>>Having leathery skin as ... the ... aureole
I don't know why, but that most unflattering description of the aureole will not be purged from my brain.
Ultra-crepidarian (adj.) - being proud of useless knowledge.
Posted by: boxjam on March 28, 2003 04:24 PMSycophantic, as in boot-licking toady.
Posted by: Jonathan on March 28, 2003 04:59 PMPedantic.
Oh, how my wife would want it to be this one...
There've been some close guesses but none have hit the mark.
I'll add this: many of the folks you see on the Sunday morning talk shows are displaying their status as ultra-crepidarians, and that fact has absolutely nothing to do with their political leanings to the right or left.
Posted by: BT on March 28, 2003 05:06 PMSpeaking at length when out of their depth? Not merely prolix, but actually blathering.
Posted by: Jonathan on March 28, 2003 05:12 PMHmm. Bootless?
Posted by: KF on March 28, 2003 05:12 PMProne to offering opinions as fact?
Posted by: Gavin on March 28, 2003 05:17 PMOr, similarly:
Speaking beyond the boundaries of their knowledge?
Posted by: Gavin on March 28, 2003 05:18 PMA late hit from Gavin as I type this, gets it more precisely than Jonathan's answer about going on when one is out of one's depth. This while metaphorically going in the other direction, is essentially on target, so you'll just have to share the glory. Essentially, the ultra-crepidarian opines on topics beyond his or her expertise. Always a favorite sport here.
The origin, incidentally, is supposedly connected to the story that a shoemaker criticized the painter Appelles for making a mistake in his representation of a shoe. Apelles corrected his mistake, but then the shoemaker made some critical noise about the rendering of the leg, to which Apelles rebuked him: "Don't criticize above the sole." Hence "above the sole" as one who is playing out of their league, expertise-wise.
Posted by: BT on March 28, 2003 05:21 PMUmngh [chewing], my half-loaf of glory! [Lip smack] How's yours, Gavin?
Pass the brie?
Not brie, you surrender-monkey wannabe! It's FREEDOM CURD!
Posted by: BT on March 28, 2003 05:49 PM