|
(ull-truh-krep-ih-DAIR-ee-uhn) Giving opinions or criticizing beyond one's own range of expertise. This marvelous, chastening word alludes to a story about Alexander the Great's favorite artist, Apelles. It seems that when a cobbler saw Apelles' drawing of a sandal, he criticized the way Apelles had drawn the latch, and the artist promptly corrected his error. Emboldened, the cobbler went on to disparage the way Apelles had drawn the subject's legs. At that point, as one ancient writer put it, Apelles snapped "Ne supra crepidam judicaret," or "Let him not criticize above the sole." (Crepida, in Latin, is "sole" or "sandal.") In other words, the cobbler was qualified to judge footwear, but not more. Centuries later, speakers of English began using ultra-crepidarian (Latin for "beyond the sole") to describe those who give opinions on matters they know little about, and ultracrepidarianism to denote that practice. This word's first recorded use was in an 1819 letter by William Hazlitt, who opined: "You have been well-called an ultra-crepidarian critic."
(YOO-vyuh-luh) The soft palate at the back of the throat. Ever wonder what that little droplet of flesh is called? Well, the Romans thought it looked like a "little grape," and named it with a diminutive form of their word for that fruit, uva. "'Oh and by the way,' she said, trying to sound casual, 'Have I ever shown you my uvula?'"
(uk-SORR-ee-uss) Excessively devoted to or submissive to one's wife. This word comes from the Latin word uxor, meaning "wife." "All I know is that ever since she started running for the Senate, he's seemed quite uxorious."
|