ultracrepidarian

English

WOTD – 17 February 2012

Etymology

From the Latin sūtor, ne ultrā crepidam (“shoemaker, not beyond the sandal (shoe) / i.e., let the shoemaker venture no further than his shoes”); see the Latin expression: Sutor, ne ultra crepidam (ultracrepidarianism) on Wikipedia. Compare Latin ne suprā crepidam sūtor iūdicāret.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˌʌltɹəˌkɹɛpɪˈdɛəɹiən/
- Audio (UK) (file)

Noun

ultracrepidarian (plural ultracrepidarians)

One who gives opinions on something beyond his or her knowledge (a person passing judgment beyond his or her expertise).

Derived terms

ultracrepidarianism

Adjective

ultracrepidarian (comparative more ultracrepidarian, superlative most ultracrepidarian)

Of a critic, giving opinions on something beyond his or her knowledge (expertise).
- 1933, Ellery Queen, The American Gun Mystery:
  [Inspector Queen] was the only person in New York who might be called, without intent to malign, an Ultracrepidarian critic. It was of the very nature of his job to find fault with small and insignificant details.
- 2010, Richard A. Lanham, The Electronic Word: Democracy, Technology, and the Arts, University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, page 55:
  Suitably daunted by ultracrepidarian angst, I record here some tentative readings in rhetoric's expanded domain and venture a few preliminary observations on their relation to the electronic word.

Translations

criticizing things beyond one's knowledge

Finnish: asiantuntematon