Ultracrepidarianism
Encyclopedia
Ultracrepidarianism is the habit of giving opinions and advice on matters outside of one's knowledge.
The term ultracrepidarian was first publicly recorded in 1819 by the essayist William Hazlitt
in a letter to William Gifford
, the editor of the Quarterly Review
: "You have been well called an Ultra-Crepidarian critic." It was used again four years later in 1823, in the satire by Hazlitt's friend Leigh Hunt, Ultra-Crepidarius: a Satire on William Gifford.
The term draws from a famous comment purportedly made by Apelles
, a famous Greek artist to a shoemaker who presumed to criticise his painting. The Latin
phrase, "Sutor, ne ultra crepidam
", as set down by Pliny
and later altered by other Latin writers to "Ne ultra crepidam judicaret", can be taken to mean that a shoemaker ought not to judge beyond his own soles. That is to say, critics should only comment on things they know something about. The saying remains popular in several languages, and is translated directly into the common Dutch saying "schoenmaker, blijf bij je leest" (shoemaker, stick to your last).
The term ultracrepidarian was first publicly recorded in 1819 by the essayist William Hazlitt
William Hazlitt
William Hazlitt was an English writer, remembered for his humanistic essays and literary criticism, and as a grammarian and philosopher. He is now considered one of the great critics and essayists of the English language, placed in the company of Samuel Johnson and George Orwell. Yet his work is...
in a letter to William Gifford
William Gifford
William Gifford was an English critic, editor and poet, famous as a satirist and controversialist.-Life:Gifford was born in Ashburton, Devonshire to Edward Gifford and Elizabeth Cain. His father, a glazier and house painter, had run away as a youth with vagabond Bampfylde Moore Carew, and he...
, the editor of the Quarterly Review
Quarterly Review
The Quarterly Review was a literary and political periodical founded in March 1809 by the well known London publishing house John Murray. It ceased publication in 1967.-Early years:...
: "You have been well called an Ultra-Crepidarian critic." It was used again four years later in 1823, in the satire by Hazlitt's friend Leigh Hunt, Ultra-Crepidarius: a Satire on William Gifford.
The term draws from a famous comment purportedly made by Apelles
Apelles
Apelles of Kos was a renowned painter of ancient Greece. Pliny the Elder, to whom we owe much of our knowledge of this artist rated him superior to preceding and subsequent artists...
, a famous Greek artist to a shoemaker who presumed to criticise his painting. The Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
phrase, "Sutor, ne ultra crepidam
Sutor, ne ultra crepidam
Sutor, ne ultra crepidam is a Latin expression meaning literally "Shoemaker, not above the sandal", used to warn people off passing judgment beyond their expertise....
", as set down by Pliny
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
and later altered by other Latin writers to "Ne ultra crepidam judicaret", can be taken to mean that a shoemaker ought not to judge beyond his own soles. That is to say, critics should only comment on things they know something about. The saying remains popular in several languages, and is translated directly into the common Dutch saying "schoenmaker, blijf bij je leest" (shoemaker, stick to your last).
External links
- An essay by Hazlitt on William Gifford.
- Online version of J.B. Priestly's biography of Hazlitt.
- http://worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-ult1.htm Quinion, Michael. Ultracrepidarian (2003).