Sometimes discretion is the better part of being right
I enjoy a vigorously ranted pet peeve as much as the next professional pundit and have shared my share here over the years.
However, I’ve never had much patience for the pedantic.
Here’s an example today from my favorite political Web site, Talking Points Memo, that was prompted by the conservative whine festival greeting President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize.
Know in advance that this discussion will be a waste of your time, if not downright annoying: That’s my point.
jdb316: The right tact for the GOP to take would have been the one Pawlenty took: admit surprise, but offer congratulations.
Did you spot jdb316’s sin? If not, congratulations, you’re normal. … Our pedant is up next to help you out.
The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve: “Tack,” not “tact.”
“Tack” is a nautical verb, referring to the zig-zagging course a sailing ship uses to “sail against the wind” (yet another nautical term from the age of sail that’s passed into common metaphor). To get to your destination you would have to “change tack” at periodic intervals.
“Tact,” on the other hand, is, in the immortal words of Cordelia Chase “just not saying true stuff.”
Sorry, pet peeve.
Sorry, annoying, unless you’re a commie atheist or something.
commie atheist: I just love it when you get all pedantic. 🙂
Now the gloves are dropped, and, much like in a hockey fight, nothing of importance is settled while the combatants look childish.
JoeBobb: in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve: “You should get a pet peave that makes sense. Tact is the correct word to use. According to Merriam-webster dictionary:
“Tact: A keen sense of what to do or say in order to maintain good relations with others or avoid offense. From the latin: tactus (to touch)
“My pet peave is people correcting others when it is themselves who are wrong.”
A spelling error? This can’t help matters. … The benches empty.
Economides: in reply to JoeBobb: “You have tact or you display it. You don’t take it. NCSteve is correct, if peevish.”
F: in reply to JoeBobb: “Pedantic, I’ll show you pedantic.
“Sorry JoeBobb, ‘The right tact for …’ doesn’t make sense. Don’t think ‘right’ can sensibly modify tact in this usage. ‘The right tack … makes sense and I recognize the usage. Perhaps we can all agree on ‘The right tactic for the GOP would have been …’
midnight rambler: in reply to JoeBobb: “Probably part of your problem is that you have peaves, whatever they are, rather than peeves.
“Tact is something you either have or don’t; one doesn’t take ‘the right tact’ or ‘the wrong tact.’ Tack is correct in the phrase.
The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve: in reply to JoeBobb: “Obviously, I prefer Cordie’s definition.”
For what it’s worth — which is not much — NCSteve is right about tack. He just lacks tact.
Now everybody into the penalty box: five minutes, pointless fighting.
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