Splitting hairs or Hair splitting
March 7, 2008 10:17 AM Subscribe
Looking for a word indicating 'infinite splitting of hairs', ideally with an affective component of 'these infinitely finer divisions are driving me nuts and I must STOP!' Will accept German terms.
Yiddish ok? Pilpul - Pilpul has escaped into English as a colloquialism used by some to indicate extreme disputation or casuistic hairsplitting. This usage has especially fallen into use among critics of Haredi Jews, impugning their Talmud study as non-productive.
posted by unixrat at 10:26 AM on March 7, 2008
posted by unixrat at 10:26 AM on March 7, 2008
Response by poster: These are thus far excellent. To refine: this comes from looking at modes, the circle of fifths, and the like in music, and from graph theory and symmetries in mathematics ("17 wallpaper groups not enough. Hah, take 230 space groups in 3-D. Want some more? Semiregular polyhedra!") Thus I can say I'm looking for more of an infinitely branched network, rather than a repeated arguement as 'ad nauseum' suggests.
Hey, I thought to look up 'infinite regression.' Wiki then lets me know about the Münchhausen Trilemma. ("Think you've just got a dilemma? No, it's a Trilemma!' Aargh!)
At least I got to learn about Metatron's Cube, which contrary to popular culture was not destroyed by Optimus...
I'm stepping away from the computer for awhile. Thank's all so much.
posted by dragonsi55 at 10:56 AM on March 7, 2008
Hey, I thought to look up 'infinite regression.' Wiki then lets me know about the Münchhausen Trilemma. ("Think you've just got a dilemma? No, it's a Trilemma!' Aargh!)
At least I got to learn about Metatron's Cube, which contrary to popular culture was not destroyed by Optimus...
I'm stepping away from the computer for awhile. Thank's all so much.
posted by dragonsi55 at 10:56 AM on March 7, 2008
In the book Foucoult's Pendulum, Umberto Eco coined the word "tetrapylectomy," meaning "splitting a hair four ways." This even gets a few hits on Google, suggesting that a few people have taken it up.
posted by adamrice at 11:15 AM on March 7, 2008
posted by adamrice at 11:15 AM on March 7, 2008
infinite regression?
posted by modernnomad at 11:17 AM on March 7, 2008
posted by modernnomad at 11:17 AM on March 7, 2008
Reductio ad absurdum?
posted by mumkin at 11:21 AM on March 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by mumkin at 11:21 AM on March 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Overlapping ideas: quibbling, pedantry, pernicketiness, nit-picking, hypercriticism.
posted by londongeezer at 11:35 AM on March 7, 2008
posted by londongeezer at 11:35 AM on March 7, 2008
Recursive Tonsorialectomy?
posted by jenkinsEar at 11:41 AM on March 7, 2008
posted by jenkinsEar at 11:41 AM on March 7, 2008
Best answer: German has a wonderful word for a pedantic type who loves to split hairs endlessly: Korinthenkacker 'currant-shitter.' (Linked German Wikipedia article has all sorts of delightfully dirty regional equivalents.)
posted by languagehat at 12:06 PM on March 7, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by languagehat at 12:06 PM on March 7, 2008 [3 favorites]
Noun
asymptote (plural asymptotes)
1. (mathematics) A straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely, but never reaches, as they go to infinity. The limit of the curve, its tangent "at infinity".
Derived words:
asymptotic
asymptotically
Not specifically what you asked for, but related idea.
posted by OilPull at 12:07 PM on March 7, 2008
asymptote (plural asymptotes)
1. (mathematics) A straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely, but never reaches, as they go to infinity. The limit of the curve, its tangent "at infinity".
Derived words:
asymptotic
asymptotically
Not specifically what you asked for, but related idea.
posted by OilPull at 12:07 PM on March 7, 2008
If "cavilling" is close, may I suggest "floccinaucinihilipification"? Even if it's not what you want, this is about as close as I'll get to using it this decade, so there.
As to hairsplitting and regurgitative analysis in music theory, I've always found it useful to coin my own names for scales and modes and see how long it takes someone to call me on it. Thus, the "big-toe-crian wholebone scale", and "cryptophrygian mode". The "diminished wholetone scale" is useful, too. You know, the one starting on the supertonic using the wholestep-wholestep pattern, not the one starting on the b7. ..
posted by lothar at 12:28 PM on March 7, 2008
As to hairsplitting and regurgitative analysis in music theory, I've always found it useful to coin my own names for scales and modes and see how long it takes someone to call me on it. Thus, the "big-toe-crian wholebone scale", and "cryptophrygian mode". The "diminished wholetone scale" is useful, too. You know, the one starting on the supertonic using the wholestep-wholestep pattern, not the one starting on the b7. ..
posted by lothar at 12:28 PM on March 7, 2008
Specifinicky.
(Oh, you wanted a real word?)
posted by kittyprecious at 1:43 PM on March 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
(Oh, you wanted a real word?)
posted by kittyprecious at 1:43 PM on March 7, 2008 [1 favorite]
Your infinite splitting makes me think of fractals. Maybe "fractalizing?"
posted by salvia at 1:50 PM on March 7, 2008
posted by salvia at 1:50 PM on March 7, 2008
"floccinaucinihilipification" isn't it. It means "describing something as worthless" -- I engaged in floccinaucinihilipilification when asked what I thought of the mayor's new plan.
"reductio ad absurdum" isn't it, unless you are kidding. It means "reduce to absurdity", and it's a term for a certain form of argument where you begin by assuming the opposite (not-p) of what you want to prove (p). Then you derive a contradiction from that assumption -- and from this, you conclude that your initial assumption (not-p) must be false. So you've shown that p must be true. This is not what you're describing.
"infinite regress" means an explanation that leads off into infinity -- what is the earth supported on? A turtle. What's that turtle on? Another turtle. (etc) This kind of explanation is a bad explanation in most cases, because you don't ever "hit bottom". But this is also not what you're describing.
A few other thoughts that are sort of in the neighborhood:
ad infinitum = to infinity
epicycles might be a useful metaphor -- when someone is introducing a lot of complication into a system just to keep it limping along. "baroque" or "byzantine" are also useful for this kind of idea of unnecessary complication.
"how many angels can fit on the head of a pin?" might be in the neighborhood straight dope column on this
"fractal" might describe the kind of movement from one bit to another, increasing complexity, but without ever really getting anywhere.
posted by LobsterMitten at 1:52 PM on March 7, 2008
"reductio ad absurdum" isn't it, unless you are kidding. It means "reduce to absurdity", and it's a term for a certain form of argument where you begin by assuming the opposite (not-p) of what you want to prove (p). Then you derive a contradiction from that assumption -- and from this, you conclude that your initial assumption (not-p) must be false. So you've shown that p must be true. This is not what you're describing.
"infinite regress" means an explanation that leads off into infinity -- what is the earth supported on? A turtle. What's that turtle on? Another turtle. (etc) This kind of explanation is a bad explanation in most cases, because you don't ever "hit bottom". But this is also not what you're describing.
A few other thoughts that are sort of in the neighborhood:
ad infinitum = to infinity
epicycles might be a useful metaphor -- when someone is introducing a lot of complication into a system just to keep it limping along. "baroque" or "byzantine" are also useful for this kind of idea of unnecessary complication.
"how many angels can fit on the head of a pin?" might be in the neighborhood straight dope column on this
"fractal" might describe the kind of movement from one bit to another, increasing complexity, but without ever really getting anywhere.
posted by LobsterMitten at 1:52 PM on March 7, 2008
Response by poster: Korinthenkacker
Floccinaucinihilipilification
Thank you all so much for your willingness to delve. Answers not only correct but bringing joy. And a tangent into comparative religion, as well. A complete experience.
The fractals are perhaps the most precise mathematically, while "pilpul" and "Jesuitical vs. Talmudic" touch on the spiritual crisis underlying the question. So as to bring it to an end (HA!) I'll click 'Korinthenkacker' for managing to touch the Germanic component as well as sheer bawdiness.
posted by dragonsi55 at 5:19 PM on March 7, 2008
Floccinaucinihilipilification
Thank you all so much for your willingness to delve. Answers not only correct but bringing joy. And a tangent into comparative religion, as well. A complete experience.
The fractals are perhaps the most precise mathematically, while "pilpul" and "Jesuitical vs. Talmudic" touch on the spiritual crisis underlying the question. So as to bring it to an end (HA!) I'll click 'Korinthenkacker' for managing to touch the Germanic component as well as sheer bawdiness.
posted by dragonsi55 at 5:19 PM on March 7, 2008
The German term "Haarspalterei" means exactly that (i.e. hair-splitting), it is synonymous to "Korinthenkackerei", but a bit less colloquial. Both terms have a built-in affective, derogatory component.
posted by The Toad at 1:29 AM on March 8, 2008
posted by The Toad at 1:29 AM on March 8, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by bonehead at 10:21 AM on March 7, 2008