Ultracrepidarian
noun

- one who is presumptuous and offers advice or opinions beyond one's sphere of knowledge.

- someone who has no special knowledge of a subject but who expresses an opinion about it.

- noting or pertaining to a person who criticizes, judges, or gives advice outside their area of expertise.

Merriam-Webster, Cambridge Dictionary, Dictionary Com

— 
WORD ORIGIN

The word “ultracrepidarian” has a fascinating etymology rooted in an ancient anecdote about knowing one's limits!

It comes from the Latin phrase ne sutor ultra crepidam, which literally means "let the cobbler not go beyond the sandal." Ultra = beyond, crepidam = sandal/sole, -arian = English suffix denoting a person characterized by something

The term derives from a famous story about the ancient Greek painter Apelles (4th century BCE), as recounted by the Roman writer Pliny the Elder in his Natural History:

Apelles had a habit of displaying his paintings publicly and hiding nearby to hear critiques. One day, a cobbler (Latin: sutor) criticized the way Apelles had painted a sandal in one of his works. Apelles acknowledged the valid criticism and corrected it.

Emboldened by this success, the cobbler then began to criticize other aspects of the painting—elements beyond his expertise. Apelles responded with the rebuke: Ne sutor ultra crepidam (Cobbler, not beyond the sandal!).

Ultracrepidarian is delightfully specific and serves as an elegant way to describe those who venture opinions far beyond their area of expertise! 

—
The ultracrepidarian origin story can still be found in many languages:



- English  A cobbler should stick to his last

- German  Schuster, bleib bei deinem Leisten

- Spanish  Zapatero a tus zapatos

- Dutch  Schoenmaker, blijf bij je leest

- Danish  Skomager, bliv ved din læst

- Polish  Pilnuj, szewcze, kopyta

- French  Cordonnier, tiens-toi à la savate

- Italian  Non andare oltre la scarpa

- Portuguese  Sapateiro, não vás além da chinela

- Czech  Ševče, drž se svého kopyta

- Finnish  Kenkäseppä, pidä lestasi

- Hungarian  Suszter, maradj a kaptafánál

- Greek  Μη κρίνεις πέρα από το σανδάλι (Mi krínis péra apó to sandáli)

—
SYNONYMS

all hat no cattle, armchair expert, armchair quarterback, back-seat driver, babbler, bigmouth, braggart, bluffer, busybody, clever clogs, clever Dick, dilettante, dogmatic meddler, empty vessel makes most noise, full of hot air, ignorant commentator, meddler, Mr know-it-all, know-all, opinionated fool (layman), overconfident novice, playing doctor without degree, pontificating layman, presumptuous critic, pretender, pseudo-intellectual, pundit (pejorative), quasi-expert, self-appointed guru, smart aleck, smart-arse (-ass), smarty-boots, smarty-pants, someone speaking cobblers, superficial advisor, swellhead, teaching grandma to knit, unqualified judge, uninformed pundit, ULTRACREPIDARIAN, wiseacre, wisenheimer, windbag, wise guy

—

SMUGGLE
 OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

“If someone calls you an ULTRACREPIDARIAN, you can be a smarty-pants and explain the origin of the word.”

—
P L E A S E   S U P P O R T   O W A D