Ultracrepidarian (noun)
ul-tra-krep-id-air-ee-an
A person who criticizes, judges, or gives advice outside their area of expertise.
First recorded in 1800–20; from Latin ultrā crepidam (also suprā crepidam ) “above the sole, beyond the sole,” from adverb and preposition ultrā ( ultra- ) + Latin crepidam (accusative singular of crepida ) “sole of a shoe, shoe, sandal” (re-formed from Greek krēpîd-, stem of krēpís “man’s high boot, half boot, shoe”) + -arian ( def. ); in allusion to Pliny the Elder’s adaptation of the retort that the Greek painter Apelles (360?–315? b.c.) made to a cobbler who was critiquing Apelles’ work, nē suprā crepidam sūtor jūdicāre “let the cobbler not judge above the sandal”; cf. the English proverb “let the cobbler stick to his last”
Example sentences
“The Internet is full of ultracrepidarians these days!”
