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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

angels dancing on the head of a pin en · NOUN

Etymology

An allusion to the theological question, How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?—a question cited to debunk mediaeval angelology in particular, and scholasticism in general. The point is that explorative discussions that the discussants consider important can be academic in both senses of that word—not only arcane, but also irrelevant.

Meanings

  1. (figuratively, plural, plural-only) The subject of arcane intellectual speculation—used as an example of a subject of enquiry in which the pursuit is of no value.
    • …logically indistinguishable from the argument that because we do not know at what rate the angels dancing on the head of a pin are dying off… 1995, Julian Lincoln Simon, The State of Humanity, page 358:
    • The issues Dr. Wolfensberger wrestles with and writes about are not intellectual discussions of angels dancing on the head of a pin. 2001, William C. Gaventa, David L. Coulter, The Theological Voice of Wolf Wolfensberger, page 6:
    • We are not talking about angels dancing on the head of a pin here. 1965, United States Congress House Government Operations, Procurement of a Cryogenic Cooling System for Fighter Aircraft: Hearing, 89-1, June 8–9, 1965, page 47:

Relateds

count angels on pinheads · angels-dancing-on-the-head-of-a-pin

Translations (9)

fr sexe des anges (arcane intellectual speculation) · es el sexo de los ángeles (arcane intellectual speculation) · fr querelle byzantine (arcane intellectual speculation) · fr le sexe des anges (arcane intellectual speculation) · it il sesso degli angeli (arcane intellectual speculation) · pt sexo dos anjos (arcane intellectual speculation) · pt o sexo dos anjos (arcane intellectual speculation) · fi neulan kärjellä tanssivat enkelit (arcane intellectual speculation) · pl strata czasu (arcane intellectual speculation)