Question of the Day #1245

Why do people nitpick other people?

From the title of this thread at Quora.

  上記の文で、nitpickの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "nitpick" mean?

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
英辞郎によると、

1. 【自動】細かいことにうるさく言う、あら探しをする、いちいちけちをつける、重箱の隅をようじでほじくる、小うるさい、詮索する◆【語源】シラミ(nit)を拾う(pick)
2. 【名】あら探し

上記に語源が「シラミ(nit)を拾う(pick)」からとなっていますが、そこからnitpickだけではなくpick nitsということもできます。
また、他の変形としてnitpicker（名詞）とnitpicky（形容詞）があります。


 

Answer

According to :

1. intransitive verb
   :to engage in nit-picking
2. transitive verb
   :to criticize by nit-picking

 

Examples

1. You're always nitpicking - it's so annoying!
2. I do not believe that this is nitpicking.
3. Rivals can nitpick details in the paperwork and file challenges that sometimes force elections officials to review hundreds of signatures per candidate. — Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 22 Dec. 2024
4. People are sick of the Biden administration’s excessive overreach, including the intention to hire 87,000 new Internal Revenue Service agents to nitpick every aspect of their lives. — Carol Miller, National Review, 16 Dec. 2024
5. It could have been argued that there was no need to nitpick about the specifics and that the record alone should have been enough. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 13 Dec. 2023

   

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