Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CHOP-LOGIC

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connect today's word to others: In Romeo and Juliet, remember when Juliet's dad tells her she has to marry Paris, and she flips out? She says:      "Not proud you have, but thankful that you have.      Proud can I never be of what I hate,      But thankful even for hate that is meant love." Confused and annoyed, he says:      "How, how, how, how? Chopped logic! What is this?" In other words, Juliet, you're talking nonsense. Like it sounds, however you write it--logic chopping, chopping logic, chopped logic, chop-logic, or choplogic--it's the worst kind of logic, a kind of arguing that nitpicks fussily at fine points, using bad reasoning or shallow knowledge. It's bull. Let's say that another way. First, chop-logic is fussy: it's h______tting, insisting on fine differences that don't matter in the least. Second, chop-logic is sophistic: it's sc____stic, relying on shallow knowledge that parades itself as deep. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "CHOP-LOGIC" Chop-logic is arguing with bad reasoning and too much focus on small, unimportant differences. Pronunciation: CHOP LODGE ick Part of speech: Uncountable noun. (Like "milk," "rice," and "advice," uncountable nouns are words for stuff that can’t be broken into exact units. You talk about "some milk," "the rice," and "a lot of advice," but you don’t say "a milk," "three rices," or "many advices." Likewise, talk about "the chop-logic," "this chop-logic," "their chop-logic," "such chop-logic," "no chop-logic," and so on, but don’t say "a chop-logic," "one chop-logic," or "chop-logics.") Other forms: "Chop-logics" are people who argue in a fussy, sophistic way. For an adjective, use "logic-chopping," "chop-logical," or just "chop-logic" itself. And, notice all the different ways to express the action: call it logic chopping, chopping logic, chopped logic, chop-logic, or choplogic.  How to use it: This word has a critical tone. Talk about a person's chop-logic, the chop-logic of some publication, the chop-logic about some issue, or ideas that were invented, developed, or expressed with chop-logic. You can say you brook no chop-logic, dismiss something as chop-logic, point out how some distinction is (or is not) just a matter of chop-logic, etc.  And to use the adjective, talk about chop-logic (or chop-logical or logic-chopping) speakers, writers, comments, analyses, publications, tactics, etc. examples: The most entertaining things about Big Bang Theory are Sheldon's wide-eyed chop-logic and his obliviousness to how it taxes his friends' patience. "In all of academia, there is no shibboleth held in higher regard than the proposition that women are, in all matters involving the intellect, the exact equal of men. Not just roughly equal, you understand, but exactly equal. Nor can there be any choplogic about women possessing higher verbal skills, but men being superior in the sciences, or what have you."    — William Rusher, The Decatur Daily Democrat, 2 March 2005 study it now: Look away from the screen to define "chop-logic" without saying "nitpicking" or "specious." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "_____ got into another chop-logic squabble over _____." Example: "Robby and Todd got into another chop-logic squabble over what constitutes a parka vs. an anorak." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is "A Doodad Named After a Thingamajig." If I give you two categories, X and Y, can you think of an X that was named after a Y? We'll start off easy--these first few questions will have lots of correct answers each that you might think up--and we'll work our way toward harder questions that, as far as I know, have only one correct answer each. From the previous issue: Can you think of a sea creature named after a land-dwelling creature? Possible answers include catfish, lionfish, sea lions, seahorses, and zebra sharks. Try this one today: Can you think of a prepared dish named after a person? review today's word: 1. A few close opposites of CHOP-LOGICAL are A. GENTLE and THOUGHTFUL. B. SMOOTH and ORDERLY. C. WISE and RELEVANT. 2. With their chop-logic focus on the right to free speech, they _____ the conversation. A. propel B. enrich C. derail Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. C