angels dancing on the head of a pin
English
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.
Noun
angels dancing on the head of a pin pl (plural only)Category:English lemmas#ANGELSDANCINGONTHEHEADOFAPINCategory:English nouns#ANGELSDANCINGONTHEHEADOFAPINCategory:English multiword terms#ANGELSDANCINGONTHEHEADOFAPINCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#ANGELSDANCINGONTHEHEADOFAPINCategory:English pluralia tantum#ANGELSDANCINGONTHEHEADOFAPINCategory:Pages with entries#ANGELS%20DANCING%20ON%20THE%20HEAD%20OF%20A%20PINCategory:Pages with 1 entry#ANGELS%20DANCING%20ON%20THE%20HEAD%20OF%20A%20PIN
- (figurative) The subject of arcane intellectual speculation—used as an example of a subject of enquiry in which the pursuit is of no value.
- 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:
- We are not talking about angels dancing on the head of a pin here.Category:English terms with quotations#ANGELSDANCINGONTHEHEADOFAPIN
- 1995, Julian Lincoln Simon, The State of Humanity, page 358:
- …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…Category:English terms with quotations#ANGELSDANCINGONTHEHEADOFAPIN
- 2001, William C. Gaventa, David L. Coulter, The Theological Voice of Wolf Wolfensberger, page 6:
- The issues Dr. Wolfensberger wrestles with and writes about are not intellectual discussions of angels dancing on the head of a pin.Category:English terms with quotations#ANGELSDANCINGONTHEHEADOFAPIN