Word of the Day: Tact
Paul Schleifer
Tact means “skill and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues,” according to the OED. Furthermore, the OED says that it enters the language in the 17th century and refers to touch; it comes from Latin (through French) tactus “touch, sense of touch,” from the verb tangere “to touch.” www.etymonline.com adds that the meaning we are most familiar with today is first documented in 1804, reflecting a parallel development in the meaning in French.
A minister was standing at the back of the church greeting the people as they left the service. Soon, up came a little old widow, holding something in her hands. When she reached the pastor, she said, “Here, Pastor, I baked this pie for you and your family.” He thanked her, and she moved on.
After finishing up at the church, the pastor got home to Sunday dinner with the family. After dinner, he broke out the pie; he cut a slice for each member of the family, and the dug in.
It was awful. They each had one bite and almost lost their dinner. The pastor then threw the pie in the trash.
The next Sunday, the pastor is standing at the back of the church greeting the people as they leave the service. Sure enough, here comes the little old lady. When she gets to the pastor, she asks, “How was that pie, Pastor?”
He smiles and says, “Pies like that don’t last very long around our house.”
*****
Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM, a fearsome army character with a Stentorian voice) is drilling some recruits on the parade ground when he gets a message that the mother of one of them has died.
RSM: “SMITH, YOUR MOTHER’S DEAD!” Smith drops down in a dead faint.
The RSM’s superior officer takes him on one side afterwards and tells him he should be a bit more tactful about such things.
RSM: “YES, SIR, I WILL BE!”
A week later a similar event occurs.
RSM, on the parade ground: “ALL THOSE WITH MOTHERS, TWO STEPS FORWARD!”
“JONES, WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING?”
*****
And here are some random quotes about tact (https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/tact):
Lincoln: “Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves.”
Isaac Newton: “Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.”
Oliver Herford: “Tact: to lie about others as you would have them lie about you.”
William Gilmore Simms: “Tact is one of the first mental virtues, the absence of it is fatal to the best talent.”
Samuel Butler: “It is tact that is golden, not silence.”
Wilson Mizner: “In the battle of existence, Talent is the punch; Tact is the clever footwork.”
And finally, Oscar Wilde: “If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they’ll kill you.”
The image is from The ITS Climate and Diversity Team at Penn State University.