punctilio

PUNCTILIO

to stand upon punctilios *minutius et scrupulosius (Quint.) agere or res tractare: don’t let us stand on punctilios with these matters cum his non magnopere pugnemus; in his rebus non desideratur ejusmodi scrupulositas (Col.).

punctilio (dim. of puncto, which is used in the same sense by Bacon, Henry VII.): a small nicety in conduct, behaviour, proceeding, or argument:

1. usu. expr. by circuml.: mindful of every p. of propriety, *circa decori curam usque ad morositatem diligens atque studiosus: cf. PUNCTILIOUSNESS.

2. perh. căvillātio (a captious nicety): silly p.s, c. ineptae, Quint. 7, 9, 4: a thousand p.s of law, mille juris c., id. 7. 4, 37.

3. spīna (a thorny subtlety): esp. in philosophy and dialectics (cf. Cic. Fin. 4, 28, 79, nec acerbitatem sententiarum disserendi spinas probavit: id. Tusc. 4, 5, (Peripatetici) partiendi et definiendi spinas praetermittunt: v. QUIBBLE).

4. a proud nicety as to points of conduct: fastīdium, Cic. de Or. 1, 61, 258: "punctilio is out of doors, the moment a daughter clandestinely quits her father's house" (Richardson), *fastidii nihil superest, simul ac, etc.