# Oh, Immanual Kant was a real pissant **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 23, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-immanual-kant-was-a-real-pissant/300781 "2005-04-23T18:36:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JonScribe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3be4f8/32.png) [@JonScribe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JonScribe)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-immanual-kant-was-a-real-pissant/300781/21 "2005-04-24T03:48:37Z")
Yessir. It’s…ah,…it’s a bit runny… Oops. Sorry. Wrong thread. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-immanual-kant-was-a-real-pissant/300781/22 "2005-04-24T04:27:30Z")
I don’t care how fucking runny it is, hand it over with all speed. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-immanual-kant-was-a-real-pissant/300781/23 "2005-04-24T06:00:29Z")
Will you shut that bloody bouzouki up??? ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-immanual-kant-was-a-real-pissant/300781/24 "2005-04-24T08:36:33Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > Descartes walked into a bar and sat down. The bartender came over and asked him if he wanted a beer. Descartes said, “I think not,” and disappeared. The bar also sold pizzas. The Dalai Lama went in shortly afterwards and ordered a large. The waiter asked what he wanted on it, and he said, “Make me one with everything.” ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-immanual-kant-was-a-real-pissant/300781/25 "2005-04-24T08:43:46Z")
I was in Woolloomooloo last week. 😃 - TheLoadedBruce ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-immanual-kant-was-a-real-pissant/300781/26 "2005-04-24T09:14:54Z")
[slight hijack] I had never thought about it before but that lyric is nonsense. Not only is pissant not a noun it has nothing to do with drinking. In my youth you used it to mean something was insignificant - “Geez the new Torana has a pissant donk.” Am I right? [/slight hijack] ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-immanual-kant-was-a-real-pissant/300781/27 "2005-04-24T10:13:38Z")
Has anyone mentioned the No poofters rule? ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-immanual-kant-was-a-real-pissant/300781/28 "2005-04-24T10:32:31Z")
I’ve always heard “pissant” used as a noun – an insignificant person, basically. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-immanual-kant-was-a-real-pissant/300781/29 "2005-04-24T11:10:14Z")
I’ve heard it as both noun and adjective; “He’s a little pissant” and “It’s just a little bitty pissant country place…” lessee…aha. > [@www.dictionary.com](#): > > piss·ant also piss-ant (psnt) Slang > n. > One that is insignificant. > Obsolete. An ant. > > adj. > Not important; insignificant: “Some pissant Texas court wants to make [the company] pay… more than $10 billion in reparations” (New Republic). ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-immanual-kant-was-a-real-pissant/300781/30 "2005-04-24T11:24:04Z")
> [@don't ask](#): > > [slight hijack] > > I had never thought about it before but that lyric is nonsense. Not only is pissant not a noun it has nothing to do with drinking. In my youth you used it to mean something was insignificant - “Geez the new Torana has a pissant donk.” Am I right? > > [/slight hijack] I’d beg to differ. “Pissant” in general usage in the English-speaking world is exactly as you say, but I’m very familiar with the term “piss ant” (two words) meaning an habitual, heavy drinker. ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-immanual-kant-was-a-real-pissant/300781/31 "2005-04-24T11:33:23Z")
This here is the wattle, symbol of our land. Your can put it in a bottle, you can hold it in your hand. Australia! Australia! ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2005, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-immanual-kant-was-a-real-pissant/300781/32 "2005-04-24T18:06:44Z")
Eh? 😕 I need a drink. _wanders off_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-immanual-kant-was-a-real-pissant/300781.md?page=1)