# Putz in Great Debates

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz-in-great-debates/219886>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [December 19, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz-in-great-debates/219886 "2003-12-19T01:16:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz-in-great-debates/219886/1 "2003-12-19T01:16:27Z")

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Just caught that sticky from **MEBuckner** about the putz thingie.  
As putz barely constitutes an insult in real life, I’m really curious: what brought this on?

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**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz-in-great-debates/219886/2 "2003-12-19T02:56:08Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> [putz](http://www.bartleby.com/61/6/P0680600.html) – NOUN: **1.** _Slang_ A fool; an idiot. **2.** _Vulgar Slang_ A penis. – [_The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language_](http://www.bartleby.com/61)

Calling someone either a “fool” or an “idiot”, or calling them a “dick”, is most certainly a violation of the rules of Great Debates. (And always has been, of course.)

As to what brought it on, only a desire for perfect clarity and for a more harmonious forum, as always.

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**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz-in-great-debates/219886/3 "2003-12-19T03:36:05Z")

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Thanks for the reply, Oh Harmonious One.  
Just want you to know I draw the line at holding hands with **Brutus** and singing kumbaya, in case there was any question.

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**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putz-in-great-debates/219886/4 "2003-12-19T03:39:24Z")

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Holding hands and singing kumbaya… Calling each other “putzes”…

I like to think there’s a happy medium in there somewhere.