What'd He Say? Clearing Up Wardisms

If you are like me, when Ward used the word "fisking" today in one of his posts, you had no idea what he was talking about. Checks of online dictionaries or the Google "Define:" function provide no clue. But at least one site has the "formal definition."

fisking: n.



[blogosphere; very common] A point-by-point refutation of a blog entry or (especially) news story. A really stylish fisking is witty, logical, sarcastic and ruthlessly factual; flaming or handwaving is considered poor form. Named after Robert Fisk, a British journalist who was a frequent (and deserving) early target of such treatment.

Well, now we know. And knowing is half the battle. Or something like that.