ad hominem

    One of the Latin phrases still in use in English is "ad hominem".  It means "to the man", and refers to what was once taught as one of the standard logical fallacies. Logical fallacies are ways to lose an argument, or to argue badly--not unfairly, but badly--they weaken or ruin your own argument, and allow your opponent to make a case against you. This sounds like a bit of philosophical idle chitchat, but it isn't. Most people who use the internet probably encounter it every day.  An argument "ad hominem" means throwing an insult, instead of offering a refutation, rebuttal, or retort. Someone says he thinks taxes should be lower, for instance, and by way of disagreement, someone else calls him stupid--or worse. That's not an argument. It's an argument ad hominem. An argument ad hominem can be more subtle--as in " I didn't think someone like you would agree"--but it's still an argument ad hominem--an argument to the man (or woman) instead of his or her ideas.