Small but mighty nit

Grady Easley Columnist Practically all of us have heard or used the term “nitpick” in some fashion. This is usually accompanied by derision and varying degrees of negative connotation. It is reasonable to assume readers know the meaning(s) of “pick” but how many know and understand the actual meaning of “nit?” By dictionary definition, a nit is the egg of a louse or an insect. My reference indicated the physical size of a nit is about one-fiftieth (1/50th) of an inch in diameter. Assuming a uniform size, one square inch of a flat surface could host about 2,500 nits. I have no idea how many nits are produced at any one time. It could be a number between one and many. I certainly have no prurient interest in inventorying a number of nits. At this juncture, we could conclude that a nitpicker — amateur or professional — works... [read full story]