Expert Tease

What would you rather be?

A connoisseur or an aficionado?

One sells more of a sniffy sense of discrimination, possibly conjuring
up images of the higher echelons of society. But then it does have a
French origin, albeit from a Latin root. Not the nice Latin with the
samba rhythms. The mean one that killed the Romans.

Alternatively, the other displays a decent knowledge base but enhanced
by a more artistic tone of expression - by genuinely loving it.
Expression through affection. (From a Latin root via the Spanish,
since you ask).

It is the difference between devoted and being authoritative.

A specialist with a Ph.D. as opposed to a a specialist through kinship.

It's a different hierarchical approach. Master and slave versus crowd logic.

I prefer crown logic as I can't bring myself to use the putrid word
'teamwork'. I will, for the purists point out that there is no T, A or
M in connoisseur. And there's no T,E or M in aficionado. And if you
feel better informed for that, then send me a cheque for £200 as I
have a spare ticket for an Expo for Entrepreneurs and a bottle of
Snake Oil that I would like to sell you.

Of course you may grow to love the things you are close to. Look at
any council estate. I think this may be how the arranged marriages of
some communities worked in the past, at least if my knowledge of
Fiddler on the Roof is anything to go by.

"The first time I met you was on our wedding day. I was scared. I was
shy. I was nervous. So was I". (I know. It's great, isn't it?)

And for more purist and less humanimate pursuits, it is massively in
your own interests to offer up your time and brain space to love
something that people may be looking up to you for guidance. Your ego
will love you more.

"For 25 years my bed is his. If that's not love, what is?"

I think it's 'aficionado' all the way. Nail your colours to the mast
and surrender the cold hard soulless bias of the English 'expert' to a
little continental over-expression.

You learn to love what you're exposed to.
What do they say about loving the one you're with?

"Then you love me.
I suppose I do.

And I suppose I love you too".