etymology - What's the origin of the saying, "There's no accounting for taste"?


I hear it all the time in arguments over subjective judgements:



There's no accounting for taste.



Where does this saying come from? Is it a quote or old proverb?



Answer



It's an English adaptation of a Latin saying:



De gustibus non est disputandum.



Meaning literally regarding taste, there is no dispute. The phrase seems to be of medieval origin. The origin is accepted as Scholastic writings because of the grammar, which is atypical. A more faithful Latin rendering of the phrase might be:



De gustatibus non disputandum.



There's some uncertainty about whether gustus (gustibus) or gustatus (gustatibus) is more appropriate.


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