Aydim v. Random Baal Habos

“Ploni is aydim by Rabbi Almoni”

This is a common phrase heard now and then among chareidim.

This word aydim came up in conversation when wondering how to say SIL in yiddish (a question to which I really couldn’t care about the real answer).

Now someone suggests that the word “aydim” only applies when the aydim is choshuv. Now this is a cause I could support so I immediately take up the argument and expound that aydim would not apply to a random baal habus. WELL, now this one fellow takes offense and says “Are you calling my FIL a random baal habus? How do you figure out who is a “random” baal habus?

Says I “You know he is a random baal habus when the person did not take into account at all who the father is and married the girl just for who the girl is.”

Now I supposed that to be a compliment to the fellow with a random-baal-habus-father-in-law, but instead he gets all indignant and says “Do you know what you are saying about so many people (sic)?” and I say “Yeah and I meant it.”

The explanation I gave was that on some deep level and as much as they wished they could root out the consideration and isolate the important factors, you can’t say that they didn’t take it into account AT ALL. And if they didnt then the FIL apparently isnt Choshuv and isnt an “aydim.

Anyhow by the end of the conversation he said that he was lost and that I was about to lose my kneecap.