I sometimes read the adjective armchair used together with some scientific discipline. For example, armchair physics, armchair biology, armchair chemistry.
From the usage I've seen I get at least some vague idea what it is intended to convey. Often it is used for somebody who gain his "expertise" without moving from his armchair, so basically they talk about something they do not know much about. But in some instances I've seen this might be simply interpreted as differentiating between experimental and theoretical science.
Question: What does this phrase mean? Is this always used in a disparaging way?
Best Answer
It is an idiomatic usage of armchair most often in a disparaging way:
(Cambridge Dictionary)
From Philshi-Archive Armchair Science.