gourmand vs. gourmet

Have you ever had a drunken argument over what the difference is between a gourmand and a gourmet? I figured.

Well, in any case, here's what William Safire, that pal of Roy Cohn's and admirer of Senator Joe McCarthy's and all things lexical has to say about the subject:

In the lexicon of lip-smacking, an epicure is fastidious in his choice and enjoyment of food, just a soupçon more expert than a gastronome; a gourmet is a connoisseur of the exotic, taste buds attuned to the calibrations of deliciousness, who savors the masterly techniques of great chefs; a gourmand is a hearty bon vivant who enjoys food without truffles and flourishes; a glutton overindulges greedily, the word rooted in the Latin for “one who devours.”

I'm not sure if it settles anything, but that's what Safire thinks...