The methodology that I think produces "pythonic" is the PEPs getting chewed on and argued about, and then documenting the results along with rejected ideas and

The methodology that I think produces "pythonic" is the PEPs getting chewed on and argued about, and then documenting the results along with rejected ideas and the rejection rationale. "Pythonic" may be so much "snakey groupthink" but there is a critical mass of documentation that is readable and helps the medium-weight user (me) get into it.