what is a pedant

Pedants may like to have things described exactly, but do not, if they are well-brought-up ones, leap in to correct others. That would be rude.

When I first joined Gransnet I was “jumped”on quite a few times but other gransnetters leapt to my defence 🤓

I think I am being ‘pedanical’ (if that’s even a word!) when I hear someone talking about an ‘amount’ of people, instead of a ‘number’ of people.

This was on our local news last night, and I felt like e mailing them about it. But didn’t.

Brings back memories of my English teacher explaining the difference.

I’m a fully paid-up pedant (a lot of SPAG mistakes make me cringe) but I’ve only ever corrected anyone on a forum once, and that was after someone (male!) had corrected someone else and made a very basic mistake in his own post! Pots and kettles…..

There once was a pedant so keen,
Whose grammar was perfectly clean.
He'd correct every "your"
And "you're," that's for sure,
But his prose was always too mean!

I think I am being ‘pedanical’ (if that’s even a word!)

As this is pedants' corner I'm sure you'll forgive me, Calendargirl, when I say no, it's not a word. 'Pedantic' is the word you are looking for

(P,S Do I get into trouble for not punctuating my [no' statement properly? )

One has a terrible decision to make about correcting another person's word usage. On the one hand, all the arguments apply; don't embarrass another poster, they might be 'dyslexic', meaning is more important than correctness, 'bl**dy autocorrect, etc.

But, on the other hand, the object of written communication is to convey ideas with clarity and and it's not always easy to understand what someone is trying to communicate if they are misusing words and punctuation.

I think one has to make a judgement but tread very warily.

one who is unimaginative or who unduly emphasizes minutiae in the presentation or use of knowledge
one who makes a show of knowledge

Merriam-Webster

Ah! I begin to understand the subtleties. Maizie

I had my wrists slapped (metaphorically) for refusing to answer a would be tenant who wrote in text speak.
ie: can i c flat
Because they may have been dyslexic and not lazy.
It turned out they were and did rent the flat.

Thanks Maizie, of course, silly me!

I am proudly pedantic but would never criticize anyone's post.

Spelling and grammar matter a lot to me, and I hate to see our language dumbed down.

My early primary education was in Scotland, where grammar was taught rigorously: I am constitutionally unable to begin a written sentence with a conjunction, even in texts. I do sometimes wonder about my use of colons and semi-colons, and wonder sometimes if I should treat myself to a grammar book.

However, "toujours la politesse" in all things.

Ailidh

One Scots "schoolgirl" to another: if you don't already have it, do buy "Eats, shoots & leaves" by Lynne Truss

It is subtitled "The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation"

ISBN 1-86197-612-

You will enjoy it