Pedants on the EDF

[Ladymuck]

Love them or hate them? And who are they?

Personally, they make me laugh - provided I am not the target of their pedantry of course!

Edited (in response to a later post by that adorable pedant Narnia) to say that, actually, I generally don't mind being the butt of a pedant's observations, provided they are made in jest - and they usually are.

[Pearson]

care to expand a little...

Is that pedantic?

[DJKillaQueen]

I am a self confessed forum pedantic.....a symptom of boredom with life I'm afraid

[Pearson]

^ surely YOU are not bored with life..!!?? :)

[DJKillaQueen]

lol see this is where I'd usually go into my 'what is the meaning of it all' speech but I think in reality I just need to go a buy me a beer. Have not had a drink in 12 twelve days!

[Ladymuck]

DJKillaQueen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> lol see this is where I'd usually go into my 'what

> is the meaning of it all' speech but I think in

> reality I just need to go a buy me a beer. Have

> not had a drink in 12 twelve days!

Do you mean you haven't had any alcohol in twelve days? Or have you gone without liquid altogether?

[DJKillaQueen]

Alcohol of course. I've drunk plenty of Red Bull and tea in the meantime though.

[dita-on-tees]

I find posters who correct other poster's grammar thoroughly obnoxious. Grammar is badly taught these days and not everybody has had access to an education which gives confidence in using the English language. I didn't learn how to use a comma until I was around 22, and I confess I still struggle at times. Pointing out the grammatical mistakes in a post always feels like a superior swipe and suggests that what the poster has to say is somewhat less important than a misplaced dot. I got 10 pages into that Lynne Truss book and thought, hmm life is way too short for this poo.

[mockney piers]

Will someone please think of the children?!?!?!?!

[Ladymuck]

Pearson Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> care to expand a little...

> Is that pedantic?

No that's not pedantic - though it might suggest that you need to work on expanding your vocabulary LOL. Either that or I need to express myself more clearly.

[mockney piers]

Dita, for a self-confessed grammaphobe, that's a beautifully (not to mention flawlessly) written piece of prose!

[Pearson]

^ yup. My grammar is crap (thought it worth pointing out to those who also have shocking grammar and couldn't tell)

But really, there is no need to correct others!

it is the lowest post a poster can post ;-)

[dita-on-tees]

mockney piers Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Dita, for a self-confessed grammaphobe, that's a

> beautifully (not to mention flawlessly) written

> piece of prose!

You don't know how long it took to draft..... and review..... and correct.

[Ladymuck]

I agree that, where the motive of a pedant's post is purely to belittle another poster, it can make unpleasant reading. But where it is done with charm and humour, it can provide much amusement. I've had many a laugh over a pedant's observation - even where the comment has been directed at moi.

[Narnia]

I hate to be pedantic LM but you just contradicted your opening post!

[Ladymuck]

dita-on-tees Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I find posters who correct other poster's grammar

> thoroughly obnoxious. Grammar is badly taught

> these days and not everybody has had access to an

> education which gives confidence in using the

> English language. I didn't learn how to use a

> comma until I was around 22, and I confess I still

> struggle at times. Pointing out the grammatical

> mistakes in a post always feels like a superior

> swipe and suggests that what the poster has to say

> is somewhat less important than a misplaced dot. I

> got 10 pages into that Lynne Truss book and

> thought, hmm life is way too short for this poo.

Well Dita, I failed my English Language O Level four times before I eventually passed. In fact I obtained all of my qualifications (bar French O Level) whilst attending evening classes/working full time:-$ as I left school at 16. Still as thick as 3 planks:-S.

[DJKillaQueen]

You are not anything like as thick as three planks LM!

[Ladymuck]

Narnia Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I hate to be pedantic LM but you just contradicted

> your opening post!

Ha ha! Indeed! It's true though - I generally find most of the pedants on here genuinely witty. It's the motive behind the post that is important here.

Incidentally, did you really "hate" being pedantic just now? Hmmmm....;-)

Edited to inform Narnia that I have now edited my opening post.

[Ladymuck]

DJKillaQueen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> You are not anything like as thick as three planks

> LM!

Six? LOL!

[????]

Wasn't Asset the old grammar stickler - my spelling and grammar have gone to pot on here I just gabble it all out and can't be arsed to edit horrible howlers nowadays

[Ladymuck]

Good for you Quids...so long as you can manage to write "100" or multiples thereof...that's fine by me...

Incidentally, I notice you always manage to spell "tosser" correctly...funny that:))

[computedshorty]

Confusious say;

A pedant is a person who is overly concerned with formalism and precision, or who makes a show of their learning.

Confusious also say;

Woman who cooks beans and peas in same pot very unsanitary.

[Ladymuck]

Actually, whilst on the subject of grammar could I pick the brains of some of you.

I have a problem with apostrophes in this situation:

Prince Charles' garden.

Is that correct? Or should there be a second "s"? I.e. Prince Charles's garden. The internet is split on this. I always feel there should be a second "s", but think it looks odd and therefore tend to omit it.

Is there an uber-pedant out there who knows the correct answer to something which has been bothering me for years?

[dita-on-tees]

Ladymuck Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> Well Dita, I failed my English Language O Level

> four times before I eventually passed. In fact I

> obtained all of my qualifications (bar French O

> Level) whilst attending evening classes/working

> full time:-$ as I left school at 16. Still as

> thick as 3 planks:-S.

ah well least you haven't had 100 driving lessons plus, and still no bloody license...

[computedshorty]

A call to John Murray, publishers of the book on Childers, reveals that the publishing house's apostrophe obsessive is John Murray himself. "I'm fascinated by apostrophes," he declares. "I'm driven to total distraction by people who put 60's, which means of the year of 60, not of the decade. Suddenly everybody is misusing the apostrophe."

However, in the interest of reader friendliness, rigid rules can slip, it seems. "We have our stylebook, but we break the rules sometimes," Mr Murray admits. "A lot of it is a matter of appearance. You don't want to be too pedantic and hold the reader up because something looks odd. St James's looks right [Prince Charles', no Prince Charles's, letterhead retains the usage of St James's] but Childers's one thought looked odd. We set a high standard, but if things hold the reader up, we are prepared to change."

Confusing?