# Oh dopers! Why are you so pedantic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 31, 2012, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930 "2012-07-31T05:49:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/1 "2012-07-31T05:49:35Z")
… ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/2 "2012-07-31T05:58:44Z")
\*Dopers \*should be capitalized. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/3 "2012-07-31T05:59:49Z")
Good response! ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/4 "2012-07-31T06:05:29Z")
Also, it should be either “Oh, Dopers!” or “O Dopers!”. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/5 "2012-07-31T06:08:05Z")
One possible answer: _someone_ has to be! ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/6 "2012-07-31T06:12:18Z")
Pedants gotta pedant. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/7 "2012-07-31T06:47:30Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Pedants gotta pedant. Pedants _gonna_ pedant. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/8 "2012-07-31T07:09:19Z")
I’m not a pedant, that little kid is a liar!! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/9 "2012-07-31T07:19:05Z")
Pedanting ain’t easy. ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/10 "2012-07-31T07:30:20Z")
Johnny! Stop being pedantic, and come here right now. -Mama Bravo- ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/11 "2012-07-31T08:05:17Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Also, it should be either “Oh, Dopers!” or “O Dopers!”. Now that’s pedantry 😃 (Incidentally, I think the concluding full stop can be dropped there, after ’ “O Dopers!” ', since the exclamation mark is already there, but perhaps I’m being over fussy.) ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/12 "2012-07-31T08:17:27Z")
Since **Indian** is a registered member of the SDMB, the question should be either, “Oh, Dopers! Why are _we_ so pedantic?” or “Oh, Dopers! Why are \*some of you \*so pedantic?” ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/13 "2012-07-31T08:20:42Z")
Does anyone else think being pedantic is kinda like having a crazy foot that won’t stop twitching and gets you into all kinds of trouble? No? Just me? OK then. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/14 "2012-07-31T08:57:00Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Pedants _gonna_ pedant. No, _gotta_. [Pedants truly can’t help themselves.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15314953&postcount=84) ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/15 "2012-07-31T09:16:56Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > Does anyone else think being pedantic is kinda like having a crazy foot that won’t stop twitching and gets you into all kinds of trouble? > > No? Just me? OK then. Yes. No. No. OK by me. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/16 "2012-07-31T09:27:14Z")
Every time I get on my bicycle, I pedant all over town. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/17 "2012-07-31T11:18:52Z")
Serious answer: because I know the culture here prefers being technically right, and it eliminates having to do that balance of whether it’s important enough to mention or not. It’s similar to how I don’t think about how I shouldn’t use curse words. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/18 "2012-07-31T11:31:28Z")
Precise communication expedites understanding. And shit. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/19 "2012-07-31T11:48:35Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > (Incidentally, I think the concluding full stop can be dropped there, after ’ “O Dopers!” ', since the exclamation mark is already there, but perhaps I’m being over fussy.) I disagree. Without the period, the entire sentence can be interpreted as exclamatory, rather than a non-exclamatory sentence containing exclamatory quotations. (I can do this all day.) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930/20 "2012-07-31T12:02:37Z")
Example: I know virtually nothing about Doctor Who and have never watched any version of the show. Yet, after reading **Alessan** ’s correction in the [Where to start with Dr. Who?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=659607) thread, [QUOTE=Alessan] First of all, it’s not “Dr. Who” - his surname isn’t “Who”. It’s “Doctor Who”, as in: “I’m the Doctor.” “Doctor who?” “Just the Doctor”. [/QUOTE] I myself have the urge to correct anyone I see spelling it “Dr. Who.” It’s not always clear where the line between Fighting Ignorance and pedantry lies. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dopers-why-are-you-so-pedantic/629930.md?page=2)