Is there a personality characteristic that can be adequetly described as an inclination towards pedantry and correcting others?
No.
And it’s “adequately.” I’ll let the split infinitive go.
My own sense is that a lot of petty pedantry comes from jes’ wanting to be special.
It’s a way of saying, “I’m a little smarter. I’m a little more knowledgeable.” Perhaps a control thing for some folks, but mostly that personality characteristic that wants to be just that little bit more special than the next guy over.
There is a competetive aspect that plays in as well. For example, on this Board poster after poster will weigh in with ever finer tuning of the most correct answer.
Teeny bit of OCD for some of us.
Yes. It is called being a pedant. Pedantry is a personality characteristic.
Huh? What infinitive? 
“be described” can be adequately described as an infinite.
Do you have a cite for this? I’ve always seen an infinitive described as to + a verb.
In other news, splitting infinitives has never been ungrammatical in English.
Holy shit, Simple Linctus, turn the porch light off. They’re swarming like moths up in here!
If I have posted it, what need is there for some (lesser) cite?
Here’s one, should you need further reassurance, although I’m not sure why you would…
I might remind you that I permitted the OP’s use of a split infinitive. No need to get too pedantic. Unless I change my mind.
I worry whenever someone suggests a split infinitive is an error.
Are you thinking of pedantry as a characteristic, or as part of a personality disorder?
The latter includes some fascinating psychological and neurological disorders.
Since I doubt pedantry has been subject to many scientific studies (probably because most scientists are pedants;)), let’s move this over to IMHO.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
That would be [del]competative[/del] [del]competutive[/del] [del]competOtive[/del] [del]competatative[/del] whatever-the-hell hard-to-spell. The ghost of Gaudere strikes again!
– Just a freindly reminder form the Cheifest Pedant of Them All!
“Described” is not the “basic form”.
Did you miss *The Journal of Technical Writing and Communication * Volume 18, 1988? In Paideia to Pedantry: The Dissolving Relationship of the Humanities and Society Arabella Lyon makes some excellent points.
Nooooooooooo get the shotgun!
Do and to do, be and to be, to be or not to be, doo be doo be doo, Zou Bisou Bisou.
The humanities relate, baby!
Pedantophilia?
Hoist with my own petard.
Crap.
The last two words of ‘can be described’ can be adequately described as the passive voice subjunctive, right?
No infinitive there. And, as far as I know, there has never been any kind of opposition to inserting adverbs between the words of general multi-word verb forms in English. (Hint: look at the verb in the sentence before this one). I am quickly writing this, so can’t easily create too many more examples, but I’m very sure that you could.
[/polishes his Pedant Card]