# Pedantry as a personality characteristic **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 18, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026 "2012-09-18T00:33:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/1 "2012-09-18T00:33:50Z")
Is there a personality characteristic that can be adequetly described as an inclination towards pedantry and correcting others? ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/2 "2012-09-18T00:36:45Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/3 "2012-09-18T00:41:03Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > Is there a personality characteristic that can be adequetly described as an inclination towards pedantry and correcting others? 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. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/4 "2012-09-18T00:49:20Z")
Yes. It is called being a pedant. Pedantry _is_ a personality characteristic. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/5 "2012-09-18T00:51:50Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > I’ll let the split infinitive go. Huh? What infinitive? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/6 "2012-09-18T01:05:42Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Huh? What infinitive? 😕 “be described” can be adequately described as an infinite. ---
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/7 "2012-09-18T01:31:48Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > “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. ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/8 "2012-09-18T01:51:58Z")
Holy shit, Simple Linctus, turn the porch light off. They’re swarming like moths up in here! ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/9 "2012-09-18T01:53:57Z")
> [@Robb](#): > > 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. 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… [“In the usual (traditional) description of English, the infinitive of a verb is its basic form with or without the particle to: therefore, do and to do, be and to be, and so on are infinitives.”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinitive) 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. ---
**Author:** ![Robb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Robb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robb)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/10 "2012-09-18T03:06:24Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > 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… > > [“In the usual (traditional) description of English, the infinitive of a verb is its basic form with or without the particle to: therefore, do and to do, be and to be, and so on are infinitives.”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinitive) > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/11 "2012-09-18T03:31:25Z")
Are you thinking of pedantry as a characteristic, or as part of a personality _disorder_? The latter includes some fascinating psychological and neurological disorders. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/12 "2012-09-18T04:08:53Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/13 "2012-09-18T08:15:44Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > 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. 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! ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/14 "2012-09-18T11:10:27Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > 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… > > [“In the usual (traditional) description of English, the infinitive of a verb is its basic form with or without the particle to: therefore, do and to do, be and to be, and so on are infinitives.”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinitive) “Described” is not the “basic form”. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/15 "2012-09-18T11:43:37Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > 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 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. [In case you’ve overlooked it.](http://baywood.metapress.com/app/home/contribution.asp?referrer=parent&backto=issue,4,6;journal,98,165;linkingpublicationresults,1:300326,1) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/16 "2012-09-18T14:03:02Z")
> [@Troppus](#): > > Holy shit, Simple Linctus, turn the porch light off. They’re swarming like moths up in here! Nooooooooooo get the shotgun! ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/17 "2012-09-18T14:40:15Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/18 "2012-09-18T16:22:08Z")
Pedantophilia? ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/19 "2012-09-18T17:07:28Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > 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! Hoist with my own petard. Crap. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026/20 "2012-09-18T17:11:31Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > “Described” is not the “basic form”. 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] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedantry-as-a-personality-characteristic/635026.md?page=2)