# Ways in which you are annoyingly pedantic
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [April 1, 2024, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676 "2024-04-01T14:12:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 6
### Author:  [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/101 "2024-04-03T12:52:05Z")
> [@Jegpeg](#):
>
> If someone asks me to “wait a second” after a slight pause I will tell them their time is up.
I’m guilty of similar obnoxiousness (obnoxiousity?). When I’m using the laptop and Mr. brown asks to see it, I’ll hold it up in the air and say “See?” For some reason he doesn’t find this funny.
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### Author:  [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/102 "2024-04-03T12:59:49Z")
At one time I had a manager who when approached and asked “can I ask a question”? Replied with “You just did”.
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### Author:  [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/103 "2024-04-03T14:02:57Z")
> [@Noelq](#):
>
> THERE ARE TWO SPACES AFTER A PERIOD!
That’s another one that drives me nuts, except I am a fervent devotee to using **one** space between sentences. And we’ve had quite a few threads on the topic.
When a coworker gives me something they’ve written and they used two spaces between sentences, I find it almost unreadable. I’ll often do a global replace to fix it (replace every instance of “period space space” with “period space”.) It works reasonably well with the exception of abbreviations like Dr. ,e.g., cm., etc.
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### Author:  [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/104 "2024-04-03T14:09:56Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#):
>
> I still get annoyed when the word “decimated” is used as if it means “destroyed”. Yes, I know that this is now accepted as proper or common usage, but it still bugs me. It’s not like there wasn’t already a way to say something was destroyed or nearly completely eliminated so we had to start using a word that means “killed every tenth person” for that purpose.
[Merriam Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/the-original-definition-of-decimate) says you are wrong.
> [@](#):
>
> The issue that many people have with the decline and fall of the word _decimate_ is that is once upon a time it had a very singular meaning, a meaning that is in danger of being lost forever to the vandals and barbarian hordes who are manhandling the English language through using this word to mean “to destroy a large number of.” The specific complaint is that _decimate_ had the specific meaning, in ancient Rome, of killing one of every ten soldiers, as a form of military punishment. There are, it must be said, some problems with the argument that this is the only correct meaning today.
>
> The first problem is that even if _decimate_ did refer to the practice of killing one of every ten soldiers in Roman times, it did so in the service of Latin, not English. We have many words in English that are descended from Latin but which have changed their meaning in their travels. We no longer think of [_sinister_](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sinister) as meaning “on the left side,” even though that was one of the word’s meanings when it existed in Latin.
And the article goes on to show how silly this argument is.
Do you complain about the misuse of:
> [@](#):
>
> [_Century_](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/century): “a subdivision of the Roman legion.”
> [_Forum_](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forum): “the marketplace or public place of an ancient Roman city forming the center of judicial and public business.”
> [_Tribune_](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tribune): “a Roman official under the monarchy and the republic with the function of protecting the plebeian citizen from arbitrary action by the patrician magistrates.”
> _Missiles_ : “Gifts thrown to the crowds by Roman emperors.”
> _Actor_ : “In Roman law, one that conducts a legal action.”
> [_Legion_](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legion): “the principal unit of the Roman army comprising 3000 to 6000 foot soldiers with cavalry.”
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### Author:  [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/105 "2024-04-03T14:41:17Z")
> [@enipla](#):
>
> Maybe not dedantic, but it seriously pisses me off when people only respond to parts of an email.
I’m grinding my teeth right now because I sent someone a very succinct email this morning saying “this expense is for such-and-such, how do you want it handled?” They replied, “Handle it like this. By the way, what is it for?” I just don’t know what to say.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/106 "2024-04-03T15:12:49Z")
I’m not pedantic about much of anything, especially since pedants are usually wrong or have incomplete knowledge of what they are pedanting about, but one little quirk I’ve noticed lately is people using the word “floor” where “ground” would have normally been used. Like, say, outside. My kids do this and I’ve noticed the occasional adult do it. Is this a recent phenomenon or have I just not noticed it before? It’s clear what is meant—it just causes me to mentally flinch.
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### Author:  [@Jegpeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jegpeg)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/107 "2024-04-03T15:16:37Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#):
>
> And when it comes to temperature, I see it written incorrectly _most_ of the time, and it drives me batty:
>
> 23C. Wrong.
> 23 C. Wrong.
> 23°C. Wrong.
> 23° C. Wrong.
> 23 °C. Right, finally!
Guilty as charged, not because I don’t know what is right but I don’t know how to put a degree sign using a keyboard.
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### Author:  [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/108 "2024-04-03T15:27:33Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#):
>
> Just give me a time! I didn’t want to go to the show in the first place! And I hate the Smiths!
I like them but not enough to go to a show 🙂
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### Author:  [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/109 "2024-04-03T15:34:44Z")
> [@Jegpeg](#):
>
> I don’t know how to put a degree sign using a keyboard.
There are a number of ways to do it. The easiest, IMO, is to open Character Map and copy it. (In fact, that’s how I get all my Greek & special characters. I use Character Map so much that I pinned it to my taskbar.)
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### Author:  [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/110 "2024-04-03T15:56:22Z")
> [@Zyada](#):
>
> However, the etymology of dilapidated shows the more general meaning going back to latin.
I’m still confused, but relish the opportunity of becoming pedantic about this if I can figure out how. I get lapis means stone, but doesn’t (didn’t) dilapidated mean pelted with stones, or having that appearance? If so – you could pelt a wooden building with stones, making it dilapidated, no?
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### Author:  [@Noelq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noelq)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/111 "2024-04-03T16:46:48Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#):
>
> > [@Noelq](#):
> >
> > THERE ARE TWO SPACES AFTER A PERIOD!
>
> That’s another one that drives me nuts, except I am a fervent devotee to using **one** space between sentences. And we’ve had quite a few threads on the topic.
>
> When a coworker gives me something they’ve written and they used two spaces between sentences, I find it almost unreadable. I’ll often do a global replace to fix it (replace every instance of “period space space” with “period space”.) It works reasonably well with the exception of abbreviations like Dr. ,e.g., cm., etc.
You are SO wrong in your wrongness, Mr. Wrongy McWrongpants! I hope you stub your toe when you misjudge the two spaces to the curb to be one space!
( 🙂 Yes, I know the multiple threads on this. And half of you are wrong!)
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### Author:  [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/112 "2024-04-03T16:58:04Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#):
>
> they used two spaces between sentences, I find it almost unreadable.
Wow. I find it hard to understand why anyone would have such a strong reaction to such a small thing?
Are you joking?
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### Author:  [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/113 "2024-04-03T17:00:22Z")
> [@Jegpeg](#):
>
> > [@Crafter\_Man](#):
> >
> > And when it comes to temperature, I see it written incorrectly _most_ of the time, and it drives me batty:
> >
> > 23C. Wrong.
> > 23 C. Wrong.
> > 23°C. Wrong.
> > 23° C. Wrong.
> > 23 °C. Right, finally!
>
> Guilty as charged, not because I don’t know what is right but I don’t know how to put a degree sign using a keyboard.
Just write 296 K, no degree symbol needed.
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### Author:  [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/114 "2024-04-03T17:06:50Z")
> [@Cardigan](#):
>
> Why “utilize” when “use” means exactly the same thing? Two wasted syllables intended to make one sound smarter than they are.
Similarly, why do people say “years of age” when “years old” means the same thing? You hear that a lot from the police, like “The suspect is approximately 35 years of age”. That seems like another case of using extra words unnecessarily.
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### Author:  [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/115 "2024-04-03T17:27:10Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#):
>
> Similarly, why do people say “years of age” when “years old” means the same thing? You hear that a lot from the police, like “The suspect is approximately 35 years of age”. That seems like another case of using extra words unnecessarily.
Sounds like the stilted Police-ese parodied in the film ‘Idiocracy’. [Idiocracy clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD8aZV-Y8bE)
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### Author:  [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/116 "2024-04-03T18:28:40Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#):
>
> _Missiles_ : “Gifts thrown to the crowds by Roman emperors.”
This is amusing me!
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### Author:  [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/117 "2024-04-03T18:29:32Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#):
>
> Similarly, why do people say “years of age” when “years old” means the same thing? You hear that a lot from the police, like “The suspect is approximately 35 years of age”. That seems like another case of using extra words unnecessarily.
Reminds me of want ads like:
> [@](#):
>
> For Sale. 1960 Chevrolet Bel Air. Blue in Colour.
…as opposed to blue in disposition?
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### Author:  [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/118 "2024-04-03T18:31:40Z")
Same here. Except in the case using a fixed width font, the difference should be miniscule. If the software doesn’t eliminate it altogether
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### Author:  [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/119 "2024-04-03T19:21:18Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#):
>
> And when it comes to temperature, I see it written incorrectly _most_ of the time, and it drives me batty:
>
> 23C. Wrong.
> 23 C. Wrong.
> 23°C. Wrong.
> 23° C. Wrong.
> 23 °C. Right, finally!
Where did you get this “rule”?
I checked out the US National Weather Service and also Environment Canada, and **both** agencies always omit the space, writing temperature as (for instance) 23°C. This conforms to the the style I’ve always used, and the reason is that the degree sign itself acts as a separator, so the space is redundant.
I will grant you, however, that when discussing longitude and latitude, there is often (not always) a space between the degree symbol and the directional indicator. My guess is that the reason for this is that the latitude or longitude is either a long number with several decimal places or has minutes and seconds tacked on, so the space helps readability a bit, e.g.- 26°18’4" N.
Also, even if one insisted on inserting that useless space, I don’t know what would make you think it should come after the temperature number but before the degree sign. The degree sign is associated **with the number** , not the unit symbol. Writing 23° tells the reader that we mean a temperature of 23 degrees – it should be bound to the number. The “C” that comes after, whether or not preceded by a space, qualifies the units.
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### Author:  [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2024, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-in-which-you-are-annoyingly-pedantic/999676/120 "2024-04-03T19:29:37Z")
> [@wolfpup](#):
>
> Where did you get this “rule”?
NIST, possibly:
> **[Writing with SI (Metric System) Units](https://www.nist.gov/pml/owm/writing-si-metric-system-units)**
>
> As of August 16, 2023 the physics.nist.gov historic SI Units site has permanently retired.
> A space is used between the number and the symbol to which it refers. For example: 7 m, 31.4 kg, 37 °C.
The degrees is part of the unit, not the number. It’s important so that there’s no confusion between Celsius and Coulomb, or Fahrenheit and Farad. And it should be consistent whether the number is present or not.
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