Debate about 'pedantic'

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I'm having an ongoing debate with somebody about the word 'pedantic'. We both agree that the primary sense is that it concerns a person or activity that stresses formal rules e.g. "Deciding when to use a semicolon may seem like a pedantic matter to some" or "The pedantic math teacher informed Timmy that line segments in geometrical proofs must be capitalized".

However, I think there's an alternative or at least supplementary sense of pedantic which applies to other knowledge. For example, I wanted to say something like, "I do not mean to be pedantic, but the secret to life is not just to make a lot of money". I concede that there are alternative words, maybe even superior words, but is the word pedantic out of place here? If the intent of the claim is to stress a platitude (or refute an oft refuted platitude/attitude), wouldn't one be pedantic in doing so?

ADD: we were not debating the meaning of irony Smile

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Your friend is correct on the definition, of course. I bet he has a real pedantic way of talking, which is commonly used to describe a person trying very hard to sound scholarly.

Since you ask opinion, pedantic doesn't sound completely wrong in your example, but I would have said "trite", instead. Just an opinion, of course, and again, your friend has the definition nailed.

Welcome to a2k, sergemrk.

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ty for the welcome and response,

I do agree trite is the superior choice in my example. But I confess I have always had the idea that pedantic could apply to a style of affirming or refuting platitudes, so I'm investigating whether I should jettison that notion. I can imagine, as a further example, somebody who has read Franklin's nifty almanac and enjoys telling friends and strangers, when he overhears them speaking about whatever matters, some platitude about effort and diligence. In my conception, that person is a sort of pedant, but if that's too unconventional I will concede my case.

I did come across this quote on the web, which gives me some hope that I do have some kind of case though.

"Nothing is as peevish and pedantic as men's judgments of one another.
Desiderius Erasmus"

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sergemrk,

I see where you are getting your meaning. The "refutation" angle makes sense if you think of common scenarios in which one corrects something that might have been fine to leave be while excusing himself for pedantry.

But IMO, valid use in those situations is predicated on the correction being petty or inordinately concerned with correctness.

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sergemrk wrote:

ty for the welcome and response,

I do agree trite is the superior choice in my example. But I confess I have always had the idea that pedantic could apply to a style of affirming or refuting platitudes, so I'm investigating whether I should jettison that notion. I can imagine, as a further example, somebody who has read Franklin's nifty almanac and enjoys telling friends and strangers, when he overhears them speaking about whatever matters, some platitude about effort and diligence. In my conception, that person is a sort of pedant, but if that's too unconventional I will concede my case.

I did come across this quote on the web, which gives me some hope that I do have some kind of case though.

"Nothing is as peevish and pedantic as men's judgments of one another.
Desiderius Erasmus"

Hmm. I suspect the meaning of pedantic there is actually the commoner one - ie the judgments are pedantic in the sense that they make much of trifling faults, which is slap bang what pedantic normally means, making overly much fuss about trifling things, no?

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I think a dip into a good dictionary is best, and I personally do not rate online dictionaries highly.
Then a thesaurus if you're feeling adventurous.
Meanings and connotations change, and you may wish to claim a little poetic licence at times for your writing. Language is delightfully fluid. You may be a trailblazer or trendsetter in these matters.

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McTag wrote:

I personally do not rate online dictionaries highly.

Why? The superlative Oxford English Dictionary, the best damn lexicon in history, is more comprehensive at any given time online than it is in print or CD-ROM.

Mebbe ya just like the smell of books? :wink:

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You are doubtless correct, I may have to reconsider.
Although it takes me longer to accept change than some of these hotshot lexicographers. Smile

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Come now! You just extolled the fluidity of language! Laughing

But that is one thing I like about the OED, they show historical meanings as well.

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Debate about 'pedantic'

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