Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PEDANTIC
Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.
explore the archives:
If you watch The Big Bang Theory, you'll associate pedantic with Sheldon Cooper: someone whose intellect dwarfs his common sense, who insists on technical correctness, and most of all, who constantly shows off his knowledge. Pedants like Sheldon love any topic that's abs_____, or too deep and complicated to be understood by us regular folks.
make your point with...
"PEDANTIC"
Pedants are book-smart people who show off their knowledge and are obsessed with all the tiny details related to that knowledge.
So, pedantic people and things are annoying because they show off knowledge or focus on small details related to knowledge.
Pronunciation:
puh DAN tick
Part of speech:
Adjective.
(Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late."
They can be used in two ways:
1. Right before a noun, as in "a pedantic thing" or "a pedantic person."
2. After a linking verb, as in "It was pedantic." or "He was pedantic.")
Other forms:
pedant(s), pedantry, pedantism, pedantically
How to use it:
It's a harsh, judgmental word, so use it with care.
Talk about pedantic people and their pedantic attitudes, tones, behaviors, mannerisms, habits, speech, writing, and personalities.
Or, talk about pedantic conversations and debates, pedantic refinements and corrections, pedantic arguments and objections and points, etc.
examples:
If you're about to write him a pedantic email critiquing his definitions of rhetorical terms, Mark Forsyth would be "delighted never to hear from you."
I found plenty of pedantic articles arguing about causes and sub-types (and sub-sub-types) of the disorder and hardly any that offered solutions for it.
study it now:
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "pedantic" means when you can explain it without saying "scholarly in a stuffy way" or "making a display of recondite knowledge."
try it out:
Think of a detailed topic you care deeply about. (Is it woodworking? Craft beer? Video game design? Gardening?) Fill in the blank: "Forgive me if I get a little pedantic about _____."
Example: "Forgive me if I get a little pedantic about etymologies."
before you review:
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
This month, we're playing with the original and literal meanings of familiar words. I'll give you three words and their original or literal definitions, and you'll match them up. Easy! But then the following day, see if you can recall those old meanings. Hard! :) Our game has two purposes. One, we'll visit the interesting, thought-provoking old meanings of words. And two, we'll remind ourselves of a powerful learning strategy: delayed recalling. Let's play!
First, try to recall from yesterday the original meanings of "glamour" and "comrade" and the literal meaning of "graffiti." Answers appear at the bottom of this issue.
Next, match these words to their original or literal definitions in the answer bank below:
1. "Extinct" originally meant _____
2. "Escape" literally means _____
3. "February" literally means _____
Answer bank:
A. "to leave your pursuer holding only your cape."
B. "purification."
C. "extinguished (as in, no longer burning)."
review today's word:
1. The closest opposite of PEDANTIC is
A. INFORMAL
B. IMMEDIATE
C. IRRESISTIBLE
2. Aside from a chapter detailing _____, the scientist's lively autobiography contains no pedantry and no tedium.
A. hilarious prank wars among academics
B. practical advice for children, teens, and college students
C. the supreme importance of studies observing wasps' behavior
Answers are below.
a final word:
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com
Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes.
Answers to game questions:
1. "Glamour" originally meant "magic or a spell."
2. "Comrade" originally meant "roommate."
3. "Graffiti" literally means "scribblings."
Answers to review questions:
1. A
2. C
If you watch The Big Bang Theory, you'll associate pedantic with Sheldon Cooper: someone whose intellect dwarfs his common sense, who insists on technical correctness, and most of all, who constantly shows off his knowledge. Pedants like Sheldon love any topic that's abs_____, or too deep and complicated to be understood by us regular folks.
"PEDANTIC" Pedants are book-smart people who show off their knowledge and are obsessed with all the tiny details related to that knowledge. Part of speech:
If you're about to write him a pedantic email critiquing his definitions of rhetorical terms, Mark Forsyth would be "delighted never to hear from you."
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "pedantic" means when you can explain it without saying "scholarly in a stuffy way" or "making a display of recondite knowledge."
Think of a detailed topic you care deeply about. (Is it woodworking? Craft beer? Video game design? Gardening?) Fill in the blank: "Forgive me if I get a little pedantic about _____."
Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first.
1. The closest opposite of PEDANTIC is
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com
|