BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???

Subject: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 10:14 AM

"... & I have still to come across a valid argument as to the difference between the pejorative 'pedantry' & the essential watchword & principle that 'accuracy matters'", I have more than once observed on other threads.

I think the question requires a thread of its own.

Comments, please...

~Michael~

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 10:51 AM

I KNEW this was started by you!**bg**

kit-kat

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: catspaw49
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 10:57 AM

I think one of them is about them upscale Honda cars and the other is about having problems with your feet.............

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Amos
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 11:03 AM

Accuracy scales; pedantry does not.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Ebbie
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 11:20 AM

I'm surprised you don't know the difference and why it is important. See, Accuracy says: There is a train coming! Pedantry responds: There are two engines.

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 11:26 AM

Accuracy corrects information strictly pertinent to the point being made, pedantry corrects whatever non-pertinent details happen to niggle the pedant :)

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 11:29 AM

I thought it had to with which grammaticsl person is involved:

I am being accurate, you are (he, she or it is) being a pedant.

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Amos
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 11:34 AM

I am being accurate, you are (he, she or it is) being a pedant.

To be accurate, this is a three-tiered process:

I am accurate.
You are pedantic.
He/she is an asshole.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: gnomad
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 11:37 AM

I would say that the person striving for accuracy simply wishes a statement to be correct in all details. The pedant wishes to instruct the person making the statement, so that their future statements will also pass muster. The person so labelling a pedant (whether accurately or not) considers this a bad thing, and is sometimes correct.

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 11:40 AM

You're being pedantic there, Amos. The thread is purely about the difference between pedantry and accuracy. (And on this side of the pond, and asshole would be asinine equivalent of "The Hole in the Elephant's Bottom")

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Amos
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 11:45 AM

I can't be being pedantic; it would violate the first-tier rule.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 12:13 PM

And a *bg* right back 2U, Kat darling.

Choccie-bar ~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: catspaw49
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 01:21 PM

Nice tries to all but I have to give the award to Ebbie for the funniest way of speaking the truth.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 01:33 PM

Accuracy is insisting on what you think is important; pedantry is insisting on what someone else thinks is important.

Subject: REas : BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 04:39 PM

Same as the difference between being obstinate and being firm-minded.

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Genie
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 04:56 PM

I agree, Ebbie's example nails it!

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: gnu
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 05:18 PM

As for Ebbie's post... hahahahahahahehehehehe... good one!

And your aim is sure and true. Hehehehee... I like it.

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 05:38 PM

""I'm surprised you don't know the difference and why it is important. See, Accuracy says: There is a train coming! Pedantry responds: There are two engines.""

So, "There's a train coming" = Accurate
    "There are two engines" = Pedantic

Errr! What do you call it when someone then replies:- "They're not engines, they're Locomotives"?

Don T. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Tootler
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 06:04 PM

Errr! What do you call it when someone then replies:- "They're not engines, they're Locomotives"?

You tell them to do something ending in off!

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Lox
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 06:09 PM

Don,

You call it Dead accurate ..


I thought accurate was a bit like a priest ...

pedantic is accurater ...

which is like someone who looks after a museum ...

(accurater is a special word that I am allowed to use whenever I lke.)

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Tootler
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 06:10 PM

I Googled "pedantic" and took the first link in list. It gave a list of definitions of both pedantic and pedant. I thought this one captured the word well - though not as colourfully as Ebbie:

Overly concerned with formal rules and trivial points of learning; Being showy of one's knowledge, often in a boring manner; Being finicky or picky with language

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Ebbie
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 08:39 PM

Errr! What do you call it when someone then replies:- "They're not engines, they're Locomotives"? Don T. :-)

You say: I don't care! Get off the track!

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Don Firth
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 09:23 PM

Accuracy is when I roll over someone's asinine assertion with a post which is a veritable juggernaut of logic and evidence.

Pedantry is when his only response is to the post is to hoot at me about a typo, apparently with the assumption that this negates my rebuttal.

Don Firth

P. S. Amazing how often that happens!

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Little Hawk
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 09:36 PM

Ah, pedantry! It was my very concern over a possibly imminent attack of pedantry upon a post I had just made on another thread that I felt compelled to post again and pre-emptively protect myself by explaining that, YES, I DO realize water can exist in other than liquid form.... ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Gurney
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 11:27 PM

The difference is subjective.
correcter or correctee.
As has been said.

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Apr 10 - 12:09 AM

I hope someday my grandson will forgive me for being a pedant. It's all Mr. Grassfield's fault..when we asked permission, we didn't get an answer until we'd used *may I* instead of "can." Caught myself explaining it to him this afternoon.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 15 Apr 10 - 12:53 AM

Don - I'm sure you meant to say "typographical error" instead of "typo".

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Rowan
Date: 15 Apr 10 - 01:26 AM

I hope someday my grandson will forgive me for being a pedant. I's all Mr. Grassfield's fault..when we asked permission, we didn't get an answer until we'd used *may I* instead of "can." Caught myself explaining it to him this afternoon.:-)

Yeah, kat; mea culpa for me, too. I occasionally catch myself doing the same thing when someone replies "Good" to the question "How are you?"

If she's older than my daughters I'm just as likely to say "That can be very limiting." And then offer the wish and hope that she's well, as well.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Apr 10 - 03:11 AM

LOL, Rowan...it makes me feel good, though...all of my kids know the correct way, even if they don't use it..my other old English teacher, Mrs. Worcester, would be proud.

Reminds me, when one of us would say, "Well?" My mom would often reply with, "It's a deep subject!"

My grandson says "Hey" a lot as a greeting. So far he hasn't grown tired of me replying "is for horses!":-)

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 15 Apr 10 - 04:38 AM

The definition of a pedant is someone who gets off on highlighting someone else's grammatical errors or inaccuracies.

Dave

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 15 Apr 10 - 04:48 AM

someone who gets off on highlighting someone else's grammatical errors or inaccuracies.

That's an English teacher, surely?

:D (eG)

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 15 Apr 10 - 06:59 AM

Oops, quite correct David.

Dave H

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Bobert
Date: 15 Apr 10 - 07:11 AM

These is some purdy meaty concepts fir this ol' hillbilly but I hope this thread is about one certain fact-checker-from-hell that has been a pain in my boney hillbilly butt going back several years here in the Mudfight...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Bert
Date: 15 Apr 10 - 09:00 PM

If you knew the answer it is accuracy.
If you didn't know the answer it is pedantry.

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Smokey.
Date: 15 Apr 10 - 10:32 PM

I'm pedantic about accuracy and accurate about my pedantry but I reserve the right to be wrong.

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Lox
Date: 15 Apr 10 - 11:04 PM

Some pedants can be wildly inaccurate ...

... while others just point out inaccuracies ...

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Lox
Date: 15 Apr 10 - 11:07 PM

Shall I do it? ... yes? ... No? ...

Oh go on then ...


pe·dan·tic
   /pəˈdæntɪk/ Show Spelled[puh-dan-tik] Show IPA
–adjective
1.
ostentatious in one's learning.
2.
overly concerned with minute details or formalisms, esp. in teaching.


and ...


ac·cu·rate    (āk'yər-ĭt)   
adj.

   1.

      Conforming exactly to fact; errorless.
   2.

      Deviating only slightly or within acceptable limits from a standard.
   3.

      Capable of providing a correct reading or measurement: an accurate scale.
   4.

      Acting or performing with care and precision; meticulous: an accurate proofreader.




So the difference is that a Pedant is a show off ...

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Smokey.
Date: 15 Apr 10 - 11:26 PM

Shouldn't that be 'show-off'?

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 15 Apr 10 - 11:49 PM

Dictionary definitions are useful but, by their nature, never cover all the potential situations or emotional factors [which is indeed not their purpose or function]; so Lox was correct to hesitate.

My contention that I am not a pedant, but a lover of accuracy, is based on such considerations as that, e.g. I think genuine popular usage more important than grammatical minutiæ: so that, say, "It's me" is almost always to be preferred to "It is I".

But in questions of fact I work on the watchword & principle that "accuracy matters".

It was really to stress this distinction, & how it applies to those of my mindset, that I started this thread.

~Michael~

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Rowan
Date: 16 Apr 10 - 12:15 AM

And the dictionary meanings shown by Lox don't prevent confusion over the difference between "accuracy" and "precision"; such difference may be unimportant here but still important elsewhere.

What have I done?

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: catspaw49
Date: 16 Apr 10 - 12:36 AM

Accuracy in grammar is certainly important as it aids in better communication. So even though certain statements are accurate, another may be better. For instance here are two things I might say when presented with that information:

1) I believe that is a true statement.

OR

2) Fuckin' A well told Bubba.


In that example it is easy to see why #2 is better.



Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: mousethief
Date: 16 Apr 10 - 12:46 AM

Spaw, I'm sure you meant to say:

Fuckin' A! Well told, Bubba.

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: catspaw49
Date: 16 Apr 10 - 01:01 AM

More like:

Fuhkinay welltol Bubba

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 16 Apr 10 - 03:36 PM

Accuracy and Precision eh?
Another can of worms, I would suspect...




Back in the days when I was involved in chemical analysis, Accuracy related to how close to "correct" an individual result was. Precision was a measure of how close you got to the same result if you repeated the same test a number of times.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Rowan
Date: 16 Apr 10 - 11:25 PM

Ditto, Geoff, although I added target shooting (archery) and surveying contexts to the chemical analysis.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Amos
Date: 17 Apr 10 - 11:24 AM

I believe precision is the number of decimal places to which a measurement is taken, while accuracy reflects the degree of possible error in the measurement.

That's not too hard to grasp, now, is it? Fuckin' A, Bubba.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Pedantry? Accuracy? The difference???
From: Smokey.
Date: 17 Apr 10 - 01:51 PM

Concision seems to have been overlooked..