Michael Abbott's Classification of Pedants

Michael has given me permission to quote his classification of pedants (or perhaps of pedantry), so here it is:

• Type 1: Precision as a tool.

  For instance, when writing a standard, or trying to sort out exactly which exit from Boots one should meet outside, so one doesn't stand outside the wrong entrance like a fool.

• Type 2: Casual, conversational.

  There are two initial subdivisions of Type 2 pedantry:

  • Type 2a: With humorous intent
    • Type 2a i) Successful.
    • Type 2a ii) Unsuccessful.
  • Type 2b: Habitual, unthinking.

  For both of these initial subdivisions, one can distinguish Consenting and Unconsenting.

• Type 3: Objectionable.

  That is, pedantry used to obstruct communication (i.e., the opposite of Type 1).

  This is typically used to avoid an argument - for instance, "Well, it depends what you mean by XXX...".

Note that it is possible that this is not the order in which Michael has presented this scheme in the past. However, it is an accurate transcription of the classification scheme as I scribbled it down in my diary when he told me it.