Pedantic Speech Fan Club
ahh. correcting teachers, I love that part
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One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die.
Hi everyone,
I'm new to this website, and the reason I'm posting in this particular thread is because I googled 'pedantic speech', and this location was at the top of the generated list of websites. What led me to google 'pedantic speech' was born of of a conversation earlier this evening. I was at a social dinner where I noticed once again that while I'm conversing with others, I'm overly concerned with precision and clarity in speech. Being a medical student at a highly regarded institution, I find myself surrounded by other highly functioning individuals. Therefore, I've had this notion that others speak like I do. But tonight at dinner, I realized that my most natural state of speaking is very different from that of my colleagues. When I speak, I have a monotone voice and it sounds as if I'm reading from an academic medical journal. Also, I'm overly concerned with clarity when I listen to others, and often find myself frustrated if others aren't being clear (and mind you, these are highly talented individuals). In addition, I find myself using awkward language in response to others-I can't exactly describe what I mean by this, but it's just this tendency to use words that others wouldn't normally use in casual conversation. I hope I've impressed upon you this notion of mine. However, this notion and its association with Autism and Asperger's didn't make it to the fore of my thought until someone in my car on the way home mentioned a movie they'd seen about a little girl with Asperger's who's socially awkward, yet still functions at a high level. After a cursory look through Wikipedia's entry on Asperger's and its mention of pendantry, over-formalized speech, and a monotonicity in speech, I find myself here. Is it possible that I have some shade of Autism Spectrum Disorder? Thanks for your thoughts.
Even knowing that pedantic speech is a symptom of AS, and is not generally perceived to be a positive quality, does not deter me. I also very much enjoy listening to the pedantic speech of others. My favorite teacher in hich school was the most pedantic speaker I've ever met, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's here on WP somewhere.
Anyone share this appreciation?
Feel free to be as pedantic as possible in your response
i absolutely love pedantic, verbose speech--the more formal, the better! i used to be ashamed of it and tried to curb this tendency in myself when i began to understand that generally this mode of communication was not actually preferred by other people. now that i have received my diagnosis and am in the process of educating myself about my asperger's, i try to celebrate these tendencies rather than subvert them.
I'm not big on the whole idea of using uncommon words. We have plenty of words available to us, and confusing listeners isn't a good idea.
Language is for communication, and we don't need people muddling it up and confusing listeners. I try my best to be quite clear with people, and end up explaining the ideas I am trying to convey in many different ways. I'm with George Orwell on this one: clarity!
As an art, speak however it is you enjoy I guess.. But if you want people to understand what you mean, explain it clearly, please! This doesn't mean "dumbing it down", and if you think so, then I'd have to call you an elitist.
AmberEyes
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Location: The Lands where the Jumblies live
They could well have been the "original lecturers".
Perhaps this kind of precision could have been very important for telling other members of the tribe where new food/resources were located?
I do find some comfort in talking like this. I often talk like this when meeting new people, I try to appear as civilised and polite as possible. Talking like this makes me feel as if the situation is under my control. I like being in control.