Dialogue: Out of Africa
While we were at my parents' house last Saturday, I was talking with my dad about how I was currently between books right now. I mentioned I didn't know what I was going to read next and he suggested "Out of Africa".
Last night Dave and I were reading in bed (okay, I was reading, Dave was obsessing over Sudoku) when the following conversation took place:
me: What's "pedantry" mean?
Dave: Probably a foot doctor.
me: That's a podiatrist.
Dave: Well, it's an old book.
So in case this comes up in Trivial Pursuit, at least up to the year 1937 pedantry was a foot doctor. Hope it wins you a pie piece.
Comments
Seriously? A foot doctor?
Posted by: Megan | September 12, 2006 11:10 AM
FYI, I always lose at Trivial Pursuit
Posted by: David | September 12, 2006 11:46 AM
Nah, Dave's full of it. "Pedantic" means "narrow, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned". At least according to Merriam-Webster.
Posted by: Jenn | September 12, 2006 11:47 AM
You're pedantic!
Posted by: David | September 12, 2006 12:02 PM
Since you two obviously have too much time on your hands, can you use pedantry in a sentence (without being pedantic!)?
Posted by: Megan | September 12, 2006 01:10 PM
The pedantry in Coventry falls mainly on the toiletry.
Posted by: Jenn | September 12, 2006 02:07 PM
The sentence in the book is: "I sometimes thought that what, at the bottom of their hearts, they feared from us was pedantry."
Posted by: Jenn | September 12, 2006 02:13 PM
Wow, and you read this before falling asleep? Impressive.
Posted by: Megan | September 12, 2006 03:42 PM
We store the dry spices, such as nutmeg, basil, and pedarsley, in the pedantry.
Posted by: Andy | September 13, 2006 04:14 PM