History Main / GrammarNAZI

* You'll find these people across the Internet at times. We'll leave it at that. The start of such an argument on Website/FourChan is announced with "STOP. GRAMMAR TIME."

* Along the same lines, people on Website/{{Tumblr}} can get very nitpicky when it comes to grammar. The most widespread version of this (almost to the point of [[MemeticMutation memetic levels]]) is the difference between [[http://ericpaz.tumblr.com/post/72481233667/why-are-you-even-alive-your-blog-sux-and-your-ugly "your" and "you're"]]. [[http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyjm7iVXgc1r57l0bo1_500.png This]] sums it up perfectly. Ironically, Tumblr is considered guilty of a brand new range of grammatical errors, including large numbers of posts without capitalization or punctuation.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' finale "[[Recap/GravityFallsS2E20WeirdmageddonPart3TakeBackTheFalls Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back the Falls]]", Ford corrects Stan's statement of "Between me and him" to "Between him and me", and he chides him for his bad grammar. [[spoiler:This proves to be Stan's RageBreakingPoint, causing him to attack Ford, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero breaking the cosmic chain and allowing Bill to gain the upper hand]].]]

No relation to ThoseWackyNazis -- well, except for [[http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/06/03/nazi_grammar_tweet_american_nazi_party_recommends_careful_spelling_and_punctuation.html certain ironic cases]]-- or [[RacistGrandma grandma Nazis]]. If GodwinsLaw [[DudeNotFunny becomes an issue]], "Grammar Police" is another accepted term, and since Spain [[UsefulNotes/TheFrancoRegime didn't know about the Nazis]], our Spanish-language page on this trope is called ''Es/TalibanOrtografico'', or "Grammar Taliban".

* Another humorous column started from an event in a recent by-election, when a candidate had stood for the "Literal Democrats", thus causing confusion with the (genuine) Li'''b'''eral Democrats. The columnist ran with the idea that a party would be composed of pedants who went round correcting posters and cutting mistakes out of newspaper articles while people were reading them.

On wikis, Grammar Nazis sometimes leave snarky little notes in discussion areas about the correct use of italics or where the apostrophe goes in "its/it's." They don't add any new content -- except possibly passive-aggressive "help" articles on proper usage of the semicolon. At their worst, they are known for insisting on "rules of English" which are derived from French and other Latin-descended languages and were invented for the sole purpose of annoying English-speakers. They'll also likely become a [[Administrivia/TVTropesGlossary Serial Tweaker]], careful to quickly correct their own mistakes. (We hope.)

* "Winston tastes good, like a cigarette should," was attacked by Grammar Nazis for using "like" instead of "as". A subsequent campaign asked, "What do you want, good grammar or good taste?" This is also what helped the company become a best-seller -- people were talking about their horrible grammar, and thus their brand name stood out more. Kind of an accidental ViralMarketing on their part.\\\

* ''ComicBook/{{Lobo}}'': In one story, Lobo is captured by Grammar Nazis who force him into a competition to see if he'll be allowed to join them in their crusade to cleanse language from error (and exterminate malaprops). It ends when Lobo tries to get his grade school teacher out of the competition, only for her to reveal that he cut her legs and them preparing to kill him by shooting... and removing him from the gas trap that was keeping him at bay. No Grammar Nazis survive the encounter.

--->'''Ultra Magnus:''' You can't have people throwing made up words around willy-nilly. There are impressionable 'bots on board.\\

* Andy Fox of the comic strip ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' has been known to rant at her children for using improper grammar. In one strip she explains to her older son that she couldn't help correcting him in the previous strip because, as an English major, she believes that proper grammar is important.

* ''Literature/TheFoundationTrilogy'': In Creator/IsaacAsimov's "Literature/TheMule", Mayor Indbur III corrects the grammar before he signs anything. It's evidence of his bookkeeper personality that he must correct the improper usage of commas before he will place a document in his Out Tray.

* In ''Literature/NorthangerAbbey'', Catherine offhandedly describes a book as "nice". Her crush Henry teasingly asks if she means that it has neat bindings and then goes on a small diatribe about how a word that used to mean precise, proper, delicate, or refined, is now being all rolled up into the one meaning of "pleasant". This gets him a lot of eye-rolling from his sister, who calls him "more nice than wise" and tells Catherine to use whatever word she likes to praise favorite books. (The book was written in 1803, proving that certain English-speakers have always been upset about the fluidity of their own language.)

* Carol on ''Series/TheLastManOnEarth'' is one of these, having a near-fanatic belief that sentences are not supposed to be ended with prepositions. It drives fellow apocalypse-survivor Phil (even more) crazy.

* The title character of ''Series/{{Sherlock}}''. In the BatmanColdOpen of "[[Recap/SherlockS01E03TheGreatGame The Great Game]]", a prospective client describes the events leading to his wife's murder, but is repeatedly interrupted by Holmes to correct his grammar (see the quotes page for complete exchange).

* ''Series/TheUndeclaredWar'': John Yeabsley uses his lunch time partly to correct other people's spellings. Then once Saara first speaks to him, he quickly corrects her grammar use too. [[spoiler:It later tips Saara off that his interview on Russian TV is fake, since he uses an ungrammatical phrase which he corrected her over.]]

'''Perrier [=LaPadite=]:''' Wait. You are hiding under the floorboards, or is she?\\

* ''WebVideo/HitlerRants'': One ''Film/{{Downfall}}'' parody lampshades this trope, after Günsche mixes up the words "you're" and "your":

* Played straight for UsefulNotes/JosephStalin. The man ''hated'' spelling and grammatical errors, and simply could not let them go unremarked when he came across them -- two thousand of the books which survive from his library have marks and annotations in them where he circled and/or commented upon errors or grammatically acceptable but questionable phrasings. He was also famously self-conscious about his imperfect ability to speak other languages, always possessing a distinct Georgian accent, and after he came to power some people made deliberate pronunciation and grammatical errors of their own when speaking to him (to avoid drawing attention to any mistakes he had made).

* The aptly named Creator/KelseyGrammer (TV's ''Series/{{Frasier}}'') says that when he talks to people, he often stops the conversation to correct them on the proper use of the English language.

"[[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome Because you're a Jew.]]"

A Spelling Nazi is a subtype of Grammar Nazi, specializing in spelling. A Spelling Nazi would actively fight the RougeAnglesOfSatin. A Spelling Nazi would make sure that "definately" was written by "definitely" and not "defiantly". A Spelling Nazi would always spell the names of the characters, settings, attacks, and {{MacGuffin}}s in its fandom correctly if the correct spellings are known (and [[SpellMyNameWithAnS if they aren't]], then expect those of different ideologies to try to tear one another's throats out over which is more "correct"). And [[SeparatedByACommonLanguage God save us all if a British Spelling Nazi ever meets an American one]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Kindergarten}}'':

* The title character of ''Series/{{Castle}}'' falls into this occasionally, at one point critiquing the grammar of a murderer who wrote on the victim's face, and used "your" instead of "you're".

** "Word Crimes", a parody of "Blurred Lines" by Creator/RobinThicke, is entirely about this phenomenon, with the character listing various common grammar errors that irk him. He takes this to extremes when he aggressively belittles and [[DisproportionateRetribution threatens physical violence]] to people who do not use proper grammar. Also, the final lyric in the song [[HypocriticalHumor intentionally contains a split infinitive]] [[note]] Amusingly, Al considers himself a "grammar mild conservative", and a lot of the grammar errors in the genuinely annoy him [[/note]].

** "Word Crimes", a parody of "Blurred Lines" by Creator/RobinThicke, is entirely about this phenomenon, with the character listing various common grammar errors that irk him. He takes this to extremes when he aggressively belittles and [[DisproportionateRetribution threatens physical violence]] to people who do not use proper grammar. Also, the final lyric in the song [[HypocriticalHumor intentionally contains a split infinitive]].

** Josephine Anwhistle is a perfect example of a typical Grammar Nazi, going so far as to point out that Sunny Baudelaire's utterances are nonsense even if she's too young to be expected to speak coherently. Played with somewhat in that she uses bad grammar to relay a secret message to the Baudelaires. Unfortunately, she corrects the AxCrazy villain's grammar as well...

** A "Pinky and the Brain" short spoofs UsefulNotes/OrsonWelles's tirade about the poor writing in a frozen peas commercial, with Brain re-creating it verbatim. (The speech is a favorite of voice actor Creator/MauriceLaMarche.) However, it's given the twist that when Brain storms out of the studio at the end, he's confronted by a waiting room full of other actors ready to read for the role, and, chastened, dashes back to the studio to record his lines as written.

** A "Pinky and the Brain" short spoofs Orson Welles's tirade about the poor writing in a frozen peas commercial, with Brain re-creating it verbatim. (The speech is a favorite of voice actor Creator/MauriceLaMarche.) However, it's given the twist that when Brain storms out of the studio at the end, he's confronted by a waiting room full of other actors ready to read for the role, and, chastened, dashes back to the studio to record his lines as written.

%%* In ''WesternAnimation/TuffPuppy'', there's the Grammar Gofer, who bums Kitty out when she and Dudley defeat Quacky The Duck in the episode "Lucky Duck". (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample; name aside, what more specifically does he say/do that fits the trope?)

* ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'': A centurion (played by former Latin teacher Creator/JohnCleese), catching Brian in the act of writing anti-Roman graffiti, makes him correct his Latin grammar at sword point. Then he makes Brian write it out 100 times -- ''all over the walls of the palace, [[FreudianThreat after threatening to cut his balls off]]''!

** "Word Crimes", a parody of "Blurred Lines" by Creator/RobinThicke, is entirely about this phenomenon, with the character listing various common grammar errors that irk him. He takes this to extremes when he aggressively belittles and threats physical violence to people who do not use proper grammar. Also, the final lyric in the song [[HypocriticalHumor intentionally contains a split infinitive]].

* ''Film/MontyPythonsLifeOfBrian'': A centurion (played by former Latin teacher Creator/JohnCleese), catching Brian in the act of writing anti-Roman graffiti, makes him correct his Latin grammar at sword point. Then he makes Brian write it out 100 times -- ''all over the walls of the palace''!

** To a lesser extent, Thunderclash. At one point, Thunders is forced to modulate his life signs to send a coded message via his medical equipment. [[SkewedPriorities He makes sure that said coded message is correctly punctuated, even though this notably shortens his life.]]

** [[TheSpock Vaarsuvius]] frequently corrects grammatical errors done by other characters. In a ''Magazine/{{Dragon}}'' strip, V breaks the protection spell that was making them invisible to a pair of wights to admonish them for ending every sentence with a preposition.

* In ''WesternAnimation/ScoobyDooMysteryIncorporated'', Creator/HarlanEllison is a recurring character, and in his first appearance, he goes into an angry tirade over Shaggy's habit of peppering "like" into his sentences.

* In the ''Literature/{{Confessions}}'', teachers in Roman Africa would beat their students for errors in speech, but reward them for good grammar even if they praised murder or adultery in the process. [[Creator/AugustineOfHippo St. Augustine]] himself internalized this rhetorical mentality and it ruined his life for years to come.

* The Franchise/GreenLantern miniseries ''Emerald Dawn 2'' shows Sinestro correcting the syntax of people he's beating down back when he's [[Characters/GreenLanternHalJordan Hal Jordan]]'s Corps-appointed mentor.
* In one [[Characters/DCComics Lobo]] story, he is captured by Grammar Nazis who force him into a competition to see if he'll be allowed to join them in their crusade to cleanse language from error (and exterminate malaprops). It ends when Lobo tries to get his grade school teacher out of the competition, only for her to reveal that he cut her legs and them preparing to kill him by shooting... and removing him from the gas trap that was keeping him at bay. No Grammar Nazis survive the encounter.
* Herr Starr, from ''ComicBook/{{Preacher}}'', who destroys a subordinate's report with a handgun for "Improper use of inverted commas!" (The subordinate had used quotation marks, instead of a bold or italic face, for emphasis.)
* Minor ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' villain Spellcheck is such a stickler for grammar, syntax, and usage that he, inspired by the letter-and-punctuation-themed Typeface, puts on a costume and beats people up over it. He goes after Spider-Man because the hyphen (-) between his SuperHero name is ''unnecessary''.

* Yorick from ''ComicBook/YTheLastMan'' is an English major and as such often points out grammatical mistakes, though these mistakes, including splitting infinitives and ending sentences in prepositions, often aren't actually grammar rules. For example, he tells a journalist that she splits more infinitives than Creator/GeneRoddenberry.

* ''WebAnimation/AnimatorVsAnimation'': In "Autocorrect", all of the main stick figures serve as this correcting Alan's letter to DJ; fixing the spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. However, this leads to a point where they start to rewrite Alan's letter turning it into a formal letter leading Alan in all-caps telling them to stop and just let him type, prompting Yellow to add a period at the end of Alan's sentence.

[[quoteright:350:[[Webcomic/{{Sinfest}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grammar_nazi.png]]]][[caption-width-right:350: And so begins the first [[{{Pun}}Word War]].]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Webcomic/{{Sinfest}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grammar_nazi.png]]]]
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