Is “grammar nazi” politically correct?

Question

I'm not a native English speaker and I'm puzzled where the use of grammar nazi would be appropriate.

I have seen it numerous times around the SE network and was wondering when the use would be appropriate and whether it is likely that someone might get offended.

Answer 1

For whatever reason, x Nazi is not as offensive as you'd expect in the US. There was a recurring character on Seinfeld known as the "soup Nazi" and nobody got bent out of shape.

That said, substituting the phrase "The Grammar Police" doesn't even put you at risk and may be more accurate (since the complaint is that the person is officiously interfering in the affairs of others, not that he or she is a racist genocidal maniac).

Answer 2

As everyone else has said, the use of "X Nazi" (soup Nazi, grammar Nazi, etc.) is surprisingly common in the US. However, I once met a person who got very upset at the use of such a term, saying that it made light of the experience of anyone in the Holocaust by trivializing the use of the term Nazi. Since then, I have personally steered clear of its use. So take it for what it's worth.

Answer 3

I'm not a regular here, but I would say that pretty much it's never really politically correct, especially to call someone else one. "Nazi" is a pretty strong word with bad connotations.

That said, I do call myself a "grammar nazi" a lot, so what do I know?

Answer 4

Although the word is in fairly common use, I would hesitate to call anyone a grammar nazi, just the same as I would avoid calling them any other negative term. I don't think that there is any particular negative connotation with the term, but it certainly is not a positive word. By calling someone a grammarian you are more likely to flatter than offend them. Feel free to use it with regard to yourself, though.

Answer 5

It isn't so much politically correct as it isn't really considered incorrect. Nazis are generally a non-topic in the US; if you want something offensive you need to use particular examples (e.g. Hilter) or specifically refer to The Nazis.

That being said, some variations have their own offensiveness attached (e.g. feminazi) but my hunch is that this has more to do with the usage of the term than the inclusion of "-nazi."

The internet tends to care less about political correctness and the phrase "grammar nazi" is more common when you can pick apart the spellings of there/their/they're and your/you're. I advise against using it in person until you hear someone else use it.