"C'mon, John. Don't be pedantic. We all know what he meant."
Pedantic? It's not about book learning and formal rules. Only accurate arguments are interesting. If a person is going to slam something it's best to have all the ducks in a row in order to show that the conclusion offered is based on facts and isn't simply some off the cuff quip. That's not a formal rule, it's just sensible. The question being, did he know what he meant or was he just taking a cheap, but inaccurate shot.
John
ADJECTIVE: Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules: a pedantic attention to details.