When we come up with a better term for Jerry Seinfeld’s “soup nazi” character, then we’ll have the term needed ready at hand. And ‘grammar brownshirts’ would just draw blank stares.
@gailcalled and @CyanoticWasp I was thinking “Grammar Gestapo” has a nice alliterative ring to it but I think an individual would have to be referred to as a “member of the Grammar Gestapo” or a “Grammar Gestapo Officer.” But, as a member of that organization you would instill a level of fear in people that no ordinary grammar Nazi ever could. Even the grammar Nazis would be afraid of you.
@lilycoyote; “Gestapo” is even more horrific than Nazi. The party was the Nazi party and the Gestapo was the secret police arm, led by the monstrous Heinrich Himmler. The Gestapos were the torturers, the terrorists, the most feared uniform of the Germany Military.
Given the history of my family, I have trouble using any of these terms in jest.
How about Grammar Centurion, then? I’m sure that if we go back far enough someone will have had a problem with the Roman Legion, but we have to be able to joke about some part of history. And I can quite understand how joking about Nazis and the Gestapo isn’t funny to some.
@gailcalled I understand how bad the Gestapo were. That’s why I said in my comment “Even the grammar Nazis would be afraid of you.” I was just carrying on @CyanoticWasp‘s joke. Perhaps I shouldn’t have.