Hypercriticism

Near-synonyms: (quibbling type) cavillation, cavilling, nitpicking, nitpickery, pettifogging, pettifoggery, hairsplitting, hair-splittery, splitting hairs; (demolishing type) excoriation, excoriating, bashing, trashing

The Publishers, in issuing this Autobiography of a man altogether out of and above the common ranks in which it was his lot to be born and to live—the publication of which, they are aware, has been awaited by many with considerable interest and curiosity—desire to explain that in passing it through the press it has not been subjected to any extensive editorial pruning or toning. Here and there sentences which were considered unduly involved or extended have been simplified or broken up into two, in order to avoid tediousness to the reader, and occasionally a word of the author's own coining has been changed so as to remove ground for hypercriticism; but these changes have been so extremely few that the reader need not have any misgivings lest he is not in contact with John Younger's own genuine thoughts expressed in his own frank and forcible manner. There was an originality and individuality about John's way of viewing things as well as in his mode of expressing his thoughts which imparted to him and to them an additional interest and attraction, which it has been the object of the Publishers to preserve.

Alfred pulled a face as of one that drinketh verjuice unawares; but let it pass: hypercriticism was not his cue just then.