Some of these questions! Glass half full or half empty, was one. The answer is, it is entirely full, with two different substances, one being air. The question should be: Optimist or Pessimist. I know what they are asking, but they persist in asking the wrong question. That's a pet peeve. Vagueness in general, irritates me. Using 'effect' when one means 'affect', is an example. I only have about a 9th grade formal education, if that, and I know better. (I wouldn't have been much of a journalist if I hadn't!) How do some people get a High School diploma -- Good attendance?! And how in the WORLD do some people get a driver's license? I'm convinced it must involve bribery! OK, not really, but there are people who shouldn't be allowed to walk on the sidewalks, let alone pilot a two ton machine only feet from other people. (This might be the place to admit, I covered all the crash and burn stuff, and was also the police photographer, so I may be a little biased) I'm with George Carlin on this. He made a good living pointing out the follies of people. I think he was also pissed off. Some of the best comedians I ever saw were... Rant over. Your thoughts?
I don't have pet peeves. I have major psychotic fucking hatreds, ok?
Oh Kayyyy! We'll leave it at that!
You're not a fan of George Carlin?
most of my peeves have to do with language rather than action, and they are too numerous to list, but i'll mention some that appear to be newish, all of them heard on my tv:
eschewing superlatives, what's wrong with -est? he's the most tall. it's tallEST, folks.
eschewing the word "twice." why is everyone saying "two times" all the time?
not so new but still annoying: the subject's not matching the modifying clause. "when six years old, my father taught me to throw a ball." really, your dad had a kid when he was six? that's a lot more interesting than whatever he taught you!
your chariot awaits. you'll transform into a pumpkin. those verbs are transitive folks, and make no sense without objects! your chariot awaits YOU. you'll be tranformed (or your fairy godmother will transform you) into a pumpkin. somewhere on the web, someone claims that the oxford english dictionary calls it intransitive. that person is at best mistaken or at worst a liar. i looked it up! oxford, like all the other dictionaries i've seen, validate my understanding.
we need a law against, and fine for, using "literally" to mean its opposite.
also related to television, specifically advertisements:
hey consumer cellular: i'm a senior, i use the computer all day long, i've used a computer since 1976, and this is not a whole new world. i did not fall asleep in 1980 and wake up yesterday. the world changed slowly for me as it did for everyone who doesn't live under a rock. talk down to me and be assured i will never buy your product/service/shtick,
fake insurance search companies: obamacare isn't a health plan. it doesn't have a price, cheap or otherwise. it's a law and it's still in effect. trump's fake tax cut didn't make health insurance cheaper and we know you just want people to give you their contact info so you can sell it and/or spam them. stop lying. it's annoying -- nay, disgusting. that goes for the rest of you advertisers who make fake claims, from the tv thing that supposedly gives you cable channels for free, claiming that the law says all cable companies have to broadcast digitally (if they broadcast they have to do it digitally, but they do not have to broadcast! they can just be on cable, for a fee!) to the "man-boosting" drugs that make an over-the-hill baseball player "leaner" (than what? he looks pretty chunky to me!) i've tried reporting some of these but no one is interested. lying, it seems, is just fine.
trumpy bear is disgusting. go away. ugh..
out in the real world? oh i don't go there much. when i do, i try to be patient with people. sometimes i succeed.
g
Thanks for brightening up my day?
Brilliant rant. The bestest rant in the whole wide world. Pulling no punches and as honest as the day is long. “Cliche City, G has you surrounded now Shut TF up!”
@Geoffrey51 awwww lol. i just saw, for the gazillionth time, another commercial that annoys me, and i wonder if anyone else has noticed the thing that bugs me. it's an ad for good rx, and it begins with a mother bringing her child to the pharmacy and thinking to herself, sotte voce so we can hear her thoughts, about how she hopes the meds are not expensive, how she hopes they're covered by her insurance. then she gets to the pharmacy counter and asks how much the drug is... in the SAME SOTTO VOCE she used to think! so either she talks to herself aloud in public or she was communicating telepathically to the pharmacist. whoever made this commercial is an IDIOT.
g
Use of "literally" as an emphatic. It figuratively drives me up a fucking wall.
Why not avoid false assumptions by the reader when literally slams the door upon misread intent ?....people copy speech patterns ever since infancy some stupid some brilliant ....hard to police moms talking to babies at breast
Pacific when specific is meant.
That is just funny. Do people do that?
Who confuses peaceful or the ocean with specificity ?
@Spinliesel Yes, they do! I can’t imagine how it came to this! Also really irritating is people that write ect instead of etc.
Pencil or similar item tapping incessantly.
They are not drumming or rehearsing their tap dancing rhythms ...they are nervous fools annoying all others present
The glass being full also has another answer... it's half full if it was being filled and it's half empty if it was being emptied.
Pet peeves are tardiness (also includes lolligagging), smacking gum or food, slurping, driving slow in the fast lane, people invading my space in lines... man, I get annoyed easily!
I will add one more to your list. Elbows on the table. Man, when I was a kid, that was a sure ride to Tuesday! That's about when you might regain your senses.... Manners seem to be a thing of the past. Cell phones are a MAJOR peeve but I'll save that for a post all it's own.
I work in a call center in customer service. If you’re going to call me with a question actually listen to my answer! All day long I get people who are listening for what they want to here which is really often NOT what I’m going to tell them, BUT if they listen I can actually help. Makes my day so much longer than it needs to be.
When call centre operators blame the IT system ,its an automated letter etc just translates to i can't be arsed to solve your problem (ps i worked in a few call centres so used them myself lol)
I worked in one once, as a licensed insurance agent. When the people on the floor got someone to take the offer, for legal reasons, they had to have me actually make the sale. There is LOT of legal stuff around life insurance, and trust me, you want it that way. Cause if the insurance company doesn't do as you expect, you're not gonna sue them. As it was technical legaleese, few people ever paid the slightest attention. So yeah, I can relate.
Best film ever !!
No, never herd of it before. Who is in it? (I can find it if I know)
I found that movie... Downloading it as I write... Who would have thought so many porn movies had the same name? I'm glad you told me who was in it! Thanks...
@Junkman, you go on a rant about spelling, then use “herd” for heard, looksee (not a word). Elbows on the table? Personal problem. Growing up in Europe you keep both forearms on the table, knife in the right hand, fork in the left, most of the meal.
@Barnie2years hmmm, unfortunately auto fill and predictive text have a bad affect on us all. Texting in general has made my spelling terrible because I am now used to selecting words from the bar with word options to choose, rather than recalling the letters from my head. I think picking on social media grammar issues is a bit petty, really. It’s not as if we are writing a covering letter! Plus, some words or phrases are colloquialisms. “Looksee” or “say tell” etc. are definitely just regional. You definitely need to watch “Falling Down” ?
@Livia, You’re right, and I often get words screwed up by auto text or just by not proof reading before I post. The ONLY reason I brought it up here is because he was mocking others for doing exactly what he did. If you read his rant in the post, you will see this missive: “Using 'effect' when one means 'affect', is an example. I only have about a 9th grade formal education, if that, and I know better. (I wouldn't have been much of a journalist if I hadn't!) How do some people get a High School diploma.” If you are going to criticize others, maybe be more aware of your own failures.
@Barnie2years and knife and fork together when you have finished!
Your gum. Do not put it on sidewalks or stick it under tables or discard it where I can see it or might encounter it--EVER. And also, I do not want to hear you audibly chew it, crack it, or pop it. And please return your shopping card to the designated car corrals or back inside the store. Don't leave it in a parking spot.
I like to go to the local Walmart, across the street from an Aldi's (Where you bag your own groceries, and have to put a quarter in to get a cart) And bring a cart in with me. When I get to the door greeter, I hold out my hand... And ask for my quarter. I'm a marked man... They all know me now! There is that smartass again!
You are spot on about the shopping carts.?
Turn signals. Please use them. If you don’t I have to assume you are going straight. Why is it we can send probes into deep space and can’t seem to use a turn signal. Oh and btw tailgaters. Please back off.
What about the guy or gal who has had the damn turn signal on for a mile... THEN suddenly turns right into me? Just as bad. I saw a cartoon years ago. It shows a car salesman showing a little old lady, with bird cages and all, the features of the new car. He was pointing to the rear turn signal and said: "And THIS baby is guaranteed to never quit for the life of the car"
Expressions like
at the end of the day
be that as it may
the fact of the matter is
it is what it is
the long and the short of it
the thing of it is
People who start every response with
So.....
I mean...
That's a good question...
Look...
Portmanteaus like
Ginormous
Bromance
Frenemy
Chillax
Hangry
I love bulletproof point rants and that one is pretty special!
Seems like you escaped so called education just in time to be a practical human....I am 5 years older when Eisenhower and JFK were encouraging science not creationism of ReaGUN and the Bush Crime Family
Random whistling in public, clearly following no tune but making a duck face with accompanied high pitched , out of tune shrieking.
Tail gaiters
Religious peeps knocking on my door
BRAGGARTS like trump
Gossiping
Child abusers, this should be number one.
I know...I mean KNOW I'm an optimist. Or really FN stupid.
Mayhap both??
I've seen a friend appear to be stealing from me... someone points it out...I'll excuse them with a comment like, we don't know their intentions OR I'm sure they'll return it
I hate hate hate it but the truth is nice guys finish last. ( And get screwed over for being nice and stupid still!!! At 51 yo!!!) . And I soon enjoyed being kind. Thoughtful, considerate.
Sigh.
I used to joke, Nice guys finish last... At least they do if they are gentlemen... (Yes, a sexual reference) But these days, I just can't joke about it any more. It's true... those who are without shame will seek out the nice guys, AND gals, and take advantage. It's a little like ringing the dinner bell in a lion cage. Those who won't take advantage, aren't the first ones to the dinner table, so you don't see them.
When someone wants to infirm that they are also not involved in something as well as someone else they say “me either”. It’s me NEITHER. When did this disrespect for the negative enter the English language!