[Archived] Pet Peeves.

[SouthAussieRover]

Journalists who like to give it but can't take it.

[bazza]

Another peeve - Britons abroad who go native.

It can't be helped, Jim. If you want to be understood at the other end of the phone you have to change the way you speak. In any case it becomes infectious when dealing with everyone else speaking differently to you.

Generally though, I'd say people who steadily raise the tone and inflection of their voice when making a statement as though they are asking a question. It began with teenage girls who watched Friends, now it seems to be an uncontroolable virus. Even my boss does it.

I caught this habit living in Southern Africa. As I said, it's infectious. But I'm back to normal now through more infection.

Another thing. Certain words and expressions in UK become fashionable and gradually the fashion fades. In 1985, returning to UK after a long period of time abroad, everyone was using the words "horrendous" and "wally"; very noticeable to me.

[jim mk2]

Another thing. Certain words and expressions in UK become fashionable and gradually the fashion fades. In 1985, returning to UK after a long period of time abroad, everyone was using the words "horrendous" and "wally"; very noticeable to me.

It's very fashionable to say "UK" these days but to me this country will always be Britain. Not a big peeve, but "UK" does irritate me.

Have I mentioned litter, particularly by the roadside alongside dual carriageways and motorways ?

Not so much a peeve as a national disgrace.

[bazza]

It's very fashionable to say "UK" these days but to me this country will always be Britain. Not a big peeve, but "UK" does irritate me.

Have I mentioned litter, particularly by the roadside alongside dual carriageways and motorways ?

Not so much a peeve as a national disgrace.

I was surprised to find the Spanish refer to our country as Reino Unido; United Kingdom.

And we are the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (or we were until the current government started to break us up)

[RoyRover]

These is a great thread, I have so many things that annoy me. The thing that comes to mind first is the whole tipping culture in the U.S. Now I understand the idea behind it is so that people who are actually paid under the minimum wage can bring the pay above it, based on tips. But I think that this says more about cheap employers who don't pay their staff what they should and use the tips as what they really are: a bonus. When I was in Chicago in the summer with my brother, my sister and our friend who we were staying with, we went out for dinner to the Cheescake Factory on Michigan Avenue. Me and my brother were paying, as we didn't expect our little sister to pay and as a thank you to our friend for letting us crash at his place. The bill for the dinner came to nearly $100, which we didn't really mind. However when it came to leaving a tip, our friend advised that we should leave the commonly agreed figure of 18%, which end up at around $20. The guy serving us was pleasant enough, took our drinks orders, food orders, checked if everything was fine and took our dessert orders. If I had been in Belfast, I would have left him a couple of pounds, but because I was in the U.S, we were socially obliged to leave him over a £10 tip, which just seemed excessive to me. I thought about it afterward and it struck me that if I had been there myself and had ordered the most expensive thing on the menu, which for arguments sake was a $200 steak, I would have been expected to leave a tip of $40. However, if I had gone for the cheapest thing on the menu, which was a $10 salad, I would have only had to have left him a tip of $2, even though the waiter would have done exactly the same amount of work in serving the same two dishes! I'm not a cheap skate by any stretch of the imagination and actually don't mind tipping for good service. But being it just being expected and having a set figure to leave, really irks me.

[RoyRover]

ARGH, this drives me nuts. 'Peeps' is OK, but when people start saying 'lolz' and 'omg' I want to punch them very hard in the face.

When used in a joking manner, they can actually be quite funny. My sister was doing an impression of these stupid young girls you see around these days wearing Ugg Boots, Canterbury / Jack Wills / Abercrombie sweat bottoms and some hoodie of some random hockey team they are on and she was dropping in OMG and LOLZ and it was hysterical.

And carrying on from that point, because it's those types of girls who I hear saying it a lot, the overuse of the word 'like' makes my skin crawl. You'll hear something along the lines of "I was like... and he was like... and they were like..." It makes no sense whatsoever and sounds awful. People use it, myself included, when they are searching for a better word to describe a situation or feeling, but there are people who use it all the time, in every sentence. One of my best friends does it and one night when I was dropping him off home after a night out, he was on fire with the word "like". I actually couldn't wait to get him out of the car.

[tcj_jones]

Haha, that's the thing though - it's only funny to say things like 'lolz' when you're taking the mick out of those who actually use it as part of their vocabulary. I want to punch these people very hard in the face, not the ones who take the mick out of them!

[Radagast]

Generally though, I'd say people who steadily raise the tone and inflection of their voice when making a statement as though they are asking a question. It began with teenage girls who watched Friends, now it seems to be an uncontroolable virus. Even my boss does it.

Crikey, I was just talking about this earlier. Mainly because there's a girl in my office* who likestotalklike THIS? Every time she's telingawackystoryabouther HUSBAND? And that's allshedoesall DAY?

*Yep, lots of characters in here...

[T4E]

Crikey, I was just talking about this earlier. Mainly because there's a girl in my office* who likestotalklike THIS? Every time she's telingawackystoryabouther HUSBAND? And that's allshedoesall DAY?

*Yep, lots of characters in here...

Messageboard members who disappear for years at a time and only return when there's a chance to moan ;-)

[Radagast]

Hey, I'll have you know I'm just minutes after making a valuable contribution to the "dumb blogs and other dumb things" thread. Might get round to discussing some football at some point.

[T4E]

Either way, nice to have you back.

[American]

These is a great thread, I have so many things that annoy me. The thing that comes to mind first is the whole tipping culture in the U.S. Now I understand the idea behind it is so that people who are actually paid under the minimum wage can bring the pay above it, based on tips. But I think that this says more about cheap employers who don't pay their staff what they should and use the tips as what they really are: a bonus. When I was in Chicago in the summer with my brother, my sister and our friend who we were staying with, we went out for dinner to the Cheescake Factory on Michigan Avenue. Me and my brother were paying, as we didn't expect our little sister to pay and as a thank you to our friend for letting us crash at his place. The bill for the dinner came to nearly $100, which we didn't really mind. However when it came to leaving a tip, our friend advised that we should leave the commonly agreed figure of 18%, which end up at around $20. The guy serving us was pleasant enough, took our drinks orders, food orders, checked if everything was fine and took our dessert orders. If I had been in Belfast, I would have left him a couple of pounds, but because I was in the U.S, we were socially obliged to leave him over a £10 tip, which just seemed excessive to me. I thought about it afterward and it struck me that if I had been there myself and had ordered the most expensive thing on the menu, which for arguments sake was a $200 steak, I would have been expected to leave a tip of $40. However, if I had gone for the cheapest thing on the menu, which was a $10 salad, I would have only had to have left him a tip of $2, even though the waiter would have done exactly the same amount of work in serving the same two dishes! I'm not a cheap skate by any stretch of the imagination and actually don't mind tipping for good service. But being it just being expected and having a set figure to leave, really irks me.

It's the same over here, except here the higher wages are added into the price of the food. You end up paying extra, but they hide it better.

[broadsword]

Hey, I'll have you know I'm just minutes after making a valuable contribution to the "dumb blogs and other dumb things" thread. Might get round to discussing some football at some point.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/30/messages/1700.html

high rising terminal

[RoyRover]

Messageboard members who disappear for years at a time and only return when there's a chance to moan ;-)

Yeah Radagast! Where have you been!? Touring the world with your Scandinavian metal band Eagle Sword?

Slow drivers really get to me. Especially when the one in front is going so slowly through a set of traffic lights, than then change to red, meaning you have to stop.

Older people (35+) saying the word 'cool'. I'm young and can get away with it, but when I here grown ups using, trying to be done with the kids, it makes me uncomfortable.

I don't like Librarians. They are always grumpy, cross women.

[Radagast]

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/30/messages/1700.html

high rising terminal

Yeah, that. Graah. Moronic interrogative...I'm definitely using that one.

Yeah Radagast! Where have you been!? Touring the world with your Scandinavian metal band Eagle Sword?

I wish. I'm now going to go find out if there's a metal band called Eagle Sword, though...

EDIT:

There isn't.

[sleepyjack]

the whole tipping culture in the U.S.

Shouldn't your pet peeve be the lack of sufficient minimum wage legislation in the USA? I suppose it's easier being ###### off at leaving a tip for people who earn, as Rovers fans know, about two pounds an hour.

[RoyRover]

Shouldn't your pet peeve be the lack of sufficient minimum wage legislation in the USA? I suppose it's easier being ###### off at leaving a tip for people who earn, as Rovers fans know, about two pounds an hour.

I do indeed raise that point in my post.

Yeah, that. Graah. Moronic interrogative...I'm definitely using that one.

I wish. I'm now going to go find out if there's a metal band called Eagle Sword, though...

EDIT:

There isn't.

I'm copy righting that name. It seems like the type of name that you would get for one of those bands!

[ABBEY]

sky + crashing wiping the hard drive and losing 24 and lost ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH H

[American]

sky + crashing wiping the hard drive and losing 24 and lost ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH H

Lost is on Sky Anytime - I had forgotten to set it up!

[ABBEY]

Not when your hard drives been wiped ...it clears all anytime and starts a fresh...gonna try sky player.

[Eddie]

How English people sometimes say the letter "H".

Referring to a girlfriend as a "missus" or "other half". I don't mind it so much when it's a serious thing, but if you've been seeing each other for a month or two it really gets on my nerves.

...this could be a very long list.

[Claytons Left Boot]

People who have their sunglasses perched on top of their head at eight o'clock in the evening when it's long since gone dark. What I call 'Hey Look At Me' people.

[mellison24]

How English people sometimes say the letter "H".

If you mean when people pronounce it as 'Haytch' rather than 'Aytch', I agree.