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What are your pet peeves?
9

What are your pet peeves?

What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
I hate it when people say "I could care less".  If they could, then please care less.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I hate it when people put apostrophe's in inappropriate place's.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
I hate it when people say "I seen that".

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I H8 txt ppl r using to msg on their fons.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
I Hate It When People Type Like This.  Their Pinkies Must Get Tired Quickly.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

DON'T YOU HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE SHOUT WHEN THEY ARE TYPING E-MAIL??!!???!

RE: What are your pet peeves?

1)Eating with mouth open
2)Loud annoying laughter
3)Loud stupid sounds from PC speakers
4)Typing on IM all day

thread1088-150423

Chris
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 10-27-06)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

There, their, and they're.
Two, too, and to.
Acronyms You Know They Made Up Themselves (AYKTMUT)... that would also get COEngineer.  My pinkies are sore just making that one up.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Oh yeah, and "needs painted."  Are we really too lazy to type/say "to be"?

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
I hate it when there are many open urinals and someone come in and go straight to the toilet and pee.  Better yet, they might not lift the seat up and probably pee all over the rim.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Another "Pet Peeve" thread?  Couldn't you do a search, first?  Man, that's annoying!

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
I did search Pet Peeve.. no result.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

It annoys me that so many companies no longer sell products, they "provide solutions".

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I think TheTick was confusing this with another topic in a different forum.
thread1088-150423
thread1088-107619

I thought this version was going to be limited to only language/grammar skill peeves.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Verbing nouns.  The worst one of all is when a film (a.k.a. movie) "premiers".

Also the word "winningest".

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Blokes who aim dead centre.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
People who spell "center" centre.  Just kidding :)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

People who use smiley faces like this  :)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
like this?  That makes sense.  smile

RE: What are your pet peeves?

People who waste their valuable time contributing to a pointless forum like this one!

smile

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Men with hyphenated last names.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Truly, they are not men!

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Proprietary markup languages.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

My Pet Peeve, cleaning up their Pee and Poopsmile

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Nucular...

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
I hate it when people put E.I.T. behind their name.  

RE: What are your pet peeves?

So COEngineer would my "BEng, GradRAeS" have bugged you?

My sons last pet didn't like being cleaned, that was probably her biggest peeve.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Irregardless.  Aaarrgghh!!

The freakin' word you want is regardless.

Cheers,
CanuckMiner

RE: What are your pet peeves?

My kids leave dresser drawers open, cupboard doors open, etc.

How lazy can a person be?

DaveAtkins

RE: What are your pet peeves?

That used to be my wife's peeve - me leaving the cupboards open - until I caught her in the act of leaving half of them open herself!  smile  Of course, I'm certainly guilty of doing it myself, but in this case two wrongs makes an OK.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

The way Americans pronounce the words "Mazda" and "pasta" in the style of Lloyd Grossman - as if the extra long first "a" (paaaasta, Maaaazda) somehow lends sophistication.  I wouldn't mind if these pronunciations were natively used by Italian and Japanese speakers, but they aren't.  And while I'm on the soap box:  "No, I would not like Eyetalian dressing, Italian would be nice though."

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Depending where you go in the USA, words are pronounced differently.
If I ever get another pet, I'm going to call him "Peeve"!

Chris
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 10-27-06)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
My wife keeps making fun of me for pronouncing the words like the origin.  For example croissant and tortilla.  I pronounce it like french and spanish lol.  

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Do you really do that Kenat?  Once got a card from someone  (In the US) with: "Prof. Eng. M. Sci. Eng." after their name.  Eeesh - I guess that looks pretty important to a lay person.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Though E.I.T.'s may be proud of the fact that they've successfullt passed the exam, in the engineering community, by seeing E.I.T. after one's name, it makes it blatantly obvious that he/she is "fresh".  Not having any suffix is actually better.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
Yeah.. what whyun said smile.  Thats why I dont want EIT after my name.  

RE: What are your pet peeves?

1) Being interrupted or spoken over
2) In a group, having person B answer my question which was clearly directed at person A and person A not even having had a chance to provide the answer.

--------------------
How much do YOU owe?
http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/
--------------------

RE: What are your pet peeves?

graybeach (Structural) It was a Defense Company in the UK and I was told by my manager to put it on there.

I think it was because most of our staff, being older, had come up through apprenticeships with HNC/HND etc not degrees.  They wanted the fact they did have employees with degree/professional memberships to stand out.  Didn’t matter that I wasn’t half as good as most of themwinky smile

My pet peeve at work has got to be anything patronizing, so basically almost every word of encouragement etc we get from senior management, HR and our ‘Morale Society’, as well as most employee recognition schemes etc.

In terms of the English Language, it would have to be American English.  I know I’m the one who chose to move here so it’s up to me to get over it but occasionally things like colour/color and Aluminium/Aluminum just bug.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
Kenat, do you guys say Sodium or Natrium there?  Potasium or Kalium?

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I prefer American English. I am Australian and we use British English. "Color" is much better than "colour". The "u" is just baggage from the olden days.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I can handle nails on a chalk board, but sound effects of beverages pouring (as in beer commercials on the radio) really annoy me.  In real life my ear is not inside the glass as it fills up!  

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I cant stand having to hear those big trunk mounted subwoofers cranked up.

I feel my personal rights are being violated when I pull up to an intersection and have to put up the the vibration and noise.

NozzleTwister
Houston, Texas

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Sodium & Potasium, at least when I went to school.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Sight / site / cite
There / their / they're
It's / Its

Any other indications that the writer isn't really paying any attention to what is being written.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Quote:

but sound effects of beverages pouring (as in beer commercials on the radio) really annoy me

Your not alone their.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Add Your / You're to my list.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Beverages pouring is very annoying to me also.
I work with a guy that brings the ice tray back to his desk, bounces the ice into his plastic cup, then pours the drink. When finished, he drinks the water that melts from the ice, bouncing the ice cubes each time.
I'm going to break that ice tray!

Chris
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 10-27-06)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Web based forms that don't know how to parse.

"Enter your credit card number with no spaces or hyphens"
Phone numbers: (800) 555-1212 or 800-555-1212 or 8005551212 or ... ?
(in U.S., your phone number may vary)
Or that can't handle ZIP+4.  
Or that reset when you click "submit" and they find you forgot something and you have to enter everything all over again.
Or are CASE sensitive (didn't that die out in the 90s?)
Or that when there is only a yes or no choice, don't understand that not clicking on the "YES" implies no.
And on and on...

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
I hate microsoft word spelling auto correct on word because there have been a few words that I thought I spell them correctly.  I don't realize it because the program correct it automatically.  Now I cant remember what words they were.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Annoying when people come to me all the time with very simple questions for a software they use and refuse to read "Help". They say they don't have time to read it! But I do?!

Chris
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 10-27-06)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Jean-shorts on guys.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

???  They beat regular jeans on a 100 plus degree day!

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
Jeans shorts are totally 90s  smile .  

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Too many meetings and people who won't stay on topic in them.

People who won't hesitate to copy the entire corporation when they need something from you but don't return phone calls / e-mails when the tables are turned.

SomeYahoo,

The whole "needs painted" manner of speaking drives me nuts as well!!!!  Where are you located?  I never noticed it much until I moved to Ohio.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Quote:

I prefer American English. I am Australian and we use British English. "Color" is much better than "colour". The "u" is just baggage from the olden days.

Hey tomfh, feel free to make up your own lanuguage and call it Australian. Then you can mis-spell as many words as you wish, just like the Americans do... Until then 'English' is the language spoken in England by Englishmen! lightsaber

----------------------------------
  Sometimes I only open my mouth to swap feet...

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Hey ScottyUK, if I didn't pay attention to your signature line I might have missed the fact that your remark is apparently facetious!

....and now on that topic: Since the root-word for facetious is undoubtedly feces, fecetious should be the correct spelling!

;-P

.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Perhaps I should add that 'lanuguage' is not how we spell 'language' in England, nor in any other place on the planet!!

RE: What are your pet peeves?

==> Since the root-word for facetious is undoubtedly feces,
No, it's not.  The etymology of facetious can be traced back to the Latin word facetia, which means to be funny or clever.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Not being able to edit own posts in eng-tips.

*When you are in darkness, no point praying to God. Instead, Pay the Utility Bill*

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I hate "Sectarian violence" being substituted for civil war and, "Oil price is up" when they really mean, "USD is down."

BigInchworm-born in the trenches.
http://virtualpipeline.spaces.msn.com

RE: What are your pet peeves?

New pet peeve:

When I send out an email which I later discover contains a grammar mistake.


RE: What are your pet peeves?

Excessive personal phonecalls at work.

There is one guy here who it seems can't get through a 1/2 hour meeting without getting a call on his cell.  He usually has it on vibrate but it's still annoying, especially as more often than not it's his meeting!

In fact cell phones generally.  They seem to breed bad manors.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

At my company, if your cell/pager goes off during a meeting, you have to stand up and tell a joke or sing a song in front of the group.  It's kinda silly, but has cut down on cell phones chirping during meetings.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I have said this before ...
I hate the stupid different ring-tones at work, all ringing at the loudest level. Then when they answer, it's on speaker! uuuugh!!

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 10-27-06)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

People who take out their cell phones and make a call in the middle of you talking to them has to rate pretty high on my list of hates.
Next closest is when the guy is the driver of the very fast car you're in on some European Autoroute and he has both hands and half a brain on the phone. (There is no other half to the brain.)

JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com

RE: What are your pet peeves?

People who use slang but get it wrong!!

Cockney slang for "sun" is “currant bun”, which is fine, but a chap I know keeps on saying CREAM BUN even though I’ve told him 100 times, sounds kid of trivial now,

bye

A clean house is a sign of a broken computer.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

This is my opportunity to make an impassioned plea, on behalf of native (Brit) and other non-native English speakers, to "my fellow Americans" to stop abusing the language.

Bad enough that "we invent the words as we go" is prevalent in US speech but it is corrupting other non-native speaker's English as well. Most non-Americans can tolerate a certain amount of "Bushism" but when the whole country indulges it is getting to be too much.

Whoever LL bean is, they are reported in the Straits Times (Singapore, yes, maybe this is too much like the "what to do in Houston" thread but I'm only here for a little while longer) as having an "Employee Wellness Program Manager" (Ms Susan Tufts).

What is "wellness"? What is wrong with "welfare" "Health and Fitness" or any other real English/American words?

OK, so much for the language issue, behind it is an insidious attempt to modify employee behaviour through "twinkie taxes" (increasing the price of hot dogs and hambugers while reducing the price of salads in the company canteen)and mandatory stretching routines. Pretty soon we'll all be back in our school days taking in a letter to the "wellness" manager asking that we are escused PE.
Oh and don't go away with the idea that the company is suddenly concerned with your health and wellbeing, apparently it is because of mounting health care costs.

When I worked for Schlumberger, they gave us all a treat: driver training from the companies tame ex-police chief driving instructors... who scared us near to death... not as a treat but because so many company employees (mainly in France, we xenophobically decided) were wiping themselves or their company cars out that the insurance was getting too high...

The moral is that most/all "its good for you"  measures, whether by your employer or your government, are actually rather more selfishly cash motivated.

Actually, this is a good example of the "Trickle Down Effect", as opposed to the "domino theory", where government "nannyism" iis percolating down to industry.

JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com

RE: What are your pet peeves?

JMW,
 
  In this matter, I must defend my President.  The American (USAn, for Greg smile ) tendency to invent words as we go predates the current adminstration.  I do, however, sympathize with your peeve.

Chris

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Slightly off topic regarding people having loud cell phone conversations in public places:

Remember the annoying game young siblings often play with each other, where the annoyer would repeat every word the other person said just a fraction of a second later?

I do this when someone is having an inappropriately located cell phone conversation.  Sometimes other people will join in as well.  It not only usually causes the person to (a) prematurely end their call, (b) hush their voice or (c) move out of earshot, but builds camaraderie and community as well.

Another tip:  jump up and dance whenever the loud ring tone music starts.  Think of it as a game, like musical chairs.  The more people who do this, the greater the impact will be.

Studies have found that what is annoying about cell phone conversations to others is that they can't hear the other half of the call.  Since people are programmed to detect patterns, you only have half the pattern and your brain automatically pays attention in order to try to fill in the missing part of the pattern.  

This suggests yet another way to deal with annoying cell phone users.  Simply assume they are talking to you, and answer them conversationally every time they ask you a question.

Someone having the call on speaker phone may be less annoying than not, since you don't have to deal with the filling in the pattern effect, only the loud conversation effect.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Part of the problem with other peoples cell phone calls is that they tend to stand there with a finger in one ear, the phone to the other and shout.

More interesting is to see a bunch of kids standing around with their backs to each other talking to others on their phones (it wouldn't surprise me if they were talking to each other and not some one in a remote location) or busy with their thumbs texting.

My brother-in-law nearly needed hospitalisation when my niece's phone bill arrived, she managed to send $1000 of text messages in a month. Surprisingly, she still has her cell phone and is still able to live at home.

JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com

RE: What are your pet peeves?

The problem with putting a finger in your ear is that it doesn't help eliminate the noise.  Placing your hand over the mouthpiece is better, as it is picking up any noise in your environment and broadcasting it thru the earpiece.
(sorry for going off-topic!)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

People who post about subjects which are off-topic from the OP.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Annoying to login to Eng-TIps in the morning and have to play catch-up reading through several posts.tongue

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 10-27-06)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

People who keep their fog-lights on at night when its not foggy. I feel like switching my phasor off stun-setting and zapping them totally...

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Personally I rather see the fog-lights on as long as the headlights are on.  The people that drive around with just fog lights or even worse just parking lights in the dead of night are just asking for trouble.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Along with "irregardless", I would submit "onlyest" (superlative of only, I guess).

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Software with an End User License Agreement that is only accessible by opening the package, at which point if you don't agree with the terms, you can't return it because so many stores have a no returns for opened software policy (I guess because they assume I must have copied it once I opened it).

RE: What are your pet peeves?

and/or what?smile

At my last place in the UK cell(mobile) phones that rang when left un attended were fair game.  

One phone got put in a metal ammunition tin.  The plan being that A the owner would have trouble finding it and B it would act as a Faraday cage to stop it going off.  Apparantly our understanding of Electromagnetism was inadequate.  All that happened as the cell was on vibrate was that the whole tin vibrated making more noise than when the phone was just left on a desk.  Also made it easier to find!

Another punishment was the phone being put on an outside window ledge.

I didn't realise what I'd started when I put cell phones sorry.

Back on topic.  Finding out after you've been working extra hours for days to meet the arbitrary deadline of an internal ECO peer review meeting, that the ECO won't be submitted to that meeting due to factors outside your control!  Yes that happened today.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

The pseudo-word "alls". As in "Alls you have to do..."

RE: What are your pet peeves?

That's because they was sayin it wrong.  It's "Alls you gots to do..."

RE: What are your pet peeves?

For me to tell you my pet peeve is a big ask

RE: What are your pet peeves?

it's/its

There are already two incorrect usages of "its" in this thread.  This is quite unusual though, since "it's" is normally used when it shouldn't be.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

People who use "absolutely" every other word in a sentence when the word "yes" is enough or "correct".

RE: What are your pet peeves?

which reminds me of misuse or overuse of the words "basically" and "obviously"

RE: What are your pet peeves?

>>>People who keep their fog-lights on at night when its not foggy...<<<

Did you notice that those same idiots drive silver BMWs, and when it IS foggy, they don't turn ANY lights on....Total stealth mode.  

RE: What are your pet peeves?

"literally".

as in "He literally blew up the plant".  
The correct word is "Figuratively"!!!!!  Unless it actually happened, it's not literal.  Saying it was doesn't add emphasis.



RE: What are your pet peeves?

Adam Carolla talked about someone who said he "literally died".

RE: What are your pet peeves?

These phrases have been done to death but are a lexicon for cons:
  • "user friendly"
  • "Plug 'n play"
  • "Intuitive"
  • "straight from the box"
and almost any other expression that wrongly implies I will have no problems and will not need to recruit an 8 year old to help me, especially these days, when ones need for 8 year olds can be so easily be misinterpreted....regretably my nephew is now at University and he now seems to think I can offer him advice on his PC and thus my resources of 8 year olds is severely limited. Non existent in fact and I now have to rely on the support centres for help.
OK, we can add:
  • "support centre"
to my list as they are often  anything but supportive.

JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Adding to JMW's peeve,
"Support centres", where the dialect spoken, is one that resembles your language, but is not one you can readily understand.
B.E.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

But I'm sure they're all giving 110 per cent

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Strenth and lenth vs. strength and length

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
I hate it when people name their business like Kwik Kleen, Kum and go, etc.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Mr Coffee, Mr Vacuum Cleaner etc

JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com

RE: What are your pet peeves?

In the UK, we get people saying 'heightth', believe it or not.
That's 'height' with a 'th' sound on the end of it. Idiots.
Another Pet Peeve of mine is the aspirated 'H'.

Example:
It's very common in the south-east of England to do something called 'drop the aitch'.
It's also associated with someone having a lower-class background.
So, 'hell' becomes 'ell', 'have' becomes 'ave'. 'hot' becomes 'ot', and so on.
Fine with me. As someone that grew up in this environment I accept it. Other parts of England also have an aitch dropping history.

But.....you get people becoming conscious of their aitch dropping and then put the aitch back in in all the wrong places. Grrr.

Examples:
You're on the phone, telling someone your post code (zip code) which contains aitch, only to have them correct you by repeating it back as 'haitch'.
Colleagues quoting part numbers and/or company acronyms to others say 'haitch'.
People in the media (TV and Radio, advertisers and presenters) also unable to understand AITCH !!!!

Sorry, blood pressure rising. I'll stop now before I get a visit to the rubber room.

Bill

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Oh I agree! My partner is from the south-east of England (Essex) and I have no problem with the accent, but the placing of aitch at the beginning of words that do not take it drives me mad, e.g.

"I am at home at the moment, that’s home with an aitch"
Becomes
"Hi am at ome at the moment, that’s ome with a haitch"

Also they (or maybe just my partner) adds a D at the end of words, e.g.

Demon becomes Demond, why?

A clean house is a sign of a broken computer.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
WGJ, but if people from south east come to the US, their accent is a woman magnet.  smile

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Where do I apply for the Green Card?

Bill

RE: What are your pet peeves?

The South East is a big place.  It covers all shades from "The Queen's", via "Cockney" to "Estuary".

RE: What are your pet peeves?


It's true. I forget the actual figures, but the influx of Northerners to the south east has also changed things. We're sinking into the Channel under the weight.

Even 'the Queen's English' can be misconstrued, in terms of accent and how the language is used.
'Esturine English' is something that has taken over in large areas. Even places where you still used to be able to hear country accents until relatively recently now have Estuary E. Nasty.

You're from Sompting in Sussex? You must have experienced this.

Bill

RE: What are your pet peeves?

'ow about "nuffink" instead of "nothing".

cheers

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Yer, anat wun anawl.
The terminating 'k' is another one....Grrrrr.

It's a lot like the emphasised 'g' sound made in the Midlands and the North, except that those words do end in 'g'.

Bill

RE: What are your pet peeves?

WGJ, yes - Sussex.  But originally from Cornwall - no discernable yocal accent though (hopefully).  My neighbours and kid's friends all speak estuary, but thankfully work accents are diverse and educated.

W.r.t. USA, I only ever found that my (neutral English) accent puzzled waitresses, who all thought I was Australian.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

One of my colleagues here is Cornish. He's lived in Essex for over thirty years and still sounds like a recent emigre.
Good for him.

I had that 'are you from Australia?' business. Shocking.

Bill

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
Maybe you have good teeth WGJ..  Just joking guys!  smile

RE: What are your pet peeves?

how about "aks" instead of "ask"? really starting to bug me on that one...

RE: What are your pet peeves?

"I had that 'are you from Australia?' business. Shocking."

Yes, and definitely on-topic in a "pet peeve" thread:

"Think of another English-speaking nation.  Clue - the
answer is in the question"

"Err, Australia?  Canada?"

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Yes, 'aks', exactly what is that about?
I hear (apparently) educated people saying it on the TV.
Is it some badge of minority group oppresion or something.

As for you, COEngineeer, I'm giving your name to the boys.
They're a renegade band of Australian dentists, some of whom sorted my teeth out when I was in my teens. You won't know when they will strike. Be alert. Your nation needs lerts.

SomptingGuy - have you seen the Ronald Reagan map of the world? I think it went a long way to explaining the poor grasp of geography that some of our US friends have.
I'll try to find a link for it.

Bill

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I am a silent fan of the Leykis Show but it bothers me when he says "listers" instead of "listeners".

Isn't "t" silent?  At least the part of the country where I grew up it is.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
How come you dont notice people's accent when they sing?  Like all these irish singers, they sound fine when the sing.. but when they get interviewed, different story.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Because they are trying to appeal to the general mass market and have trained themselves to use understandable english.

If you listen to the musicians who are only interested in entertaining/reaching the "local" market, it's a different story.

cheers

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
so the general mass are people who do not have accent.  Where do they live?

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Seattle, San Francisco or Hollywood.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Lower Michigan, except Detroit.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

My sister was born in the Uk but returned to the family home in Georgia where she has now lived for around 30 years.
At work (Sears, when they still employed people) some one aske her about her "funny accent" and where did she come from?
"England" she replied.
"Oh really? What language do they speak there?"

OK so how to upset different nationalities:
Ask a Canadian which part of America he's from
Ask a New Zealander "are you Australian?"
Call a Scot British.

Applogies to Mechgunner but what's the difference between an Essex girl and a supermarket trolley?
The supermarket trolley has a mind of its own.

Actually some bad news (or good if you're that way inclined) but according to the newspapers Jordan (an outstanding Essex Girl) just bought a house on Van Lake in our village....

JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Quoting from (in my opinion) America's funniest and cleverest song writer:

"Our captain has a handicap to cope with, sad to tell.  He's from Georgia, and he doesn't speak the language very well."

RE: What are your pet peeves?


COEngineer ... how did you arrive at "so the general mass are people who do not have accent" from my "understandable english" statement?  I know you were just "trolling", but I don't know of any place where English speaking people are accent-less. However, many singers seem to have learned a generic accent which is (or has become) understandable by most English speaking people.

jmw ...
"Ask a Canadian which part of America he's from" ... No problem ... The North part. But asking what part of the US they're from, might elicit a different reaction.

"Ask a New Zealander "are you Australian?"" ... try asking an Ozzie if he's a Kiwi.

"Call a Scot British." ... or if you really want to upset him ... tell him he's English.

cheers

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Incorrect usage of "quotation" marks.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

JMW

No problems, as I was saying to a friend of my partner: -

Did you see the news about the 5 Brazilians?

No she replied, how many is a Brazilian anyway

Back to the thread, people who do “quote” marks with their fingers when emphasising a specific word or sentence.

A clean house is a sign of a broken computer.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Don’t you just hate it when nobody responds to any of your posts

A clean house is a sign of a broken computer.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

When someone says "are" instead of "our"!

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 10-27-06)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

The use of "funner" to mean "more fun".

eg "... but does anyone have funner ideas?"

cheers

RE: What are your pet peeves?

COEngineer,

You obviously need to hear a good rendition of wild rover.  I defy anyone with even a hint of Irish not to start singing it with an accent.

I'm about 1/8 Irish, never even been there but if I have a few beers and start singing that song the accent creeps in.

Qinetiq.  Not so much the organization, though it has it's moments but the spelling things odd, kind of like CoEngineers complaint but taken a step further.  Qinetiq is supposed to be pronounced Kinetic, had a guy who hated it more than me and would intentionally pronounce it quin-tee-que, especially when employees of said organization were aroundsmile

As a Brit now in the US (California) I too am more often than not accused of being from Australia.  However I chose to come here so I try and be gracious about it.  Only thing is I’ve got so used to people being completely wrong that when someone makes a joke along the lines of “you must be from a bit further east than here, Georgia?” I think they are serious!

I’m from Hampshire originally (mainly doughnut city [Basingstoke for any that haven’t heard its reputation] but spent time in Southampton, Kilmeston and Portsmouth) and have a slightly odd mix of a Hampshire and London accent due to the number of Londoners in Basingstoke.  People from nearer London accuse me of being a carrot cruncher, whereas real locals think I’m from the big smoke.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Oooh arr, did you spill my pint?

Bill

RE: What are your pet peeves?

OK, now I have another peeve.
Well, if reduced to saying "Bill Gates" it's the same old one but with a new ramification,

Basically I have been happy with WIN98SE except that it is now increasingly common that new software is not compatible with it, and definately not VOIP.
So I bought a new laptop with Windows XP Media Centre installed......
do I need to say more?
I assumed (making an ass out of u and me) that by this time XP should be bug free and was encourgaed/discouraged by the 82 updates that loaded the first time I connected to the internet .... and last, it would seem.

My old laptop has no trouble with wireless internet or cable boradband but XP can't, or won't connect.
It also keeps losing the sound and I regularly have to "add new hardware" choose from list and add windows media device. AAAGGGGHHHHHHHHH!

SO anyway, I nominate Big Bucks Bill as the number one peeve of all time.

JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Ow. I bought a laptop a year ago and to be honest it has been fine. I must admit it is a rather bland machine, but hey, it does what I need.

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

It's OK Guys.
It is surprising what a trip to the pub will do.
I came back, booted up and suddenly all the bells and whistles were working. Don't know how or why but if/when it goes wrong again, I know the cure.... take the wife for a drink.

(Hmmm. I wonder if she is more computer litterate than I give her credit for?)

JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
You should have waited after new year and buy windows vista.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Forum threads that get so long they seem to take forever to open.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

While shopping ... standing behind someone that thinks he/she is the only person in the isle ... they move very slow and/or will not move.

A stun gun on the front of the cart will work!

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 10-27-06)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Buy Vista?! They haven't debugged the PoS they released as XP yet! Why slow down your computer even further with a newer and even more bloated O/S with additional malfunctioning parts?

Speaking of pet peeves, one of mine is that sodding paperclip which pops up to 'help' you make a total pig's arse of whatever you were trying to do...

----------------------------------
  Sometimes I only open my mouth to swap feet...

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Number one pet peeve: tardy people.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

When people say "interpretate" or "orientate".

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Another peeve: when someone says "mute" point.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

CorBlimeyLimey, now you know where I'm at.  Merry Christmas.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

When people say "libary" and "Febuary".

 

RE: What are your pet peeves?

When people say "supposably".

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Burglarise, when they mean burgle and
Burlarised, when they mean burgled.

I was told quite firmly by colleagues that I was incorrect when I used 'orient' and was advised the correct term was 'orientate'.

Bill

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
Pronounciation like

Warshington
Satur-dee
warsh

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Like when they pronounce 'John' as 'Jaaarrrrnnn'.

----------------------------------
  Sometimes I only open my mouth to swap feet...

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Now, wait a minute there COEngineer.  My parents grew up in that state north of Oregon (which is pronounced much more like Orygun than Ore-e-gone) and I've heard both of them pronounce it Warshington many times.  If words can have silent letters, who is to say that they can't have invisible letters? winky smile

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
Yeah, I've heard different Oregon pronounciation too.  In colorado we have a city of Westminster and a lot of people even the natives call it Westminister. smile

RE: What are your pet peeves?


COEngineeer - That's interesting. Near where I live in Essex UK there's a town called Upminster, and guess what, some people do the same thing - stick another 'i' into it as you describe. Obviously, they also do the same to Westminster as well.
I've never worked this one out and it's intersting to know that the problem is duplicated 8000 miles away.

Bill

RE: What are your pet peeves?

For those who believe what they read on the web:

http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000245.htm
http://www.wordwizard.com/ch_forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6986
http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19960924
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/o.html#orient

I.e., no one's going to win the "orient[ate]" battle.  Those who say "orient" cannot be used as a verb are just plain wrong, but then again those who say "orientate" is right out are wrong too.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies:  FAQ731-376

RE: What are your pet peeves?

WGJ,

I know people from your parts who put the extra "k" onto nothing.  Drives me barmy!

RE: What are your pet peeves?

knothing ? It's a silent 'k', why would it bother you?

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Pronounced "nuffink" ?
Er, also the home of such gramatical simplifications as
"I lent a fiver off me mate."
i.e. the obsolescence of the word "borrow". The direction in which the money is transferred being determined from the use of the words "to" and "from". The opposite sense being the quite correct: "I lent a fiver to me mate."

JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com

RE: What are your pet peeves?

In various points U.S. it's the opposite:  "Can you borrow me some?"

Hg

Eng-Tips policies:  FAQ731-376

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
People say "I seen it" a lot here!  

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Funny enough, I hate the phrase "Pet Peeve"

A lot is two words, people mix that up alot.

And, "at this point in time"... as opposed to a point out of time? I mean, can't they just say... "now" or "at this point". Where would a point out of time be if it were not a point in time.

I don't understand some things, but some times people tell me I "fail to comprehend."

Brag letters at christmas.




Charlie
www.facsco.com

RE: What are your pet peeves?

People trying to but a B or D sized drawing on an A sized sheet.
B.E.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Im my humble opinion..

What is it about us that we need to clarify our opinion as humble? It always seems to be such an unnecessary clarifier. As if we expect to soften the blow of our advice, which should be tailored to offer an opinion regardless of how humble one actually is. I’m always reminded of a monk in a monastery every time I hear someone refer to their humble qualities. If we feel that our advice can be taken as an insult, then we should write our response with more tact instead of claiming false humility. After all, a humble engineer is hard to come by. Also, why is it we only claim our response is humble when we write? I’ve yet to hear anyone actually say they are humble.



Charlie
www.facsco.com

RE: What are your pet peeves?

"Where are you at?" or "Where's that at?"

"Where are you?" & "Where's that?" Will do just fine and takes less time to say.

Failure is a prerequisite of successful design

RE: What are your pet peeves?

How about when someone answers you beginning with "Basically ...", every time!banghead

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 10-27-06)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

"Like... ya know?"

RE: What are your pet peeves?

"Basically, like...like that!"

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 10-27-06)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

"Without further ado..."

I hate it I hate it I hate it.

For no good reason, really.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies:  FAQ731-376

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Star for you Berkshire, I'm forced to use ridiculously large text on my drawings so that when an E or D is printed on B size it's still legible.  Really dum thing is we have 2 plotters upstairs in the office, only one of which really gets used much.  Why not move the other one nearer production/purchasing etc so they can more easily use it, it can only print up to D size but that's better than B.

Sorry, as you can see a true pet peeve as it made me rant.smile

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I begin to feel like a real "Grumpy Old Man" but this one just peaked in my list:

Quote:

Hi. This is the qmail-send program at yahoo.com.
I'm afraid I wasn't able to deliver your message to the following addresses.
This is a permanent error; I've given up. Sorry it didn't work out.

This is from a G*****ned machine, an "automated reply", a self confessed mail program (OK, so it can't be even that, it is just a mail program) not a real person.

This "cute" chatty style of message is beginning to really bug me.
I'm a big kid now, I can take the truth and I don't need this. I would be quite happy with a message that says:
"From: qmail-send program at yahoo.com.
Send failure. This is a permanent error. Tough."

JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com

RE: What are your pet peeves?

1.  Any type of food product with "-ables" on the end.  (i.e. Snackables, Lunchables, Fudgeables)

2.  Abbreviations, in general.  (i.e.  veggies, etc...)

3.  Bastard abbreviations, for certain. (i.e. kiddos, hubby, etc...)

4.  l33t sp33k

5.  Kids at a locale of historical significance (USS Arizona Memorial, for example...) that are too busy playing a portable game machine to appreciate or even bother with understanding the significance of where they are.

6.  The legion of foreign make, four door, 4 cylinder sedans that in a previous life were purchased new as family touring vehicles but when purchased secondhand by slackjawed idiot teenagers they magically become racing machines when copious amounts of meaningless OEM stickers are applied to the windows, fiberglass body panels are screwed on, and a bazooka tube muffler is bolted on, supplying a strange buzzing noise that in a parallel universe has somehow become desireable and gives street-credibility to that economy-designed four cylinder under the hood.

7.  Run-on sentances.  I am a self-loathing person.


RE: What are your pet peeves?

There's a USS Arizona Memorial?
(Just kidding)
I know what you mean. I have been there to see it. Sad that kids don't care.

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 10-27-06)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

What's the difference between sleeping at your desk for 3 hours a day and standing at the back door smoking a cig for 20 minutes per hour?  As near as I can, nothing.  But my boss allows the smoking but not the sleeping?  I don't get it.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Worse ... smoking by the back door next to an oxygen tank!

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 10-27-06)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

An argument could be made that compared to smoking, sleeping at ones desk is a  preferred activity; the sleeper at least wakes up refreshed and ready to work while the drug addict simply comes back in the office to bide time until his next fix.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Bottled water.

At 1000 times the cost of tap water, and some places now bottle tap water on their own premises and label it up...
this has to be the worlds biggest con.

Yes, OK, when you are travelling to a third world country with uncertain water supplies, bottled water can make sense (unless it is bottled local tap water).

But in a country where the tap water is safe to drink?
Now tell me the logic behind bottling up some water and shipping it to another country where it rains practically all day every day.

JMW
www.ViscoAnalyser.com

RE: What are your pet peeves?

JMV,

My wife cannot deal with the tap water only 200 miles away from our home so she bottles ours and we take it with us.  When that runs out the only option is to buy bottled water from the local supermarket for the remainder of the trip.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
Some people cant even drink bottled water if the bottle is plastic!  It has to be glass!  So now the water is 500X more expensive?

RE: What are your pet peeves?

jmw.

I used to feel the same as you about bottled water however, a few things caused me to change my tune.

Growing up the water from the tap always tasted fine to me.

At some point just before I went to University they treated all the pipes in my parents area with new sealant and from then on the water tasted like TCP (a type of antiseptic liquid for anyone unfamiliar with it) and was barely paletable, especially if it was anything other than ice cold.

Rhodie, I take it you hate ASME Y14.38.

After University the house I lived in had tap water the same taste, not quite as strong so just about paletable unless it got warm.

Now I'm in America and the tap water locally tastes even worse.  We even have a water dispenser in our fridge run off tap water and the water tastes bad.

So I guess my pet peeve is tap water that tastes awful.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Sorry, the line about 14.38 was meant to be at the end of the post.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Accents in singing are clearly obvious - listen to Black Sabbath, you can hear the bruumy in Ozzies voice easy as, the Cranberries - did she say linger?
Or what about Suggs - Madness??
Whats worse is when all the crap singers lose their accent and sound American - Bono...
(Not that I don't like the american accent)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Songs like:

What’s a matter you
Grandma
Granddad
The birdie song
Disco Duck!!!!

Help

A clean house is a sign of a broken computer.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

You missed:

Doop
Saturdaynight (whigfield)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Totally agree, for some reason I has forgotten these, great thing selective memory.

Also:

Agadoo

A clean house is a sign of a broken computer.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Accents in songs...

"Dat deaf is not dee endt."

(From Nick Cave's "Murder ballads")

RE: What are your pet peeves?


Talking about accents, I like most accents (most) but what I hate is people who spent approx 30 minutes in someone’s company and end up talking with the respective others accent.

Surely this is false.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I don't like the widespread misuse of comprised when the correct word is composed.  
"The widget is comprised of....,"
when it should be
"The widget is composed of..",
or
"The widget comprises..."

Properly, nothing can be comprised of...

RE: What are your pet peeves?

OK, I don't mena to shout, but that stupid caps lock key...anybody know keystrokes/hotkeys that can disable the caps lock key?

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Made up lazy-words like "kina" (kind of), "prolly" (probably) and "mena" (mean to). It's one thing to have an accent and verbalise such, but not with the written word.

As for the keystroke, I usually find the one that works best is the one labelled Caps Lock ... it seems to work quite well on most computers. wink

cheers

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I hate people saying "am i right or not?"
I hate people saying "The, what so called....."
I Hate people saying "Whatever........"

RE: What are your pet peeves?

JMW (Industrial),
On the subject of bottled water, EVIAN is NAIVE spelled backward; do you suppose there is a connection here??
Regards,
Lcubed

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Ha ha ha.....too dumb to have seen that one myself.
But you're right.
The whole bottled water business is a rip off, unless you do live somewhere where the water can't be drunk.
It's also a peeve in European restaurants when they don't want to supply free tap water and will charge you unreasonably for a bottle of labelled water.
Grrrr.

Bill

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Spelling things backwards often produces laughs.  There's a place in London called Finsbury Park.  Try saying that backwards.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Yrubsnif - could be a place in Latvia, I suppose.

Bill

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Nah, "Krapy Rub snif"

RE: What are your pet peeves?


London underground has a station whose name I don’t remember, perhaps Finsbury Park Station, where when people is leaving the train, like tinned sardines, and after the usual  "mind the gap", if the elevator of the station is full, one is obliged to go out through a narrow stair with hundreds of steps while is announced in the speakers of this station “be ware of pick pockets and loose women” loose women? I am not sure if they say.

Cheers

Luis

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I am upset with American associations that run Communist-style elections, with only one candidate. Case in point: the current ACI (American Concrete Institute)election for president. As a dues-paying member, I expect a real contest, not an endorsement of their hand-picked crony.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Then you should run for president yourself, JoeBelt!

RE: What are your pet peeves?

A peeve that made me cringe (yet again) today is the word "hero" as used by the UK gutter press to describe anyone who's recovered from a public illness or a public car crash (e.g. Hammond from Top Gear) or been in the army.

I always thought heros were supposed to be heroic.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

It's not just the UK that abuse that term. The Canadian and  US media also throw it around indiscriminately. So much so that, that when applied to "real" heroes it's almost meaningless because so many others have been given that label.

cheers

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
I just went to Dave and Buster (sport bar) and they have a picture of Mike Shanahan (head coach of the broncos).  He wrote: "Your the best Dave and Buster!".  

I also see a lot of people write : "Their" instead of "there are" Or The're for they are.  WOW.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Depends what they did!

Not that I think all soldiers are heroes but I know a few who have earned that title.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Apologies, my last post was with reference to the “been in the army.” Quote in SomptingGuy`s post

RE: What are your pet peeves?

My biggest pet peeve is rudeness.
I was in the Wash DC metro on Thurs. The escalator up was stopped. I was getting on behind an elderly woman (maybe 90's) and being patient with her. Then, a man (maybe 60's) shoulder pushed me and the woman at ran up the escalator in a hurry!
He ran too fast for me to say anything.
Normally I would shove back and say something.
I hate that!

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 01-18-07)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
How about young people that dont offer their seat to the older people?  Are you really that lazy you cant stand up?  Teach your kids to do the right thing.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I agree! Thanks!

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 01-18-07)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Well my companies brand is apparantly to 'be the hero' now that's a misuse of the term if ever I heard one.

I know it's a separate thread I starting but the BS factor in so many corporate activites, such as 'branding' is a pet peeve.

I try to give my seat to elderly, ladies etc.  Generally be polite.

Once made an ass of myself doing so to someone with a walker and a bunch of bags and stuff.  I'd walked past him and then thought, "you could go and help".  So duely turned around and asked if he needed help, to which he said no he was waiting for someone or something, but somehow in way that made me feal stupid for asking!

So there's a pet peeve, being made to feel stupid when you're trying to be helpful.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

You should never feel stupid asking to help someone. If someone rejects your kindness, so be it. Go on your way.

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 01-18-07)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Oil-burner!

Whenever I read an article about a diesel-engined vehicle, the word "diesel" only ever appears once.  After that, it's always "oil-burner".  I hate that expression.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

People on TV who applaud themselves.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Yep. It's difficult to know whether they're people or performing seals.

Bill

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Quote (mechgunner):

Talking about accents, I like most accents (most) but what I hate is people who spent approx 30 minutes in someone’s company and end up talking with the respective others accent.

Surely this is false.

Surely in at least some cases it's not done on purpose.  Some of us are accent chameleons.

I very quickly pick up other people's accents.  If you ask me to imitate those accents on command, I usually can't do it, but they rub off on me almost without my realizing it, and certainly without my trying.

It gets really weird when I'm at a meeting with people with very different strong accents.  I'm from Texas!  I'm from New York!  I'm from Texas!  I'm from New York!  

It sounds even faker when I deliberately try not to do it, because then I'm struggling against my own tongue.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies:  FAQ731-376

RE: What are your pet peeves?

HgTX,

It could be worse...I'm from New York. Moved to Texas 26 years ago. When I speak to family, back home, it takes a Nano-second to revert back to "yous guys", my wife picks up on it immediatly, but my brother acts as if my "Texan" is still there. But if you aren't an "Accent Chameleon" it is harder to understand others to whom English is a second language.

That being My pet peeve. If English is your second language I appreciate your speaking English. But PLEASE don't speak softly. It is hard to understand a thick accent when spoken in a whisper.

I do understand, not having learned a foreign language myself (beside Texan). I failed Spanish 3 times before I gave up. I can translate specs, drawing notes, etc. all day but don't have the ear for another language.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I have an accent related pet peeve as well--it really annoys me when people mix accents while they're speaking.

For example, a reporter on the local news, bilingual and of hispanic descent, is talk talk talking along with no accent, but uses a strong Spanish accent for any Spanish words: names of places, or his name when he signs off.  Arrgghh!

That really grates on my ears. I don't know why.  More power to him for being bilingual (I wish I were), and I don't begrudge anyone their ancestry.  It's not just Spanish. I've also noticed it with bilingual native speakers of other languages.

It's not wrong at all, and I probably do the same thing to English words when I'm speaking German (less than fluently). It just bugs me. And it bugs me that it bugs me.  My peeves have pets of their own.



RE: What are your pet peeves?

"And it bugs me that it bugs me."  Ah, good.  The first step is to admit you have a problem...

It probably seems really wrong to your peeving bilingual speaker to artificially impose an American accent onto Spanish names, including his own.  I know I can't bring myself to do it with names in the non-English language that I speak.  Why on earth would I go to the trouble of Americanizing the name and making it wrong?

What is annoying to me is when someone who is NOT bilingual imposes the foreign accent on the place name.  That just seems pretentious.  To me.  But I don't really mind it till someone tries to tell me that I should be altering my pronunciation as well.  

X:  It's not "I-ran", it's "ee-rahn"!
Hg:  Yeah, well, till I hear you say "Frahnse" in normal conversation, I don't have to listen to you on this topic.

Not that I'm above getting really annoyed at BBC announcers when they say things like "Nick-uh-RAG-yu-a"...

Hg

Eng-Tips policies:  FAQ731-376

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I live in the Mojave desert.

Pronounced something like mow-harv-ee.  

In English I would expect it would be pronounced mow-jayve.

Sometimes you just have to roll with the fact that accent & pronunciation are linked, if you don't pronounce it with a bit of an accent it doesn't make sense.

Pet Peeve part is that my wife refuses to say Worcestershire properly.

The correct pronunciation is something like Wooster-sheer.  

Not war-sester-shy-err.  

When she says something about it not being spelt correctly I just point out the Mojave thing and so the fight continues to this day!

She now calls the sauce Lea & Perrins most of the time!

By the way for any non native English Speakers, by which I include my colonial cousins smile especially those I now live with, the same kind of thing goes for a lot of English place names.




RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
I think we should start calling each country the way they are suppose to be called.  If your name is Robert, do you want to be called Roberto?

Let start saying Holland, Nihon(japan), Deutschland, etc.  smile

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Wouldn't it be Netherlands, can't remember the Dutch pronunciation.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

IPA: [ne:d?rlant]

ie

NEh der lant

I live in Geelong, near Melbourne. Respectively pronounced

JILLong and MELb'n

And if I ever speak to you and insist that they are ggeeLONG and mel BORN then you know I am being evil.

EnCarta's pronunciation of Wagga Wagga always has us in fits.

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Toothpaste top squeezers.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
Thats why you buy the toothpaste squeezer from "As Seen on TV".  Think about how much tooth paste you will save every year!  smile

RE: What are your pet peeves?

People who are in line to pay - grocery store, gas station, whatever - and when they are given the total, they start looking for their wallet.

I feel like saying, oh, did you think today was FREE day???


RE: What are your pet peeves?

I always look forward to free days!spineyes

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Quote:

People who are in line to pay - grocery store, gas station, whatever - and when they are given the total, they start looking for their wallet.

...and when people remain at the counter after the transaction and organise their handbag.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Speaking of grocery stores, what about those people at the end of the line who end up first when a new line opens... and the cashiers who haven't been trained to be more courteous to the remaining people in the first line.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Quote:

Speaking of grocery stores, what about those people at the end of the line who end up first when a new line opens

You've never done that? I thought everyone does that. It's all part of the queue game.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

My #1 pet peeve:
The most annoying sound ever ... the sound of people chewing with their lips!
It's annoying, rude, obnoxious and shows very little manners.

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 01-18-07)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Greg

I believe it should be 'NEh der lunt' (rhymes with Reggie)

The other tricky one for foreigners is 'Corio'; 'Cor I o', not 'Cori O'

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Nobody has ever needed to go to Core-io, unless they come from there.

Hmm, so is the rumour true - Corio means "swamp where no-one lives"? and Geelong means "bay by the place where no-one lives"?

AIGf

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Waiting in line at the checkout, and somebody thinks it's a good opportunity to teach their toddler how to count out change.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I'm not sure I understand what "chewing with their lips" is.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies:  FAQ731-376

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Smacking their lips ... opening their mouth when eating.

cheers

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Yes, thanks CBL.

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 01-18-07)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

People who answer questions meant for other people.  lookaround  wavey

cheers

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)
People who are to embarrassed to use the urinal big smile

RE: What are your pet peeves?

COEngineer ...
This thread is for Pet Peeves not Pet Pee'ers.

cheers

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Quote (Greg):

Geelong means "bay by the place where no-one lives"?
I wouldn't know, I don't live there anymore.
However, I have heard that Geelong was the Aboriginal name for the bay, and Corio the name for the land adjacent to the bay.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

(OP)

Quote (COEngeineeer):

People who are to embarrassed to use the urinal

People who use "to" instead of "too"  smile

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Pet peeve of the day:

People who have access to your calendar arranging meetings you are required to attend on days when you already have something scheduled because they can't be bothered to check if you're available first. And then moan that there is no point even having the meeting if you're not going to be there and claiming its your fault it has to be rescheduled.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Organizations who create idotic names for courses in non-existent discplines that do no more than provide basic, standard training.  I worked in a McDonald's when I was in high school and wound up with a 'degree' from, as I recall, Hamburger University.  My current employer conducts two 18 hour courses for all employees covering the basics of the engineering and applications of water pumps.  The courses are Pumpology 101 and 201 and everyone who takes the first course recieves a certificate conferring the title of Pumpologist.  It makes me want to tear out my spleen with ice tongs.  (Yep, you guessed it, I get to teach about a third of these cutsey-titled little travesties.)    

John Nabors

Two wrongs do not make a right.  Three rights, however, make a left.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

John,
Two wrongs do not make a right. But two Wrights did make an aeroplane!

I never could understand the big deal.
Pointed down hill...on skies...against a strong wind...for just a few seconds.
Who needed an airplane. I used to do that on any snow covered hill. Open my jacket and lean into it!
I've been airborne longer than the first wright flier.
The landing wasn't as pretty though.
Now I live in Texas. We can't make a snow flake last 13 seconds! (it was 72F yesterday)

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Rerig-

Snow... snow..  hmmm.. Is snow that frozen water vapor stuff?  I've heard of that.  I think I remember seeing some of it as a four year old in North Carolina but here in Central Florida we don't seem to get any of it for some odd reason.

John Nabors

Two wrongs do not make a right.  Three rights, however, make a left.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Using wall hung urinals and having everything below the knee splattered.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

apsix,

Try directingg into the urinal, rather than around the urinal. This has surprisingly good results

Kevin Hammond

Mechanical Design Engineer
Derbyshire, UK
 

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Paper towel dispensers that are above elbow height.  Water tends to run down your arms before you can dry it off.  Unless you do as one previous employer of mine requested and get your paper towels BEFORE you washed your hands (try to keep the new floors dry as to favorably impress our customers).

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I don't think I've ever seen a paper towel dispenser below elbow height.  You must be a lot taller than I am.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies:  FAQ731-376

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I hate it when people say "to be honest with you".  Sound slike everything they told you before was a pack of lies!

RE: What are your pet peeves?

What about people when quoting you a price who say "For you, ..."

And those who end their sentences with "...., my friend."

But I did enjoy the skit "The man who finish other people's sentences" though I wouldn't like such people in real life.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

magoo2-

I made a similar comment in another thread about the use of the closing 'Sincerely' in business letters - why should people have to explicitly state that they are not lying?

John Nabors

Never try to teach a pig to sing.  It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Maybe because politicians, managers, lawyers etc write a lot of letters.  They probably do need to add sincerely.

Of course it's meaningless but...

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Kenat-

"Maybe because politicians, managers, lawyers etc write a lot of letters.  They probably do need to add sincerely."

But wouldn't God strike them dead if they did?  Especially the managers?

John Nabors

Never try to teach a pig to sing.  It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Hg'
I am 5'11", and your right, they do all seem to be at or above elbow height.  I still don't like the water running up my arm.  I guess they feel it is more important to keep the floor dry than your sleeves, and they may be right, but I still don't like it.
On a side note, we recently had our plant size doubled, and the new men's rooms have a urinal sized for someone about 4 ft tall, and the towel dispenser sized for a 7 footer.  I guess they wanted to cover both extremes.ponder

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I spent a year working near Heathrow.  What a great experience.

Ate lunch one day at a pub in Windsor with two of my coworkers.

They went in to use the facilities and came out with their eyes just huge!  They said, "You should see the urinal in there - it is just one huge wall you pi** on".  They were so impressed by that; unfortunately, being a female, I had to miss viewing such a remarkable sight.  

I'll probably never get over the disappointment of it, either.  winky smile  I guess I've just never found myself all that impressed by bathrooms (er, toilets...when in Rome...)



RE: What are your pet peeves?

Ahh, the standard issue white ceramic wall with trough at the bottom.

Many older UK public toilets are like that, and by older I only mean by a few years.  

Only thing is it can be confusing for small boys.

If they can pee against the big white wall at the public convenience why not against the white wall or door or door frame at home.

Yes - I was guilty.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I'll be going to the Daytona 500 this weekend for the first time in several years.  The last time I attended the race they had a urinal system even more odd than what michfan described.  It was a sort of trough about 30 feet long with widely spaced sprinklers to keep things moving, emitting a reek that would knock a buzzard off of a roadkill.  I hear there have been improvements.  I really, really hope that is true.  It is, after all, about a 3-1/2 hour race.

John Nabors

Never try to teach a pig to sing.  It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

And by the way, have we just set the world land speed record for going off topic?

John Nabors

Never try to teach a pig to sing.  It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Well, the little boys I was with were duly impressed by British innovation.

If they could have moved their stools in there, they'd have been in heaven...

As to the use of any public restroom without a foundation or real walls, I just try to hold it.  Even in Britain, there was always a McDonalds or Burger King nearby.  

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Threads that go on for too long and I have to spend my day scrolling down page after page of stuff I read ages ago

Kevin Hammond

Mechanical Design Engineer
Derbyshire, UK
 

RE: What are your pet peeves?

PS the wheel on my mouse has broken and IT have left early (as usual). Actually that's (IT and their 2 hour days) another pet peeve

Kevin Hammond

Mechanical Design Engineer
Derbyshire, UK
 

RE: What are your pet peeves?

That's what the "Read New Posts" link at the top is for.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

There's always some technology savvy individual ready to ruin us Luddites day.

That's a pet peeve!

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Prohammy-

That's what the 'end'key on your keyboard is for.  Try it, you'll like it.

John Nabors

Never try to teach a pig to sing.  It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

John,

See he second post for the real pet peeve (first one is just a rant). Come in this morning to be told that IT guy is on a days holiday. 'end' key on keyboard is now part of the nearest wall, along with the rest of the keyboard. I will, however, pick up all my toys when I am finished crying.

OMG, my boss has just told me that the IT stores cabinet is locked (no prizes for guessing who has the key). I now have to go down town and buy a mouse.

To date 1 scroll wheel has cost me three hours work.


AAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH

Kevin Hammond

Mechanical Design Engineer
Derbyshire, UK
 

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Kevin-

I feel your pain!  One of the main bits of software I use is a homegrown app called Item Master.  IT just issued a new rev of this abomination and the chief new feature seems to be that it locks up my neolithic computer about twice a day.  When the revolution comes, who do you think will be the first lined up against the wall - lawyers or IT types?

John Nabors

Never try to teach a pig to sing.  It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

If you choose the right calibre weapon, you can stand one in front of the other, so it won't matter.

Bill

RE: What are your pet peeves?

WGJ,

LOL (Actually the whole office has turned round to have look at what I am laughing at). A star for you.

John,

I hate them all with a passion!!!!!!

Kevin Hammond

Mechanical Design Engineer
Derbyshire, UK
 

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Let's stop calling them by their initials ("eye-tee") and just call them 'it'.

John Nabors

Never try to teach a pig to sing.  It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

At previous places I shared the opinion about IT.

However, at my current place they aren't bad.

A bit busy sometimes so not always as responsive as you'd like but all in all the best I've ever dealt with.

That may all change now as they fired the head of IT just before christmas as part of layoffs but we'll see.  As long as the current guys stay around I think we'll be OK.

As for pet peeve:

Not sure if it's been put before but management.

Not every manager all the time but most of them most of the time.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

To add to KENAT's last post. Besides that, our fired It Manager was both competent and a real Good Guy. I guess upper management couldn't take that. Just reinforces to old adage, "Nice guys finish last".
 Still chuckling about WGJ's last post.
No lol's or omg's however--I'll leave them to the kids.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

We have a term for those that work in IT, It-ites.

Not to change the subject, but today I have received 5 wrongly dialed internal phone calls.  When I pick-up and say my name I can hear the hesitation on the other end, then the dial tone. Grrr!

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Following up from MadMango's comment,

I hate when you answer your phone (at home), you politely say 'Hello', there is a very annoying pause, followed by.... 'May I talk to the Mr. XXXX'

I pity these people for having the worst job in the world

Kevin Hammond

Mechanical Design Engineer
Derbyshire, UK
 

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Google around, you should be able to find the mp3 for the 'line disconnected' tone(s).

play that in the background as you record your voice mail greeting.



Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Like it

Kevin Hammond

Mechanical Design Engineer
Derbyshire, UK
 

RE: What are your pet peeves?

Yeah, my brother did that and it stopped a ton of calls.  Really works...

RE: What are your pet peeves?


That is a good idea, but did it stop the incoming calls or the messages left?

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RE: What are your pet peeves?

Threads that exceed 100.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

It stopped the incoming calls.

Most telemarketing dialing is done by computers.  When the computer gets a human voice it transfers the call to a person on the other end - that's why you get dead air sometimes.  Where I worked, sometimes the computer would get ahead of us so by the time we got the person, they were yelling "hello, hello" or swearing or worse.  Then we'd just hang up...

If the computer gets a disconnect tone, it thinks it's a dead line and won't dial it again.  Basically, it puts it on a "not a real number" list.  If it gets an answering machine, it knows eventually a human will get the call and it keeps it on the dial list.

Another good way to get rid of telemarketers is to say, "this is a business line, please put it on your do not call list".  Yes, it's lying, so what?  I worked for the telemarketing end of a retail giant and we'd try to push catalogs, so if we got a business, we'd apologize and mark it as "business - do not call".  I managed to get rid of a lot of calls that way, before I gave up my home telephone altogether.

I'll apologize for working in that business...awful, I know, but it paid the bills.

RE: What are your pet peeves?

I get calls often when a recording says "Please hold for a very importent call" then a long pause. I never wait and hang up. That is annoying.

Chris
SolidWorks 06 5.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 02-10-07)

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