30-Day Blog Challenge – Day 26

Pet Peeves

Who doesn’t have pet peeves? They’re those little things people do that just drive us nuts. I am sure there are things I do that drive other people nuts, too. Here is a list of some of my own pet peeves.

I absolutely hate it when people use the wrong form of their, there, or they’re. I have been accused of being a grammar nazi, but seriously, using the wrong word just makes you seem less than intelligent. I’m not talking about the occasional typo, we all make mistakes, but it is obvious that many people just don’t care. The picture above is an easy way to remember the correct form to use.

The same goes for people who use “would of” or “could of”. These are supposed to be contractions of “would have” and “could have” and should be spelled “would’ve” and “could’ve”.

Another thing I hate is when people mix up their metaphors. Or just get them wrong altogether. I knew a lady once that used to say, “Not for all the cheese in China!” The correct phrase is, “Not for all the tea in China!” The Chinese are known for drinking tea, not eating cheese, so all the tea in China would be worth a lot of money.

Similar to that, I hate when people use common phrases with incorrect words in them. Like, “He’s the spitting image of his dad.” The correct phrase is, “He’s the spit and image of his dad.” I know, kind of picky, but it does change the meaning. The original phrase was inspired by the Biblical God’s use of spit and mud to create Adam in his image.

I hate rude people. It’s especially rude when someone bumps into you and they say, “Excuse you,” like it was your fault, or they don’t say anything at all.

Another pet peeve is neighbors who play their music too loud. I have a neighbor across the street that plays her music so loud that I can hear it in my room at the back of the house over the sound of my air conditioner, which is right outside my window, and the waterfall aquarium filter. And, she isn’t even partying outside! Her music is coming from inside her house. I don’t mind if the neighbors have a party, I just don’t want to hear their music after 11:00 pm when I have to work in the morning.

Don’t you hate tailgaters? I know I do. It is aggressive and dangerous, and is a common cause of road rage. I especially hate it when there is another lane that driver could get into to go around me. Or if I am driving with the flow of traffic and can’t go any faster or get over. Where does he think I can go? I usually just slow down until they pass me, or get over as soon as I possibly can. They scare me.

I am all for freedom of speech. Everyone has a right to their own opinion about any topic, be it religion, politics, being a vegan, the value of modern art, or whatever. We do not need to agree about everything in order to get along. Problems arise when one person thinks their opinion is the only correct opinion and tries to force another person to believe it or to behave a certain way. There is a saying, “Your right to swing your fist ends at my nose.” This means that you can say or do anything you want as long as it doesn’t interfere with what another person wants to say or do. I grew up in a time when we believed that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But I also believe that just because you can say something doesn’t mean you should.