Pet hates

[Alan]

Hi,

Is there something that really annoys you, irritates you, niggles you and in a word drives you mad? I am referring to little unimportant things that are guaranteed to get on your nerves.

Let me list some of mine:

so-called 'sleeping policemen' that describe those humps in the road intended to slow down your speed.

loud talking in a restaurant from the people near your table who delight in telling everyone what they've done that day

abandoning shopping trolleys in a supermarket car park right in the way of where you want to park

failure to let you know from someone who has agreed to come and do some work in your house and doesn't turn up

people driving too close behind you.

Silly things really but repeated again and again are very annoying.

What are your pet hates?

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Future

[lost_soul]

Hi, Alan

There's one thing that always rubs me up the wrong way: I hate being stared at, especially when someone is looking at me behind my back where I can't see him/her.
I don't know why but I really really hate that.

[NinaZara]

Alex, I might be imagining things, but you sound like a cat.

Anyway, I cannot stand raindrops on my glasses. I rather walk and barely see the road.

[prezbucky]

slow drivers clogging the left lane (generally understood to be the "fast lane" in the US) and either:

a) Refusing to move over and allow faster traffic to pass or
b) Somehow not realizing that they are in the way

[prezbucky]

...not to the point of road rage, of course.

A second item is this:

Tribute bands that claim to be the real thing but don't have any members of the original band.

[Fan of Arabian horses]

Hi!

Something that drives me up the wall sometimes is when people claim they were hearing what you speak but in fact don´t listen to what you´re saying.

Like I mentioned: Sometimes

Michael

[underdog]

can someone explain the phrase "pet hates", please? how is it different than "dislike" or hate?

to me, I hate myself when I can't understand someone's joke(s) in a group conversation ~~ it happens quite a lot in my daily life. man, the only thing i can do is to stand and laugh stiffly...

[Alan]

Hi Underdog,

'Pet' in the sense I have used it means, if you like, 'favourite' describing the 'hate' you often mention or talk about.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Word Story: Health

[Pamela]

My pet hates are:
people who are always late for arrangements.
when streets are littered by passers-by.
nibbling sunflower seeds in public.
loud speaking.

[Molly]

British people, of all ages, who still wish the British Empire was/were intact.

Spanish people who insist on sitting close to my table even though the restaurant is almost empty.

Spanish who block doorways, steps, etc. just because they've decided that such places are a good for standing and chatting with friends.

Forumites who take the p*ss out of people who post what are obvious typos.