What is your pet peeve of the day?

[FIREmenow]

It doesn't quite rise to the level of a peeve, but there's been a recent change in headlines that doesn't really make sense. Old style headline:

Report: Turkish President Doesn't Like Spaghetti

That makes sense. It's shorthand for "According to a report, the Turkish president ..." or "There's a report, and here's what it says."

New style:

Turkish President Doesn't Like Spaghetti: Report

A colon is: "a punctuation mark used to precede a list of items, a quotation, or an expansion or explanation."

That change is kind of funny - it's like they think your attention span is not long enough to make it past the first word, so they had to bring the "meat" right up to the front.

I hope that's not true.

 

[MichaelB]

Millennial rules of grammar?

 

[O2Bfree]

Also, a colon should be preceded by a complete sentence, not a fragment.

Incorrect
My favorite foods are:

• Pizza
• Ice cream
• Fried chicken

Correct
These are my favorite foods:

• Pizza
• Ice cream
• Fried chicken

 

[TromboneAl]

Okay, this is a real peeve: Unnecessarily small windows.

Choose BillPay in Vanguard, and it opens this tiny window:

I'll bet no one ever uses that without resizing the window. It's been like that for years.

This happens in many apps (e.g. IMDB on Android) and on TV. As an example on TV, check out the "Newsfeed" feature on CBS evening news. The video appears in a small window surrounded by irrelevant graphics:

 

[TromboneAl]

And I have to post the newest winner for the crazy packaging award:

This is a package of some plastic fishing parts that are not fragile and which would have fit in a small envelope.

 

[ERD50]

Okay, this is a real peeve: Unnecessarily small windows.
...

In that same vein, the "Click for larger image" tag, and when you click, a new box opens up with an image that's the same size, or maybe, maybe 10% larger

Or these fancy presentations on web sites that don't allow you to just copy/paste the text, because the text is part of some "action" thingie. I was on a "chat session" yesterday to try to straighten out a billing error, and I wanted to copy/paste the info from their site to the chat window - but if you try to select the text to copy, it just opens a drop-down with tons of detail I don't need, but doesn't repeat the info I do need. double -

And I have to post the newest winner for the crazy packaging award: ...

This is a package of some plastic fishing parts that are not fragile and which would have fit in a small envelope.

Amazon often uses a larger box than needed. Considering that this is their life-blood, I just can't understand that they are not more efficient in this regard.

-ERD50

 

[folivier]

Trying to find a free or low cost app for Mac or Windows or whatever to do whatever and having to install it just to see if it is actually free or what the price is. Why can't the developers just be upfront with the price? Sometimes you can find out the price after about 15 minutes and 10 clicks on their website. But at least call the "free version" what it truly is "an evaluation copy" and list what it is limited to.

 

[ls99]

With the LEAF (ours is named Leif Ericson), the distracted walkers are shocked when we come up behind them in, say, a parking lot. The EV makes a noise to warn pedestrians, but apparently it's not loud enough.

Good thing I'm too mature to do this:

And note the innate response that most have: their shoulders and arms come up. Even more apparent here:

Great idea. I am not too immature at 70. I'll start assembling the gear.

Question is should I put it on the Jag, the Caddy, or suburban.

 

[John Galt III]

Today's pet peeve is those G*d - d***ed a*****e brine trucks pouring out that useless-except-for-rusting-your-car liquid road salt out on the roads today since there is a chance of a dusting to an inch of snow tomorrow morning. The snow will fall, and will stick immediately to the road surface even though the brine is there. So, once again, the brine is a useless, expensive waste of taxpayer money. I was all psyched to take my 88 Trans Am out of the garage for some much-needed exercise, looked out the window and saw the ****ing streaks of brine defacing the once-clean road surface. Death to the brine *astar*s !!!

 

[folivier]

With all of the technological developments in video stabilization equipment you can practically throw a camera down a flight of stairs and get a steady picture. So WHY do shows have the camera bouncing around?? My neck sometimes hurts trying to watch some shows!

 

[O2Bfree]

With all of the technological developments in video stabilization equipment you can practically throw a camera down a flight of stairs and get a steady picture. So WHY do shows have the camera bouncing around?? My neck sometimes hurts trying to watch some shows!

Oh yes! We went to the movie "Project Almanac" in a theater, and boy were we sorry. The entire film was done in the "found footage" format, meaning the jerky framing that's supposed to have been caused by filming with a cell phone.

About halfway through I had to start looking at the floor from time to time because I was starting to feel motion sick. Looked over at DH, and he was doing the same. The film might have been more watchable on a home screen, the plot was interesting enough. What an annoying format though!

 

[Texas Proud]

With all of the technological developments in video stabilization equipment you can practically throw a camera down a flight of stairs and get a steady picture. So WHY do shows have the camera bouncing around?? My neck sometimes hurts trying to watch some shows!

I will agree with that and add.... shooting through some glass or other item that adds some kind of voyeurism to the shot while also moving the camera around... there were a few shows that did this ALL the time and I just stopped watching even though I liked the show...

Give you another.... where they cannot keep the camera in ONE place... look at Jim Cramer on Mad Money... the camera keeps going left, then right, then left, then right on and on.... WHY?? I only watch him when I see a CEO he has booked that interests me (which is rare)....

 

[davemartin88]

People who don't read the entire ad before replying. The text of the ad is below, didn't include the pictures here. We have a 73" DLP TV to give away for free, after posting the ad with the text below, the questions have poured in this afternoon:

How much is the TV? What's wrong with it? Could you deliver it? Could you meet me at the end of your road with it? Why are you getting rid of it? Could you hold it for me? How old is it (one of the pictures is of the manufacture/model plate showing when it was manufactured)? Do you still have it?

Only one person replied with a phone number and they are checking to see if it will fit in their car. They are wanting it for their dad whose TV isn't working but doesn't want a flat screen because the government has cameras in them to watch you. I'm waiting for someone to ask me to get the chip to fix the TV before I deliver it to them.


AD TEXT BELOW
Mitsubishi 73" Big Screen TV, Some pixels not working. You can see from the photos that this is more noticeable in some images than others.Works fine otherwise and a new DLP chip could be installed to fix the pixels. Pick up only outside Romney off Foxes Hollow Road.
TV is free. It's 64" wide x 42" tall x 21" deep. There is a stand that it sets on as well that is about 16" high. You'll need a pickup or large SUV to pick it up.
If you look closely at the screen pictures, you can see some white dots where some of the pixels are not working. You can see on the dark screen they are more noticeable and on the new image, not as much. Otherwise, it's working and connected right now. We are replacing this one with a flat screen and figured someone might like to have it if they have a way to move it and the space to use it.
You'll need a couple of people to move it, I can help but better if you bring help because I'm old, lol.
PM me with a phone number if you're interested and let me know when you would be able to pick it up, don't want to hold it if someone else can get here to move it along.
Thanks for looking.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

This is one reason I couldn't get into the 'mockumentary' shows like The Office or Parks & Rec. I just can't stand the jerky camera movements and unnecessary zooming.

Related to this are the shows with constant, nonstop music. Not one second of footage doesn't have musical accompaniment. NCIS is a good example. It occurred to me last night as I was streaming The Durrells in Corfu on Masterpiece that the music was reserved for more appropriate periods in the show where a mood was being emphasized or whatever. It was nice to simply have dialog most of the time.

 

[Texas Proud]

This is one reason I couldn't get into the 'mockumentary' shows like The Office or Parks & Rec. I just can't stand the jerky camera movements and unnecessary zooming.

Related to this are the shows with constant, nonstop music. Not one second of footage doesn't have musical accompaniment. NCIS is a good example. It occurred to me last night as I was streaming The Durrells in Corfu on Masterpiece that the music was reserved for more appropriate periods in the show where a mood was being emphasized or whatever. It was nice to simply have dialog most of the time.

Never noticed the music on NCIS... will have to listen next week... hope you did not ruin it for me

 

[folivier]

Restaurants that advertise and serve "authentic cajun" or any other ethnic food. BUT cook their own b*stardized version of whatever. I do realize they are trying to cater to local tastes but how can it be authentic if it doesn't even remotely resemble what it should be.

 

[W2R]

Restaurants that advertise and serve "authentic cajun" or any other ethnic food. BUT cook their own b*stardized version of whatever. I do realize they are trying to cater to local tastes but how can it be authentic if it doesn't even remotely resemble what it should be.

I made the mistake of ordering gumbo at Casino Magic in Mississippi back in 2005 (just a few weeks before Katrina, that destroyed that casino). Figuring it was only a few miles from New Orleans, I thought it would be OK but instead was shocked at what I got. It literally looked and tasted like weak, lukewarm fish soup made with dishwater. Guess they never got the memo about "first you make a roux". Anyway after that experience and a similar one in Missouri, I will never order Louisiana food outside of south Louisiana, again.

 

[Rustward]

Also, a colon should be preceded by a complete sentence, not a fragment.

Incorrect
My favorite foods are:

• Pizza
• Ice cream
• Fried chicken

Correct
These are my favorite foods:

• Pizza
• Ice cream
• Fried chicken

I would be happy if we could fix "then" vs "than".
I realize that "then" sounds a lot like "than" but it is just not the same.


"Your" / "you're" runs a very close second.


But I bet the people who write these words incorrectly know the difference between $1 and $10.

 

[CoolRich59]

Restaurants that advertise and serve "authentic cajun" or any other ethnic food. BUT cook their own b*stardized version of whatever. I do realize they are trying to cater to local tastes but how can it be authentic if it doesn't even remotely resemble what it should be.

Yep. Try finding Chicago-style deep dish pizza outside of Chicago.

 

[FIREmenow]

I would be happy if we could fix "then" vs "than".
I realize that "then" sounds a lot like "than" but it is just not the same.


"Your" / "you're" runs a very close second.


But I bet the people who write these words incorrectly know the difference between $1 and $10.

I hate the "less" and "fewer" errors, especially on broadcast media. It grates on my ears.....

 

[Nemo2]

I would be happy if we could fix "then" vs "than".
I realize that "then" sounds a lot like "than" but it is just not the same.


"Your" / "you're" runs a very close second..

Can we throw in its & it's, and lose & loose?

 

[Walt34]

Can we throw in its & it's, and lose & loose?

Don't forget "affect" and "effect".

 

[braumeister]

Can we throw in its & it's, and lose & loose?

Don't forget "affect" and "effect".

Those are equally egregious, but the one I see all the time here on this forum that sets my teeth on edge is "tax differed investments".

 

[Marita40]

The "less" and "fewer" errors are rampant, even in headlines of bigger newspapers. No one knows anything about count and non-count nouns these days.

I also agree with the above thread about Craigslist flakes. I despise the frequent "rod iron" that appears in ads. At one point I was looking for a wrought iron bed, and I saw it everywhere.

 

[kgtest]

People driving with a blinker on after they turned already.
People who lean out of their lane as other's try to merge in.
People who tailgate.
People who pull out in front of you forcing you to brake.
People who hangout in the fast lane as cars go around them.
People who are so scared of driving a car that they drive under the speed limit.

People who claim to know it all, and lie to themselves and everyone around them to prove it.

Slackers who act like the world owe's them everything.

And people who voted for... nevermind.