What is your pet peeve of the day? -- 2021

[YellowSubmarine]

As a communication specialist per education, I always felt the message expression and/with reception was more important than regional dialects or presentation. If you know what is expressed, why be snotty and think that everyone must conform to your expectations. Speech and language is continually evolving; and the ultimate objective is to communicate, i.e. connect -express and receive. fwiw...The Upper Midwest is considered the standard American dialect. But remember the message is the objective and not the delivery variance.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

As a communication specialist per education, I always felt the message expression and/with reception was more important than regional dialects or presentation. If you know what is expressed, why be snotty and think that everyone must conform to your expectations. Speech and language is continually evolving; and the ultimate objective is to communicate, i.e. connect -express and receive. fwiw...The Upper Midwest is considered the standard American dialect. But remember the message is the objective and not the delivery variance.

I remember the first time I had to travel to Texas for my j*b. I was maybe 25 years old and had spent most of my life in the upper midwest. The w*rksite that week was in Tyler, Texas. It was cool down there, for the Texans, probably down to the upper 30s at night, but upper 50s during the day. I left my winter jacket back in the hotel room and when I got to the hospital where the j*b was, the receptionist was wrapped in a blanket and had an electric heater blowing on her. I was just wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a flannel. She asked me where my jacket was, and I told her it was back at the hotel. She said that I must be freezing, but I told her it wasn't really cold, and it was supposed to warm up later in the day, anyway.

She asked me, "You're not from around here, are ya?" I asked her why she would ask me that, to which she replied, "You gotta ac-cent!" in the most southern drawl I had ever heard. That was when I realized that everybody has an accent to somebody else and we're all just people.

 

[JoeWras]

I think accents are the coolest thing and if I came across "snotty", that's because the post was in fun. I actually mourn the fact that our world-wide communication is killing some of the best accents around. Having traveled extensively in NC, I've developed an ear for the different parts of the state based on subtle accent changes. But nothing prepared me for Hoi Toider (High Tider) accent I encountered on Harker's Island, NC. It is completely unique, not really southern, and disappearing fast. It was harder for me to understand than a deep Scottish accent. Linguists are trying to capture this piece of history before it goes away forever.

Accents are not my pet peeve. They are part of the wonderful human experience.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

I think accents are the coolest thing and if I came across "snotty", that's because the post was in fun. I actually mourn the fact that our world-wide communication is killing some of the best accents around. Having traveled extensively in NC, I've developed an ear for the different parts of the state based on subtle accent changes. But nothing prepared me for Hoi Toider (High Tider) accent I encountered on Harker's Island, NC. It is completely unique, not really southern, and disappearing fast. It was harder for me to understand than a deep Scottish accent. Linguists are trying to capture this piece of history before it goes away forever.

Accents are not my pet peeve. They are part of the wonderful human experience.

That was a general statement and not directed at you. I agree with your clarification. Further, I have experienced some of the NC derived accents/dialects. There are so many variations to the American English language. Imagine the other English speaking countries with their own versions as well...and that's just one of the world's hundred plus languages that gets chopped up and made local.

 

[USGrant1962]

I've traveled a bit and what I find interesting is that just a short immersion in the local accent really tunes your ear to it. Having grown up in Pennsylvania, moving to East Tennessee was an interesting linguistic experience. But after a short time I understood that pin (or rather pee-in) meant pen and awl meant oil. And then the subtler accents didn't phase me. Then when I met up with folks with super-thick accents from the hollers, well that was different but understandable.

And that tuning seems to last. For example, I spent time in England and worked with folks with accents from London (various districts) to Manchester to Cumbria. And a Scotsman or two. So when I watch movies with various English accents I can follow the dialogue, but DW struggles. Except for Cumbria! Even with my good drinking buddy from there I regularly had to routinely saw "what"?

 

[ncbill]

Trick question for those who visit the southeast. How do you pronounce the town "Beaufort"? Those of us in the Carolinas use this test to smoke out Yankees and sometimes those from the other Carolina.

The funniest Carolinas mispronunciation was when some California kids I was eating lunch with went to the fast food place Bojangles and pronounced it bo-HENG-less.

And don't get me started on Conetoe, NC. It is NOT CONE-toe! It is cuh-NEE-tuh, of course.

BOW-FORT, NC

BEW-FURT, SC

 

[JoeWras]

BOW-FORT, NC

BEW-FURT, SC

NC Bill shows us he is from around here!

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

NC Bill shows us he is from around here!

So does his username.

 

[Chuckanut]

Pet peeve: reporters who refer to Washington D.C. as simply Washington. Washington is the state.

 

[Winemaker]

Pet peeve: reporters who refer to Washington D.C. as simply Washington. Washington is the state.

Nearby town here in SW PA is Washington, but is always referred to in the tri state area as "Little Washington", as not to be confused with Washington DC. What an ego!

 

[FindingForward]

Amen. I find it annoying that seemingly half of the movies today have a vomit scene, as though the public is clamoring for them. Even if no vomit is shown it's still annoying. I guess we viewers are supposed to think "Wow, that movie star vomited, now I can truly relate to her character! Brilliant idea ! Never seen before! Academy award ! "

It's the humor and intelligence level of a 15-year-old boy. Sometimes feels like that is who is in the writing room these days

 

[Chuckanut]

Nearby town here in SW PA is Washington, but is always referred to in the tri state area as "Little Washington", as not to be confused with Washington DC. What an ego!

Then there is also New York - the city and New York the state. The better reporters will refer to New York City and leave New York for the rest of the state.

 

[ls99]

^^^^ in addition the County of New York.

 

[JoeWras]

Nearby town here in SW PA is Washington, but is always referred to in the tri state area as "Little Washington", as not to be confused with Washington DC. What an ego!

Same in NC for NC's Washington.

 

[Gumby]

We have a Washington in Connecticut, and a Washington Depot, which is two miles away from it. Other than adding the "Depot," there is no need to be more specific than that. I mean, I suppose there are other Washingtons, but if they aren't in Connecticut they may as well be on Mars.

 

[thenameiwish]

There are 88 cities, towns or villages named Washington in the US.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

Pet peeve: reporters who refer to Washington D.C. as simply Washington. Washington is the state.

Do you similarly object when reporters refer to "Seattle," and not "Seattle, Washington"?

 

[Chuckanut]

Do you similarly object when reporters refer to "Seattle," and not "Seattle, Washington"?

No.

 

[glennz]

As a communication specialist per education, I always felt the message expression and/with reception was more important than regional dialects or presentation.

True, but poking fun at others is even more important

I like telling this story: Was on a group motorcycle ride here in the Upper Midwest. The group was men/women from all over the country. I rode up to our arranged lunch stop a bit early one day, and it was hot....mid 90's. After stripping off the riding gear, I hear "Mark" (from the South) across the street hailing me, "Hey Gleeen!". I walk across the street to sit in the shade with him until the restaurant opens.

A few minutes later a local farmer walks down the sidewalk and greets us, going into full Midwest farmer-ese: "hey, boys, howya doin, I see youse are motor-sickel ridin? I had-a Honda once, rode it all over, crashed a few times....well, you boys stay cool, it's hot out here, I gotta go and water my cowz...". I conversed a bit with him, but Mark, uncharacteristically, is quiet.

After farmer walks away, Mark, in his gentlemanly Southern voice: "I didn't understand a word you guys said."

 

[ls99]

People coming to the ice skating rink, barley can skate, stand around the edges taking many selfies.
Then go to to the boxes on the side, sit and bury their heads near their commincator gizmos.
Then get back on the ice for more selfies in all directions.
Rinse repeat.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire]

People coming to the ice skating rink, barley can skate, stand around the edges taking many selfies.
Then go to to the boxes on the side, sit and bury their heads near their commincator gizmos.
Then get back on the ice for more selfies in all directions.
Rinse repeat.

Phones should be banned from skating rinks.

That would solve so many problems.

 

[John Galt III]

Today's peeve is those plastic pipes under the sink (p trap assembly) that never quite seal up properly even after you've done everything right. I had a slow drip coming from one of the joints, and since I was bored, I tried to get rid of the drip. Now it's worse. Will have to take it apart and tighten it up in the sequence that resulted in the slow drip, and leave well enough alone. I think the problem is that with the placement of the pipes, you can't get a 100% flush fit with all the mating surfaces, so at least one surface has to be non-flush, and you have to get lucky enough that the non-flush contact point gets sealed if you tighten it enough. Should have left well enough alone !
edit to add: I see there is a flexible p trap pipe I can get so that I would have have only 2 connections, and both would be 100% flush ! However, they are supposedly a bad thing because they don't flow 'properly' and then cause problems downstream with debris accumulating even after the p trap. Ugh. Wow, quite the peeve here, lol !

 

[COcheesehead]

Did you try Teflon tape on the threads?

 

[Aerides]

Pet peeve: reporters who refer to Washington D.C. as simply Washington. Washington is the state.

Isn't it always obvious by the rest of the sentence or context? Less words, usually better.

 

[razztazz]

Isn't it always obvious by the rest of the sentence or context? Less words, usually better.

Yes, there's the "important" Washington and the less important Washington. While they do routinely refer to D.C as "Washington" they will deliberately refer to the State north of Oregon as "Washington State" or "The State of Washington." Six of one half a dozen of the other. As long a it's understood.

Like "America." Sometimes the nattering nabobs and pettyfoggers will tell you the rest of the world routinely thinks it means The North Pole to Tiera del Fuego. If you say "America" or "those Americans" they know you mean USA. You're not confusing anybody.