# one of my pet peeves



## patriv

Hi

I've always wondered where the expression "pet peeve" comes from... Any ideas?

Thanks!


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## Sharon

The word "pet" can be used to say it is a favorite, I think the most common expression is  "Teacher's pet." If something "peeves" you, it irritates you. So a pet peeve would be something that particularly bothers a person, but may or may not bother anyone else.
Hope that helps!!


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## patriv

Sharon said:
			
		

> The word "pet" can be used to say it is a favorite, I think the most common expression is  "Teacher's pet." If something "peeves" you, it irritates you. So a pet peeve would be something that particularly bothers a person, but may or may not bother anyone else.
> Hope that helps!!



Thanks, Sharon!


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## meili

Hello Forum!

Sorry for asking something silly   Been pouring over these forums for sometime now and I have come across lots of this expression.  (I think it is an expression).

one of my pet peeves / it is one of my pet peeves.

What exactly does this mean? 

(I know Peeves as the poltergeist in the Harry Potter series, but here, what?)

Thanks!


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## VenusEnvy

A "pet peeve" is something that annoys or bothers you.

Examples:
My biggest "pet peeve" is when people smoke next to me when I eat.
Another "pet peeve" of mine is when people ask questions here without context!


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## elroy

Just to expand:

It's something that _*really*_ annoys or bothers you, and many times it can be idiosyncratic.

It comes from the verb "peeve," which means to bother or to annoy.  The adjective "peevish" refers to somebody who is easily annoyed.

I don't know how the "pet" got thrown in there.


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## panjandrum

elroy said:
			
		

> I don't know how the "pet" got thrown in there.


Good point - I wondered too. Peeve as a noun is an AE development, early 1900s, a back-formation from the verb "peeve", which is itself a back-formation from the adjective "peevish" - which has been around since 1393. 
It seems, from the OED, that "pet" has been associated with the noun "peeve" for almost as long as peeve-the-noun has existed.
*1919* C. H. DARLING _Jargon Bk._ 25 _Pet peeve_, the thing that provokes you the most

I agree with the point about pet peeves being idiosyncratic Also known on these forums as "personal quirks" 

I have a little list.....


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## Kelly B

I don't know how the "pet" came to be used either. I think it does, in a way, mean "favorite" in the sense that it is the one you are most likely to enjoy complaining about if the subject comes up. Dangling participles and missing verbs, perhaps.


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## meili

I understand the expression much better now.  Thanks Forer@s!

And Panj, can I take a look at that little list you have?  Objective:  To broaden my knowledge on the meaning of pet peeves.


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## elroy

Misusing _comprise_ and _compose_!


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## elroy

That was one of the biggest...

Here are some more that come to mind:

*Telling me, "Well, that's just your opinion" or worse "Well, you're entitled to your own opinion."
*Using your spit to turn the pages of a book
*Spelling "all right" "alright"

Ok, I'll stop now...


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## foxfirebrand

panjandrum said:
			
		

> I have a little list.....


 
Oh I'll bet you *do!* Me too, and I'm surprised no one has mentioned one that's on my list, and getting rather high on it-- "pet peeve."

I think the "pet" part means "favorite" in a mildly ironic way-- my favorite thing that bothers me. As in the expression "teacher's pet." It also alludes to the idiosyncratic nature of such dislikes-- everyone's list is different.

Don't know what else I'd call pet peeves, though. "Hot button issues" is a similar concept, but "issues" and other such idiotic value-softening sociobabble terms are item #1 right at the top of the highest echelon of hot-button peeves of mine. A thief has "ownership issues," yeah right.


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## garryknight

meili said:
			
		

> Been pouring over these forums for sometime now


I'm not going to start a new thread on this because it doesn't relate to a question you asked, but I thought you might like to know that the word we usually use in this phrase is "poring", without the "u". "Pouring" is what you do with liquid, "poring" is directing your attention or focusing on something. Hope this is useful.


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## lsp

meili said:
			
		

> I understand the expression much better now.  Thanks Forer@s!
> 
> And Panj, can I take a look at that little list you have?  Objective:  To broaden my knowledge on the meaning of pet peeves.


I have a "little" list, too. Many of them are already published on this rather long list (see mid-page). There are some good definitions, and the lists should give you an even better idea of what it means, and make you chuckle. I'll just add one. Starting a sentence with "No disrespect intended" or "No offense, but..." and following up with a thoroughly, inexcusable disrespectful, offensive comment!


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## panjandrum

Wonderful.

Sure enough, a lot of mine are listed there. It's good to know I am not alone  
I expect there ought to be a special themed list - see the Extra-Special-New forum in French-English - where we despairing souls might unload our peeve lists.


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## VenusEnvy

For those of you who didn't click on lsp's link....


I'm sure we could start our own WR list, beginning with:

People who use "whom" as a fancy form of "who" without regard to the fact that it's an object and not a subject.

People who leave a space between the end of their sentence and one or more exclamation marks !!!

People who say "is you" as opposed to "are you" when asking a question.
 From Answers.com


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## Kelly B

> People who leave a space between the end of their sentence and one or more exclamation marks !!!


Perhaps this one, at least, will seem less obnoxious when you know that using a space before certain punctuation marks is correct in French (although the extra exclamation points are still superfluous.)


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## timebomb

I have a list of pet peeves too but it's by no means small.  Many are related to forum usage.  I'm irked when people quote paragraphs of unnecessary text or use large fonts for the whole of their posts.  But what bugs me most is when people deliberately butcher the English language by using shortforms like "tot" for "thought" or "wat" for "what".


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## meili

garryknight said:
			
		

> I'm not going to start a new thread on this because it doesn't relate to a question you asked, but I thought you might like to know that the word we usually use in this phrase is "poring", without the "u". "Pouring" is what you do with liquid, "poring" is directing your attention or focusing on something. Hope this is useful.


 
Oh, no. Not a problem at all Mr Knight. But, (I think this is going to be considered a 'pet peeve'. Me saying no problem, _but, _giving my buts...).

I used 'pouring' in this phrase because just like the rain, or the liquid, I directed my eyes and/or my attention to these posts with the 'pet peeves' in them. 

So much for my giving of full expression. I really find it useful Mr Knight. Thanks for quoting that out.

Good thing I pored over this thread again...


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## axolotl66

For me, "pet peeves" or just "peeves" indicates minor annoyances rather than things that make me angry.
A pertinent pet peeve for me (ah the alliteraton) is when there is an insistence on correct language form where meaning is clear.
Still, that''l learn me, eh?
aXe


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## Eugens

meili said:
			
		

> Oh, no. Not a problem at all Mr Knight. But, (I think this is going to be considered a 'pet peeve'. Me saying no problem, _but, _giving my buts...).


Is there something wrong with saying "no problem"? Is it more correct to say "not a problem"?


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## VenusEnvy

Eugens said:
			
		

> Is there something wrong with saying "no problem"? Is it more correct to say "not a problem"?


(It is) not a problem.
(It is) no problem.

They're both correct, and mean the exact same thing.


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## meili

VenusEnvy said:
			
		

> (It is) not a problem.
> (It is) no problem.
> 
> They're both correct, and mean the exact same thing.


 
Yes, Eugens.  I agree with Venus!  (Who can know better?  )


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## Eugens

thank you girls!


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## te gato

I concur...

Pet Peeves are little things that bug YOU...
Pet- is subject to a person..My dog is my pet...Sally is the teachers pet..and so on..so when you say Pet Peeve..it is refering to something that bugs you personally..

tg


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## meili

I also found this - related thread:
pet peeve 
Additionals.


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## foxfirebrand

"No problem" qualifies as a pet peeve, but not because it is grammatically wrong.  As a substitute for "you're welcome," it always makes me think-- who said there might be a problem?  Why is he assuring me that something completely unproblematic is "no problem" to him?  Does he have some problem with getting me the beverage list that he's trying to keep secret?  Is there a separate waitperson to do that job?  Am I expected to know by heart exactly which 134 beers this place has on tap?  Should I have called it the "bar list" or the "drink list" or the "beer list" or...?

Other than considerations like that, I have no problem with "no problem."  It's "_hey_, no problem" that really gravels me.


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## Amityville

Thing is, if you carry on being irritated by it, you end up being the one that has the problem. "You got a problem with me saying 'no problem' ?" 
(ps I haven't got a problem with being irritated by 'no problem', it irritates the hell out of me. And 'What _seems_ to be the problem ?')


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## panjandrum

Amityville said:
			
		

> Thing is, if you carry on being irritated by it, you end up being the one that has the problem.


That's why I made the list. It kind of exorcised the peeves. Now I can be quite adult about them. Well I think it's probably adult (I kind-of tried adult when I was 23 and decided it really wasn't for me).

But seriously, I have to process a lot of written material, and I produce a lot of written material. I am totally amazed at the amount of confused and confusing stuff that I see. There is some kind of ethos out there that more or less says:
*27* *It is good enough to say approximately what is meant and leave the readers to work it out for themselves - even when what is meant is the opposite of what is actually said.*
​


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## timpeac

When one of my pet peeves, we make him sit in the corner.


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## garryknight

Eugens said:
			
		

> Is there something wrong with saying "no problem"? Is it more correct to say "not a problem"?


I don't think Meili meant that "no problem" was a problem. It was in saying "no problem" followed by "but". If it was no problem, why would there need to be a "but"? But I could be on the wrong track here...

[And what do you feed a pet peeve, anyway? ]


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## modgirl

VenusEnvy said:
			
		

> People who leave a space between the end of their sentence and one or more exclamation marks !!


 
Unless those people are all writing the very same sentence, perhaps you mean "sentences."


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## axolotl66

Firefox on "no problem" - "As a substitute for "you're welcome," it always makes me think-- who said there might be a problem?"

When we _ask_ for something, don't we indicate we are imposing, or feel we are imposing, on the person we are talking to? Then, when they say "no problem", they are reassuring us that they are not. Sounds like "scripted" behaviour to me, though.
aXe


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## meili

When I said 'Not a problem' to garry/knight I simply am implying that it doesn't concern me at all that he quoted that correction.  It means that I have no heartaches or anything against him.  I am glad that he corrected me on that. 

I could have also said 'No problem'.  

Yes, ffb and axe, there is indeed 'no problem' - no heartaches or anything against him, whatsoever. 

So much for my pet peeves!   And I'm feeding it with no problem.


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## te gato

garryknight said:
			
		

> [And what do you feed a pet peeve, anyway? ]


 
Mmmm..anything that does not make it have to sit in tim's corner!

Some of mine....
YUP...(if you are going to agree with me then at least have the respect to say YES)
WANNA'...(it sounds so whiney when people say it)
EH...(Canadians do not always say eh)

_I could go on and on yadda, yadda..but my pet peeve is getting hungry..._

Yup, I just wanna say that pet peeves are no problem..eh.  

tg


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## VenusEnvy

modgirl said:
			
		

> Unless those people are all writing the very same sentence, perhaps you mean "sentences."


Yes, I'm sure the site meant to say "sentences".


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## panjandrum

VenusEnvy said:
			
		

> Yes, I'm sure the site meant to say "sentences".


Please forgive me, but I have been trying really hard not to post this, to the extent that it was becoming painful  I was under control until Venus posted that calm little remark.

Original (which had been copied from the link provided earlier):
People who leave a space between the end of their sentence and one or more exclamation marks !!! 

If we have to change "sentence" to "sentences", then logic says that the sentence has to become something like:

People who leave spaces between the ends of their sentences and sets of one or more exclamation marks !!!

I know which version gets my vote 

Aaahhh. I feel so much better now.


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## meili

One of my pet peeves are long sentences like we can already divide them into five sentences without punctuation marks and then written with so much unnecessary words they really irritate me.


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## modgirl

meili said:
			
		

> One of my pet peeves are long sentences like we can already divide them into five sentences without punctuation marks and then written with so much unnecessary words they really irritate me.


 
Meili, I concur.  What also scares me is that so many people don't seem to know that a comma by itself is not a way to connect two full sentences!

It would be great if those people would substitute semicolons for commas; then their sentences would look and sound much better!


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## modgirl

My pet peeve in language is writing that takes so many shortcuts that it's difficult to read.

Some people don't know how to use keyboards with keys for apostrophes and most importantly, keys for caps. SOMETIMES THE WRITING IS ALL IN CAPS. and sometimes there are absolutely no caps. 

an of course u no that when the shortcutz r al2gether it can take 4ever for u and me to read when im done readin im so frustrated i forgot t original message i h8 when that happens 

(ugh!)


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## Gordonedi

I'll throw my two pet peeves into the ring :

The use of "however" after a comma instead of a semicolon, as in "This item usually black, however it is also available in red."  Of course _comma however _as in "You will not win, however hard you try." is perfectly acceptable.

The use of 12am and 12pm instead of midnight and noon.  Be definition, there are no such times as 12am and 12pm, but even the BBC have started using them in the weather forecasts.

These two examples clearly illustrate how personal (and unreasonable !) pet peeves can be.


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## garryknight

I've given most of my pet peeves to good homes, but one that used to bother me was when people said, "At two A.M. in the morning,...". So it definitely wasn't two A.M in the afternoon, then.  

It's an unnecessary redundancy that isn't needed.


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## timpeac

garryknight said:
			
		

> I've given most of my pet peeves to good homes, but one that used to bother me was when people said, "At two A.M. in the morning,...". So it definitely wasn't two A.M in the afternoon, then.
> 
> It's an unnecessary redundancy that isn't needed.


 
Ah yes, that reminds me of that "carried away by a moonlight shadow". Nice little song I used to think until I realised the words were "4 a.m. in the morning, carried away by a moonlight shadow". Now I can't stand to listen to it - it's the lyricist that should have been carried away if you ask me.


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## meili

.. and then hearing people say_, 'What you are telling me is over redundant!'_


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## Derringer

I was reading through the 'most mispronounced words' thread, and some pet peeves--mostly about usage rather than pronunciation--came rushing back to haunt my sleep. Here are three of them:

'nauseous' in place of 'nauseated'

'different than' in place of 'different from'

'vicious cycle' in place of 'vicious circle'

I also hear a lot of complaints about:

'it's' to mean the possessive 'its'

'Forward' instead of 'foreword' to describe an opening section of a book

You folks have any of your own to add?


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## foxfirebrand

Here's quite a thread on the subject, from last August:

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=44837&highlight=pet+peeve

I think defending the language against "different than" is a lost cause.  And "nauseous" seems to be a fairly well-rooted regionalism-- Woody Allen being perhaps the taproot.  I don't quite deplore it, but I much prefer the original meaning.  It kinda crowds the territory staked out by _noxious,_ a fine and useful word.

The kinship of the word with "nautical" is one of those things you can go your whole life and not notice.  The connection being seasickness of course.  
.


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## heidita

Thank you for all the answers. I am using all of them all the time.jejejejej

By the way, what is a pet-peeve?

 
And yes, very funny the fact that the murderer should wear her nightgown. Is this Norman Bates "norm" usual in your country? In Spain it isn't. But these customs might vary from country to country.


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## la reine victoria

JamesM said:
			
		

> Just curious... how is a "pet peeve" not something that annoys a person?
> 
> Or are you saying that a pet peeve really gets your goat, but not everything that really gets your goat is a pet peeve?


 


Not everything is a pet peeve James.  A pat peeve is the thing which annoys you more than anything else, as in bete noire.



LRV


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