[Falconoffury]

A pet peeve is something that doesn't matter much in practical thinking, but means a lot to an individual in principle.

My biggest pet peeve is when a new word or figure of speech is invented out of a lack of understanding or logic behind the original word or phrase. The phrase that annoys me the most is "I could care less". Used in a sentence, one might say, "I could care less what you think of that subject." Well, the original phrase is, "I couldn't care less".

If one thinks on it, the original phrase makes a lot of sense, while the newer one makes no sense. Whenever I hear it or read it, I have to wonder, how much less could this person care? If he cares as much as he possibly can care, he could care a lot less. Let's say there is a scale of caring from 1 to 10. One could actually care less if his level of caring fell on almost any part of this scale. Even on the level of 2, he still could care less, because there is the lowest level 1. So saying that one "could care less" only means that he cares some amount, above the lowest. Not only does this not make sense, it usually has the opposite effect of the point one is trying to convey. Usually, when one speaks this phrase, he doesn't care at all. In which case, he should say he "couldn't care less". He cares so little, that he couldn't possibly care any less.

I have been noticing that the "could" version is actually getting a lot more common than the "couldn't" version. Really, the "could" version has no reason to exist. It conveys no meaningful information, and it is born out of stupidity. I don't know about the rest of you, but whenever someone uses the phrase, "could care less", when speaking to me, he usually goes pretty far down on my impression of his intelligence. So please, join me on my crusade to end this ridiculous phrase. When someone says it, please tell him just how meaningless it is.

So, that's all I have now. I'm sure I will come up with more examples in the future.

[smallpoxgirl]

My biggest pet peeve right now is that my dog is shedding and keeps getting hair all over my cloth sofa.

I went today to get one of the shocker mats that zap them if they get on a surface. They want $80 for it.

[basil_hayden]

I have a problem with pet peeve threads.

[kpeavey]

DON'T EVER ASK ME "Are you sure?"

Yes, I'm goddam sure. Did I give you reason to think that I am experiencing indecision? Do I appear to have an l-dopa defficiency?
It's just a burger and no fries for chrissakes.

Are you sure you are not overpaid? I understand working the register at a fast food joint has its stressful moments but do you really need me to confirm and reconfirm the order. Go play in the road already.

[kpeavey]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('spg', 'I') went today to get one of the shocker mats that zap them if they get on a surface. They want $80 for it.

[Muckingfess]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('kpeavey', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('spg', 'I') went today to get one of the shocker mats that zap them if they get on a surface. They want $80 for it.

[PenultimateManStanding]

OK, we've been here before. Mine is those little plastic ketchup packets that say 'tear here' and when you try to tear there it won't open. Then when you go to Herculean Efforts you get ketchup on your shirt.

[smallpoxgirl]

yeah. For $80 I could probably buy a stun gun and rig up some sort of pressure switch. Hmmmmm.....

[Ferretlover]

HHHmmm... Pet peeves
a) People who insert the phrase, "you know what I mean?" several times in every sentence;
b) drawers and cabinet doors left partially open;
c) people who look like adults, but think and talk like nine-year-olds;
d) people who name their body parts and think it is clever.

[MD]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ferretlover', 'H')HHmmm... Pet peeves
a) People who insert the phrase, "you know what I mean?" several times in every sentence;

[MD]

People that treat the interstate like it's a freakin nascar race or that just have to come cranking up next to you at high speed then slow down and hang right in your blind spot until you are forced to break your cruise control setting -or- if you speed up to get in front of them they speed up too and hang right on your bumper until you pull over then they slow down again.

assholes!

[MD]

I can do the pet peeve thing all day long because I am a grumpy old bastid.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MD', 'I') can do the pet peeve thing all day long because I am a grumpy old bastid.

[JJ]

people that break one bananna off the hand. Everyone that buys banannas breaks one bananna off. Stand back and watch. Its amazing. Its a phsycological thing. At the end of the day, I have a whole shelf full of loose banannas. No-one buys loose banannas.

[Hawkcreek]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'M')y biggest pet peeve right now is that my dog is shedding and keeps getting hair all over my cloth sofa.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Hawkcreek', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'M')y biggest pet peeve right now is that my dog is shedding and keeps getting hair all over my cloth sofa.

[Ferretlover]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MD', 'O')MG like I can reallly relate! Any type of, y'know, verbal filler, like I was at work yesterday and I y'know went like "i can't believe you said that!" and she went like"for sure, you know!"
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! Shoot me now!!!!!

[WildRose]

Basically, any little gadget that does not work the way it's supposed to.

[Daniel_Plainview]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('basil_hayden', 'I') have a problem with pet peeve threads.

[Tanada]

I can see where this is headed, you catch my drift?