When they show someone reading in a movie and don't let you know what book it is. Show me the title.
When a chapter ends in a book with words like...they would never meet again. Or...later, we would regret that night. Have it happen, don't just sum it up.
When a waiter in a restaurant asks, "Are you still working on that? Or says in response to asking for something like water, "No problem."
What drives you crazy?
25 comments:
In a film, when two people are having a serious conversation and one of them abruptly gets up, walks across the room, fiddles with something, turns around, and continues talking. Why not remain seated? In Hindi films, actors frequently talk to people with their backs turned, usually facing the window. Hello? I can’t hear you!
Double-yes to summing up a future event rather than showing the event. In fact, I just gave up on a first-person narration mystery which included, "When I got to know him better, I realized this was the way he always acted, but at the time...." Yech! Life's too short.
Regarding wait staff, I hate the phrase "you guys." I know it's supposed to be a friendly, casual way of addressing the table, but when a waiter/waitress asks, "How are you guys this evening?", something in me immediately wants to rebel.
But on the whole, these are small things...there are some really BIG things bothering me these days, but I'll refrain from enumerating them as yours is a friendly, non-political blog.
Patti - In novels? When a character states the obvious too often. In real life? When you're paying for your groceries and the clerk comments on what you've bought.
Along these lines, Margot-hate it when waitstaff compliments you on your choice. Prashant-writers feel they need action to keep things moving but this is often wrong!
Deb-I used to post political stuff but I got tired of the hate comments so I confine them to facebook.
Deb, you beat me to it. As old as we are it doesn't really bother me any more but I've noticed that in most restaurants - and we eat out a LOT - waiters refer to people of all ages as "you guys."
The one that bothers me more is "do you need change?" when you pay the bill.
"No, I meant to give you a 100% tip."
I'd prefer "I'll be right back with your change." Of course, I do tend to use a credit card so it isn't an issue that often but it is annoying.
Jeff M.
Well, now. This could take all day, but since you brought up wait staff I'll add just one....
Dear Waiter/Waitress: On the matter of the server book with my check. Do NOT shove it in the back of your pants and even THINK about handing it over to me. What? You fart butterflies and crap Jesus cookies? I could give a rat's ass if you do or if your personal hygiene is flawless...I will call your manager over, make a scene, and soooo try to get you fired on the spot. I'm overreacting? Try me. This goes DOUBLE for waiters who go to the john WITH their aprons on....gee, nothing could POSSIBLY splatter on that.
Oh rats - I hit the wrong button and lost my long rant about drivers and shoppers. Perhaps I should let it go.
Just let me mention it drives me crazy when I'm on line in the supermarket behind a woman who stands there passively watching her order being rung up and totalled and bagged and only then starts searching her purse for her wallet to pay.
Did she think today was "free groceries" day?
Jeff M.
That's a whole new one for me, Kieran. You may know too much about restaurants for me.
I start bagging immediately if no bagger is there. Nothing worse than watching the cashier bag everything after ringing it up.
The use of the phrase "It is what it is" drives me nuts. That's the new favorite on any sort of discussion on television, whether it be sports, news, or reality shows.
Here are two more (written) phrases that drive me nuts: beginning a sentence with "Having said that..." and "Be that as it may..." Come to think of it, I haven't seen much of these in the foreign press. Must be an Indian thing, then.
The only consolation is how quickly it will disappear and be "it was what it was
The cost of print now disallows that sort of phrase, I think. We just plunge in headlong.
Randy, my wife agrees with you on "it is what it is" which she finds as annoying as the use of the word "whatever."
Jeff M.
YES! the shoppers who apparently have never had to pay for their groceries before.
I am constantly annoyed at the sound (or lack thereof) on TV and DVDs. Most of the actors seem to mumble or the poor sound recording garbles their conversation. I watch TV and Blu-rays with the closed caption feature ON. I know many people find subtitles annoying, but today's programming is so poorly recorded sound-wise, I see no other alternative to intelligibility.
I am so with you there but when I go to bed, Phil turns the sound down from 20 to 14 so I think I may have a hearing deficit.
Commercials much louder than the program. Yeah, shouting at me is really going to get me to buy your stuff.
That is definitely true with DVDs that we borrow from the library. We have to put the sound on 100 and even then we've had to return some unwatched because you can't hear them over the air conditioner in the summer.
Jeff M.
If we're dealing with the trivial, as we mostly seem to be...in re: soundtracks for films, particularly, less so than television productions, the insane notion that music should be vastly louder than dialog. Yes, we understand you idiots think that films are somehow above mere notions of dialog, but why not produce another silent movie, if you're that sure of it, or another music video?
And in terms of music videos, a very trivial one in the ridiculous overpraise of, say, the Jackie Evanchos of the world. The NPR station owned by the same folks who run the dominant local PBS station (WHYY, Philadelphia) actually ran a promo in which we were to take seriously that Evancho has a voice, now, which rivals that of Callas. No, it doesn't, though it might in a decade. Right now, she's pretty damned technically impressive for a child. And that's all.
1. When reviewers call a book a "[some adjective] romp." It's a *book*, it's not a gambol through the daisies.
2. When people conflate mammals with animals and say that birds/insects/fishes aren't animals. What do they think they are, fruit?
3. When people say, "How are you?" but don't stop to actually hear you--if you don't care, just say "Hello."
A waitress who says "Awesome" when I make my order. It's a burger and fries, not a cure for cancer. Bad drivers. Robocalls. Spam. Junk Mail. Hackers. People who ring my doorbell despite the NO SOLICITORS sign under it. Loud, crappy music blaring from cars. Or anywhere else. Obscene profits on sport shoes. Adam Sandler movies.
Enough. I'm getting suicidal.
Teenager drivers who make their right turn on red without looking for pedestrians. Have almost been killed three times over the summer and all by teens.
Déjà vu. I remember reading nearly all of these comments a few months ago when Patti posted about pet peeves or something similar. And Capn' Bob's joke about the waitress who says "Awesome" after he places his order still makes me laugh even though the overuse of the word bugs the hell out of me.
Restaurant menus and signs that proclaim "home made". You made the meal at home and brought it to the restaurant?
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