This thread got me thinking about annoying traits. I’ve known a guy since we were both four years old. He is the most pretentious, self-centred, unrealistic guy a know. He wants to be a movie producer, but he wants to start at the top instead of working his way up. He likes to call and talk about his Big Projects™ that he can make happen if only he’d get a break. I met a guy who was looking for people to make a film. I called my friend and let him know. They asked if I wanted to shoot it. Why not? Turns out the guy was as big a flake as my friend. I finally told them that I’d shoot it, but I won’t co-produce it as they wanted me to. And I’d have to be payed up front. They were just ludicrous. I let my friend stay at my place for two months rent-free so that he could get the project off the ground, with the understanding that he’d have to pay rent after that. It turned out that I let him stay a year. He’d get jobs, but never seem to go to them. Then he’d complain he was getting screwed out of his paycheque. A neighbour told me that he and another guy who was shacking up with a neighbour would go around during the day asking people for money to buy beer. So he had a lot of annoying habits. Anyway…
This guy will call me on the phone. I’ll say, “What’s up?” He’ll say, “What’s up?”. And that’s it. He’ll wait for me to talk again. I’ll say, “I don’t know; you called me.” I’m usually enjoying a book or watching a show. I’m boring. I mean, come on; if you call someone, have something to say. I’d much rather be reading or watching the tub, than to sit there and listen to silence on the telephone.
On a related note, I can’t stand it when I answer the phone and the first words out of the mouth of person on the other end of the line are “Who’s this.”
You called me moron, you’re supposed to tell me who you are!!! I answered the phone because it rang, not because I had a sudden overwhelming urge for a pop quiz.
Since I’m on a phone rant, back when I was living with my parents, my father would call at least once or twice a day. Fine, dad’s checking in, no problem. But every single time he’d call, he’d have to take attendance. He’d want to know where my brother and sister were, what my mother was doing, what time I’d gotten home from work, etc. etc. My mother tells me she still gets dad’s daily head count call, luckily, I don’t have to answer the phone at their house anymore. I love the man, but this drives me nuts!
Mt Brother-in-Law clicks the soup spoon against his teeth when eating.
I refuse to eat near him when he’s having soup.
It makes me want to bring mine back up.
People who say “these ones,” instead of “these.”
I forcibly trained a cow-orker to say “these units” just to avoid strangling him with his own shoe laces.
People who say, “Can I ask you a question?”
My stock reply to such an inquiry is;
“YOU JUST DID!”
People who conflate “can” and “may,” or “good” and “well.” We won’t even go into how I feel about “definately.”
My grandfather picks his nose in public. I suppose he thinks the grossness is negated by the fact that he covers his finger with a handkerchief before digging for gold. It doesn’t matter where we are, or who we’re with. I swear to God, if we were having dinner with the Queen of England at Buckinham Palace, after the meal was through he would nochalantly whip out his bandanna-style hankie and proceed to pick away.
Well, Lissa, in all fairness, if I were dining at Buckingham palace. I would actually make it a point to pick my nose in full view of all the Royal family, just to see their reactions.
My 10 year old son always prefaces a statement or question with “Hey Momma” After hearing this approximately 100 times a day, it rather grates on your nerves.
My SO over/incorrectly uses the word “say”
SO: You need to take that thingie back to Home Depot. Did you hear me? Say." (No pauses in between sentences)
ME: What thi-
SO: We just talked about this last month, don’t you remember? say!"
He also manages to turn any criticism around.
ME: Sweetie, I don’t feel very good and feel that you are belittl
SO: I am belittling you, how the hell do you think I feel when you are always bitching about something, say!"
ME: Nevermind.
I believe I am married to the interrupting cow. Don’t you think? Say. :smack:
My boss has an irritating habit of interrupting whatever story you are sharing with him b/c he just thought of one that’s similar; the end of your story isn’t important at all once this memory has surfaced.
He will also tell you the same story more than once, and if you say, “Oh, isn’t this the one where your son found that snake in the backyard?” he’ll just pause, and take right up where he was when you interrupted him, as if you’d never said it. And these stories, with all the fond and sentimental memories they dredge up for him, can last half an hour.
I shan’t name names, but I’ve observed this in a couple of individuals - even called one on it - and it drives me bananas!
Person A is trying to solve a problem. He discusses it with Person B, who immediately says “You know what you should do? You should…”
We’re talking adults here, and personally, I find it insulting when someone tells me what I “should” do rather than offering an alternative by saying “I think I’d handle it like this…” or “If I encountered it, I’d…” Now, maybe Person A doesn’t hear it the way I do, but as an outside observer, I cringe when I hear Person B say “You should [do this]” OK, maybe it’s irrational, but it makes me crazy anyway.
The guy I mentioned in the OP has a habit of interrupting. Apparently what he has to say is more important than what anyone else is saying. I usually just continue talking and then query him for a response. Of course, he has no idea what I said. He never fails to miss the point.
A cow-orker whistles softly. Maybe it’s a Mexican folk tune, but I’ll be darned if I can pick out a melody. It drives the girl who sits in front of him nuts. The same guy is also a “dirty old man”. If there is even the slightest sexual angle to anything, he’ll point it out and then laugh and laugh and laugh about it.
