# Things that infuriate you well beyond their actual importance **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 4, 2024, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712 "2024-09-04T02:18:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 30
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2024, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/581 "2024-11-03T09:55:12Z")
That made me laugh a little. Must re-read the book, its been a few years. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/582 "2024-11-04T11:58:03Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > A weather event that hits “much of the East Coast” might well _not_ include New York, so I certainly would like to know if it’s something I should be worried about or if it’s way south. I realize you are discussing a different issue, but you remind me of one of my biggest “infuriating” minor things: weather reporting. I rarely look at anything related to the weather other than to see if snow or hurricanes are coming. The reason is simple: they inject hyperbole and sensationalize everything. They are constantly warning of the “Storm of the Century” and telling about how the sky is falling and … well a stopped clock is correct twice a day. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/583 "2024-11-04T12:15:22Z")
Well, to be fair, most weather IS about the sky falling. Or bits of the sky falling, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/584 "2024-11-04T12:36:53Z")
kW (kilowatts) instead of kWh (kilowatt-hours). This very common error is one I am exposed to more than most people, because I am an engineer in the energy industry and also am involved in conversations about electric vehicles. It mostly bothers me when it’s a colleague, who should know better. But even for non-engineers, where the confusion is understandable, the answer to their question would often be obvious if they were just using the right units. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/585 "2024-11-04T13:01:18Z")
I grew up with 12 a.m. referring to midnight and 12 p.m. to noon, but people confuse this (or were taught differently) enough that I go with the noon/midnight convention and don’t bother with the a.m. or p.m. like you. Looks like both my Associated Press stylebook and Chicago Manual of Style eschew listing “noon” as anything other than “noon” ( no “12” in front; no “a.m./p.m.”) AP also says for midnight to avoid using the term if there’s any confusion and instead referring to 11:59 p.m. or 12:01 a.m. I’m guessing the reasoning for that one is because it may be unclear which day the midnight belongs to. Chicago Manual of Style likes you to include the dates on both sides of your midnight, so, for the one that just passed, it would be written “midnight, November 3-4”. Whereas with 24 hour time, it’s simpler: 0:00 midnight starts the day. 24:00 midnight ends the day. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/586 "2024-11-04T13:09:40Z")
Yeah, I can see why notionally ‘12 noon/midnight’ might seem redundant, but ‘noon’ on its own seems a bit vague, and ‘midnight’ more so - if someone says a thing happened at midnight, I would not always assume they meant it happened at the exact stroke of midnight; if they say ‘12 midnight’, I know we’re talking about a time rather than _sometime in a period_ (‘midnight’ imprecise as a term like ‘the small hours’) ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/587 "2024-11-04T13:17:13Z")
A two-fer: Requesting a tip and unnecessary quotes. [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/AVLmrXd.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/AVLmrXd) mmm ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/588 "2024-11-04T13:38:25Z")
Could be worse, J.P. could have written: _quote unquote your_ _quote unquote generosity_ _quote unquote Thank-you_ ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/589 "2024-11-04T13:40:17Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > ; if they say ‘12 midnight’, I know we’re talking about a time rather than _sometime in a period_ (‘midnight’ imprecise as a term like ‘the small hours’) Right. 12 makes it clear for both 12 Noon and 12 Midnight. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/590 "2024-11-04T14:45:39Z")
Exactly. I want to know if Wilson Pickett is going to hold me at exactly 12 midnight, or merely at some point during a notionally hour-long period, _around about_ midnight. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/591 "2024-11-04T14:56:10Z")
And if you say something’s happening at noon I want to know you mean 12 Noon, not just around lunchtime. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/592 "2024-11-04T15:00:33Z")
Especially if it’s a gunfight ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/593 "2024-11-04T15:02:26Z")
Part of me knows the writer of this sign just believes quotes are an alternative to underlining, but part of me can’t help reading the whole thing as sounding sarcastic ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/594 "2024-11-04T15:02:40Z")
Celery. I don’t need an armload of celery, it goes bad so fast. And basil, I needjust a sprig and I have to buy a whole plant for $5 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/595 "2024-11-04T15:05:08Z")
Oh, that spoken ‘quote-unquote-[quoted text]’ thing - _prefacing_ the quoted text instead of quote-[quoted text]-unquote, annoys me a little bit. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/596 "2024-11-04T15:08:15Z")
> [@salinqmind1](#): > > celery, it goes bad so fast. Does it? Does your celery come as a whole bunch with the base still on, and is it bagged? Mine is and it lasts a few weeks in the fridge. The place I shop started selling it unbagged for a while, presumably to reduce plastic packaging - just a little paper ribbon around the bunch; this lasted less than a week in the fridge before it went all limp. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/597 "2024-11-04T15:12:22Z")
I don’t know what they think it even means. If it is an actual quote, prefacing with ‘quote’ is sufficient, no need to add the unquote at the end unless the ending is ambiguous. But _quote-unquote_ sounds to me the same as writing ""_words_ instead of “_words_”. Similarly the use of ‘proverbial’ in front of something meant literally. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/598 "2024-11-04T15:25:16Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > The reason is simple: they inject hyperbole and sensationalize everything. They are constantly warning of the “Storm of the Century” and telling about how the sky is falling This irritates me too. I live in MN - it snows here. In the last few years, an inch of snow is now worthy of an alert, warnings, danger, danger. I open my weather app as soon as I get up in the morning so I know how to dress to walk the dogs. Almost every time snow is predicted, the daily page background is RED. When I first see it I think - blizzard! Nope, just a 40% chance of snow with accumulations of 2". 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/599 "2024-11-04T15:51:16Z")
I’ve heard wrapping it up tight in aluminum foil will preserve it. Now I just look for the pre-chopped little plastic cartons in the produce department. Meant for cooking soup, or stew. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/600 "2024-11-04T15:56:45Z")
That’s at high noon. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712.md?page=29) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712.md?page=31)