# What is the most annoying sound in the world? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 12, 2014, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068 "2014-12-12T22:39:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/21 "2014-12-13T02:15:50Z")
15,000 shrieking tween girls at a boy band concert ( in this case New Kids on the Block plus 4-5 opening groups ). Okay that was more Cthulhu-level maddening than simply annoying, but it is easily the worst sound I’ve ever heard. Even with earplugs it was agony. I would swear those girls had somehow mastered some fancy Yoga technique that allowed them to never pause to draw a breath. I can picture their wizened Yogi master exhorting them during their long training sessions - “breath through the nose, shriek through the mouth” ;). ---
**Author:** ![Chetumal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@Chetumal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chetumal)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/22 "2014-12-13T03:01:36Z")
Leaf blowers. Die in a fire. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/23 "2014-12-13T03:04:21Z")
[That Fred kid on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEqwKNNQBwc) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/24 "2014-12-13T03:15:28Z")
Doctor says: “huh, I’ve never seen that before.” ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/25 "2014-12-13T03:18:21Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > [That Fred kid on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEqwKNNQBwc) Yeah. I watched about 5 seconds of that. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/26 "2014-12-13T03:27:06Z")
Christmas music. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/27 "2014-12-13T03:37:05Z")
Taylor Swift ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/28 "2014-12-13T03:54:54Z")
The sound of a dog throwing up. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/29 "2014-12-13T03:59:15Z")
_You know I’m all about that bass, bout that bass, no treble_ :mad: Accck! That’s as far as it ever gets before my hand manages to find the radio dial. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/30 "2014-12-13T04:20:35Z")
Disco. Punk, death metal, gangsta rap, even boy bands have yet to equal Disco. ---
**Author:** ![Recusant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@Recusant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Recusant)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/31 "2014-12-13T05:22:15Z")
The sound a metal fork makes scraping over the teeth of someone who apparently hasn’t figured out that they have both a tongue and flexible lips. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/32 "2014-12-13T05:42:23Z")
Crinkling cellophane. Especially in a movie theater. I tip my (noiseproof) hat to the mention of "people loudly eating food, especially on TV. Out here in Cali-land we used to have commercials for Carl’s Jr hamburger where they deliberately played up all the disgusting sounds of someone eating their messy burgers. I always wondered if those cost them more customers than they gained. ---
**Author:** ![hyperspaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@hyperspaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hyperspaz)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/33 "2014-12-13T05:42:54Z")
The sound it makes when someone is cleaning the underside of their nails with the nails of the other hand. But I’d rather hear that than new school rap. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/34 "2014-12-13T06:23:43Z")
Snoring. Or maybe car alarms… ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/35 "2014-12-13T06:59:39Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > _You know I’m all about that bass, bout that bass, no treble_ > > :mad: Accck! That’s as far as it ever gets before my hand manages to find the radio dial. I accidentally listened to that song and it was my earworm for A SOLID WEEK. Thanks ever so for mentioning it. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/36 "2014-12-13T14:38:57Z")
I third leaf blowers. And other noisy yard tools. Though for some reason, I don’t mind lawnmowers as much. Also, those freaking idiots who drive their car around the neighbourhood really fast late at night during the summer, keeping me awake. It’s not so much that the sound of cars is annoying in and of itself, but I think it’s more the fact that they’re doing something annoying and dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/37 "2014-12-13T16:04:04Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Squeaking/screeching styrofoam. Gives goosebumps. you too, huh? ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/38 "2014-12-13T16:07:21Z")
John Denver. Seriously. There is something in his voice that just makes me ill. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/39 "2014-12-13T16:17:04Z")
> [@Peanuthead](#): > > Neil Young +1. I think he has adenoid problems. I agree with people eating, especially when it sounds like the people eating are having oral sex with their food. Ugh. There is a special place in hell for the guy chasing one goddamn leaf for ten minutes with the leaf blower whining away. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068/40 "2014-12-13T17:44:46Z")
Barking dog. Behind (almost) every barking dog, there is a dog owner depriving the animal of some need. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-annoying-sound-in-the-world/707068.md?page=3)