# My newest pet peeve!  What's yours?



## LEFSElover (Mar 7, 2006)

I see something similar has been done but this newest thing is really starting to get to me.  And the worst is, I found myself doing this very same thing last week.  I was sooo mad at me. 

When was "you're welcome" replaced by "not a problem"? 

In other words, I say thank you to someone and their reply is, "Not a problem."  I hate that.... ................our manners are going by the wayside... ..okay, now I feel better............thanks for letting me have a forum to vent on...... ...


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## GB (Mar 7, 2006)

I think it is a generational thing. I find nothing wrong with saying not a problem in response to thank you, but I know a lot of people do not feel that way so I try to only say it (and yes I am very guilty of saying it) to people who I know will take it the right way. I would never say it to an executive in my office for instance, but to a close co-worker I would.


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## LEFSElover (Mar 7, 2006)

GB said:
			
		

> I think it is a generational thing. I find nothing wrong with saying not a problem in response to thank you, but I know a lot of people do not feel that way so I try to only say it (and yes I am very guilty of saying it) to people who I know will take it the right way. I would never say it to an executive in my office for instance, but to a close co-worker I would.


 
Good point you made. Perhaps I should rethink my position.

I also use 'my pleasure'.  As on the plane, (it really is) when someone says thank you to me.

I worked with a lady that I know meant well.  She was sort of AR or so all of us thought anyway.  Her favorite saying for 5 days of us working together, about anything that came up, "no worries".  By the end of 5 days, all of our worries were that we were about to thump her melon if she said that phrase just one more time.hahahahahh.......I'm not being rude here, you know how it is when someone has a catch phrase that is theirs and theirs alone?  It's like the guy on Trading Spaces who I adore, but his favorite catch phrase (and he gets annoyed if anyone else uses it) is "Sah-weeeeeeeeeeeet!"

I must need sugar or chocolate or something


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## licia (Mar 7, 2006)

You're welcome has always been a little redundant to me.  You've already done something nice for someone and they say thank you and you say "you are welcome".  I usually say "Sure". I think that is just as friendly - just my opinion.


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## buckytom (Mar 7, 2006)

in spanish, a proper reply to "gracias" is "de nada", or translated - "of nothing".


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## GB (Mar 7, 2006)

My latest that I have been using is "My pleasure", but I make sure not to say that when it really isn't true


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## pdswife (Mar 7, 2006)

I don't mind either way... as long as I get a response of some kind.


My pet peeve is that... everytime I go to Safeway ( at least once a week for the last five years) I get asked at least 4 times if I've found every thing I've been looking for.   My son has worked there for five years so I know 90% of the people, they know I come in ALL THE TIME, they know I'm David's mom.... they know I know where everything is... but still the company forces them to ask.    I know it's a small thing but it bugs me.


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## licia (Mar 7, 2006)

I can almost see you taking a bow and saying "my pleasure".


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## The Z (Mar 7, 2006)

I have also started using "my pleasure" or "it's my pleasure" (like GB - when I _mean_ it) and, while not exactly bowing when I say it, I do nod or tilt my head slightly when I say it... I guess that's like a mini-bow.

I guess it's situational and I have used all variations in different settings... and, as long as we're getting all _cultural_ here, the casual response in Australia is "no worries" (often followed by 'mate') but their more formal response is also "you're welcome".


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## mudbug (Mar 7, 2006)

Let's not hear anymore of these unless properly applied:

"awesome"
"it's all good"


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## buckytom (Mar 7, 2006)

awesome suggestion mudbug!!!

i understand your gripe, but ya know, in the end (lol, i can't say that without thinking of tg and brokebutt mountain) it's all good!

(running awayyyyyy)


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## mudbug (Mar 7, 2006)

"at the end of the day", bucky, I will find you and hurt you.


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## The Z (Mar 7, 2006)

mudbug said:
			
		

> Let's not hear anymore of these unless properly applied:
> 
> "awesome"
> "it's all good"


 
Let's add "phenomenal" to that list.


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## Andy M. (Mar 7, 2006)

The Z said:
			
		

> Let's add "phenomenal" to that list.


 
How about that Food TV favorite - FANTASTIC


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## jkath (Mar 7, 2006)

pds - I know why they ask that. They have to! Every major retailer is mystery-shopped by a third party company on a regular basis. The shopper has to go down the checklist to make sure the sales associate did everything properly, and made sure the customer was satisfied. Then they report it to their company. Of course the people at the grocery store know you, but for all they know, the nice lady behind you is a mystery shopper, watching their every move. 

As for the "no worries" thing....I bet she started saying it after she saw the movie "50 first dates" it's in there constantly.

I do appreciate the "it's my pleasure" response to "Thank you". It shows class and proper etiquette. Saying "no problem" to me, means, "whether or not you were here, I was gonna do it anyway, so, like, whatever."

My other pet peeve, I truly can't stand when someone refers to their mistake as "my bad".


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## Raven (Mar 7, 2006)

I tend to say "Oh it was no problem at all".  Somehow saying "Your Welcome" feels smug when I say it.

What grates on my nerves worse than ANYTHING is the phrase "DUH!" or "Well DUH!" ESPECIALLY when a child say's it to it's elder.  It just makes me want to introduce that attitude to a belt behind the woodshed 

Running a close race behind "DUH" is:

1. "Whatever"
1. "Talk to the hand"

and where actions are concerned:

1. Adult's who suck a pacifier!


~ Raven ~


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## Corinne (Mar 7, 2006)

Raven said:
			
		

> and where actions are concerned:
> 
> 1. Adult's who suck a pacifier!
> 
> ~ Raven ~



Are you serious?!? Or is "pacifier" a nickname for something else - if so, I didn't get it!


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## Raven (Mar 7, 2006)

Corinne said:
			
		

> Are you serious?!? Or is "pacifier" a nickname for something else - if so, I didn't get it!



No seriously!  There is a "fashion trend" where allegedly grown people carry around a Nuk and you can actually see them walking down the street sucking on it! 

They've even started making pacifiers for adults! 

It's sick!

~ Raven ~


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## LEFSElover (Mar 7, 2006)

Raven said:
			
		

> No seriously! There is a "fashion trend" where allegedly grown people carry around a Nuk and you can actually see them walking down the street sucking on it!
> 
> They've even started making pacifiers for adults!
> 
> ...


 
I can not believe that this topic has arisen.  < Did I make up that word?  Anyway, I have my grandson's pacifier (binky) on my roller board/roll about for traveling.  It's my identifer for when the man in the van takes out all luggage that looks exactly alike all being black.  People ask me if that's on there due to my being afraid of flying.  I say "heck no".  It's there because it brings my grandson  to my mind and I feel his presence.  Honestly though, I should take a pix so you'd all believe me.  His binky hanging from my suitcase.  Very 'not' sheek.


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## Corinne (Mar 7, 2006)

OK - I tried to start this trend about 12 years ago when I bought pacifiers for some of the guys I worked with at a printing plant - they were such whiney babies.  It didn't catch on then. I was before my time!


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## QSis (Mar 7, 2006)

Wow, you guys hit so many of the pet peeves I have and didn't even know I had!  

Thanks  a lot for making me clench my jaws while reading this thread!  

Lee


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## buckytom (Mar 8, 2006)

mudbug said:
			
		

> "at the end of the day", bucky, I will find you and hurt you.


 
whatever 'bug, talk to the hand!!!

corinne, you gave out pacifiers?
fantastic, that's just phenomenal!!!!!!  



(ok, why is there a gang ouside my window with torches and pitchforks?)


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## kimbaby (Mar 8, 2006)

as long aas genuine apperichation is shown I really don't mind the response,myself


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## buckytom (Mar 8, 2006)

just an fyi on "adult" pacifiers: the trend began with drug use, specifically ecstasy. "e" as it's known, dries out your mouth so you'll often see people drinking a lot of water, and sucking on pacifiers to help combat the cotton mouth.

i like lefse's reason much better. i keep one of my son's binkies clipped to my visor in my truck to remind me not to run poor driving tourists off the roads on my way to and from work in the city.


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## Raven (Mar 8, 2006)

Now a binky hanging off of your luggage or rear-view mirror says to me you have a baby in the house and my brain goes "aww", but what drives me crazy are the adults that actually walk around sucking on them "ewww"

Bucky thanks for the info on how that got started.  I never knew that.

Another thing that drives me crazy are eyebrow rings AAARRGGHH!!  I just want to yank it off and scream "Give me that you freak".  Oh I hate those things.  Those and Tongue Studs. ICK!

I told my daughter she could get her ears pierced and/or her belly-button but nothing else. We reached a compromise on the points that 1. any piercing had to be able to be covered for work, church or formal occasions and 2. would not compromise the structural integrity of a condom.

~ Raven ~


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## middie (Mar 8, 2006)

I'd rather get a "no problem" than no reponse at all


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## Erik (Mar 8, 2006)

mudbug said:
			
		

> Let's not hear anymore of these unless properly applied:
> 
> "awesome"
> "it's all good"


I get sick of "it's all good", hear it from the teenagers around town, all the time.


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## phinz (Mar 8, 2006)

One of my biggest pet peeves is most definitely the misuse of apostrophes. I had a very in-depth discussion with a friend of mine about this. I was making a vinyl decal for their mailbox (don't get me started on the misuse of there, they're and their) that said "The Andersons." She wanted me to add an apostrophe so that it said "The Anderson's." 

I refused. I told her that by using the apostrophe in that way she was making it a singular possessive when she was intending to say "The Andersons live here." I told her that if I did *anything* with an apostrophe it would read "The Andersons'" because there were *two* of them living there, so it would be a little more correct to use a plural possessive placement of the apostrophe.

I won in the end, but their email header *still* says "The Anderson's" when it arrives. 

VH1 uses "The Big 80's" in their advertisements. Arrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhh!!! It's '80s, not 80's. It's not possessive. It's a *contraction* people! You are removing the "19" from "1980s" and therefore use the apostrophe to indicate the contraction.  

Yeah. I'm a little retentive at times. Sue me. It's the journalism degree in me.


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## jkath (Mar 8, 2006)

Phinz, that is by far my biggest pet peeve in the universe. I am the "apostrophe police" around everyone I know. They make fun of me, but it drives me nuts! I've seen words PRINTED on signs at the grocery store (not just handwritten), such as "Bartlett Pear's" and "Tri Tip Roast's".  It makes me want to run out screaming and waving my arms. I bet I see a misuse of the little apostrophe at least a couple of times a day. I could say it's my OCD that makes me crazy about this, but it's the just plain lack of proper word usage.


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## LEFSElover (Mar 8, 2006)

buckytom said:
			
		

> awesome suggestion mudbug!!!
> 
> i understand your gripe, but ya know, in the end (lol, i can't say that without thinking of tg and *brokebutt* mountain) it's all good!
> 
> (running awayyyyyy)


 
I told my DH of this comment yesterday and he laughed. He/we won't see it (the flick) but he refers to it in a similar style, he calls it Pokeback Mountain....He isn't very nice
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have a confession to make and it's healing I hear to do that. I have 3 binkies in my kitchen on my cookbook bookshelf, as well as 1 bink in my glove box and 1 on my dashboard. I also carry 1 in my suitcase. Okay, I feel better now. They're his (to the left in the pix).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh gad about the apostrophe. That is a hoot! And about the use of the AR, the last part 'R' meant retentive but didn't want to put what the 'A' stood for, now you probably all know. hahah
I wrote an 8 page letter to Bloomingdorks about a problem I had with them in November last year. I sent it, as per a request, by a law student. She was at the event that I wrote about so she wanted to read it < my complaint. She dissected it and wrote back to me with all the corrections included. One thing she mentioned was, "Oh my, you DO _love_ commas don't you?" I now call her the comma police. hahha
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And the there, their, they're thing. Oh my.  My DH, the Rocket Doctor,  even makes mistakes with that. How can such a brainiac be so oopsie on the their, there, they're PLUS your/you're? 

I now have to rest..............


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## The Z (Mar 8, 2006)

I love the English language.  When used correctly it is akin to art, poetry and music.  While my use of punctuation may not be exemplary, I do try - and I truly enjoy reading things that are gramatically correct and easy to follow.  I know a very bright man who, whenever he writes something, likes to demonstrate his expansive vocabulary.  But he doesn't consider his audience and he doesn't organize his thoughts in a logical sequence, which turns his attempts at brilliance into plodding intellectual exercises.  Often, simpler or clearer words could be chosen.  And often, he uses the wrong word thinking (apparently) that it is right!  Now THAT is a pet peeve of mine... people who SOUND brilliant but, when you think about what they're saying, it's just nonsense.


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## buckytom (Mar 8, 2006)

lol lefse, i saw a great comic yesterday that showed 2 cowboys sitting around a fire, one is doing the  eyes, and the other retorts "NO!! i haven't seen the movie!"


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## LEFSElover (Mar 8, 2006)

The Z said:
			
		

> I love the English language. When used correctly it is akin to art, poetry and music. While my use of punctuation may not be exemplary, I do try - and I truly enjoy reading things that are gramatically correct and easy to follow. I know a very bright man who, whenever he writes something, likes to demonstrate his expansive vocabulary. But he doesn't consider his audience and he doesn't organize his thoughts in a logical sequence, which turns his attempts at brilliance into plodding intellectual exercises. Often, simpler or clearer words could be chosen. And often, he uses the wrong word thinking (apparently) that it is right! Now THAT is a pet peeve of mine... people who SOUND brilliant but, when you think about what they're saying, it's just nonsense.


~~~~~~~~~~~~
You just reminded me of my waaaay too many word usage.  My favorite customer was a man who was 60+++.  He was the only Pyschiatrist in our town which had many shrinks, therapists, etc.  Anyway, I was cutting his hair one day and we were gabbing as usual.  He stopped for a moment, looked at me and said, "You speak like no one else (the way you form your sentences and put your words together), very interesting."  I think it was his sweet way of a cut.


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## buckytom (Mar 8, 2006)

The Z said:
			
		

> I love the English language. When used correctly it is akin to art, poetry and music. quote]
> 
> lol, akin?  not to pick but poetry would suck without words.


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## The Z (Mar 8, 2006)

pick pick pick

I was comparing the written word to other forms.  I guess I could have been clearer in my use of the language - LOL.  In this case I was thinking about oratory poetry.  

Well picked.


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## Run_Out (Mar 8, 2006)

When I visit my wifes family I usually shop at the local United food store. My wifes parents live in Lubbock, I live in the Dallas area. The staff at United will not let you take your groceries to your vehicle. I have tried to just take the shoping cart out the door to the parking lot but one of the employees will follow me and take the cart back. I guess I am complaing about good service but that never happens when I am home. 

Later


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## Andy M. (Mar 8, 2006)

buckytom said:
			
		

> The Z said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## buckytom (Mar 8, 2006)

what about mixing mataphors andy? grammar police/iceberg tips?  

(i'd better go hide today)  

if it helps, i tried to give you and z karma, but it tells me to go away...

i often get my grammar and punctuation wrong by mistake or ignorance, but sometimes i knowingly use apostrophes (i always read that word like w.c fields) to help convey my message better. sometimes it just makes more sense or looks better, incorrect as it is. remember, being right and being righteous are 2 different things. the whole idea is to convey the message to the listener/reader.


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## pdswife (Mar 8, 2006)

Do any of you write poetry?


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## buckytom (Mar 8, 2006)

there once was a woman named pdswife,
that loved her paul with every inch of her life,
a great couple the made,
and without any aide,
sliced their wedding cake up with a knife!
(sorry, couldn't think of another "ife" word)


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## The Z (Mar 8, 2006)

buckytom said:
			
		

> if it helps, i tried to give you and z karma, but it tells me to go away...


 
Karma?  I don't need your steeeking karma... LOL

Actually, though, I think the rules make you spread karma around too much.  Maybe it should be to *5* others instead of 10.  C'mon.  Who's with me?!?

Z


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## pdswife (Mar 8, 2006)

Ya got my vote!


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## The Z (Mar 8, 2006)

buck-E-tom picked on my post
he wants to be laughed at the most
the center of attention
deserves praise and mention
and karma to go with his... umm... toast?


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## pdswife (Mar 8, 2006)

lol... ok Z.  You get the karma points and a hug for the laughter that you just added to my morning.


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## buckytom (Mar 8, 2006)

ahem, laughed *with, *laughed* with.*

aww, i'm getting laughed *at* the most... 

lol, good one z.

i agree as well, 5 people sounds good.


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## phinz (Mar 8, 2006)

pdswife said:
			
		

> Do any of you write poetry?


 
I don't write as often as I used to, but every once in a while I get the urge. I composed a poem for mizzphinz the other day and wrote it down in a card that I left on the seat of her car. She loved it.


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## mish (Mar 8, 2006)

Slaughter of the english language, i.e. mispronouncing 'often', as of*T*en, emphasis on the 'T'. Seems this is now acceptable. All's I want...makes me cringe. When someone says I should have went, rather than I should have gone. Misuse of theirs, there's, yours, etc. I wonder what went wrong in the school system.


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## GB (Mar 8, 2006)

mish said:
			
		

> mispronouncing 'often', as of*T*en, emphasis on the 'T'.


It was my understanding (and very possibly my incorrect understanding) that this is the British way of pronouncing it.


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## The Z (Mar 8, 2006)

phinz said:
			
		

> I don't write as often as I used to, but every once in a while I get the urge. I composed a poem for mizzphinz the other day and wrote it down in a card that I left on the seat of her car. She loved it.


 
What a romantic.  (I'm guessing it wasn't a limerick).

Thanks for the idea.


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## buckytom (Mar 8, 2006)

hey ya never know. she could be from nantucket, or have a leaky bucket that needed phinz's attention.

i never wrote poetry (or we'd already be divorced) for dw, but whenever she went on a trip, i would write little love messages and hide them in her luggage, like onder the cap of her deodorant, or in a jar of skin cream, or in her purse, so she would find them at different times of the day. i even drew a little red heart in the surface of a new jar of cold cream with food coloring.


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## phinz (Mar 8, 2006)

buckytom said:
			
		

> hey ya never know. she could be from nantucket, or have a leaky bucket that needed phinz's attention.


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## The Z (Mar 8, 2006)

buckytom said:
			
		

> hey ya never know. she could be from nantucket, or have a leaky bucket that needed phinz's attention.


 
LOL - You're right.  I guess I shouldn't assume anything.


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## phinz (Mar 8, 2006)

You guys make me laugh
chortle, giggle, guffaw and
spit coke on my screen


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## The Z (Mar 8, 2006)

Nice... Haiku.


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## pdswife (Mar 8, 2006)

buckytom said:
			
		

> hey ya never know. she could be from nantucket, or have a leaky bucket that needed phinz's attention.
> 
> i never wrote poetry (or we'd already be divorced) for dw, but whenever she went on a trip, i would write little love messages and hide them in her luggage, like onder the cap of her deodorant, or in a jar of skin cream, or in her purse, so she would find them at different times of the day. i even drew a little red heart in the surface of a new jar of cold cream with food coloring.




Very sweet!!!
I'm sure she loved that.


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## mish (Mar 8, 2006)

GB said:
			
		

> It was my understanding (and very possibly my incorrect understanding) that this is the British way of pronouncing it.


 
All's I want is, to here it pronounsed corectly in the usa, as it was taut in skool in the usa. OFTen drives me nuts.


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## phinz (Mar 8, 2006)

When we were preparing to open our now-defunct bookstore (sold so we could move to Floriduh. We don't live in Floriduh anymore, and we don't have a bookstore anymore either.  ) I managed to sneak into mizzphinz' luggage before she left for training in Ft. Liquordale and put in several notes. I love your ideas though, Bucky. 

I'm known for my diecast cars and mizzphinz has a collection of stuffed animals. We buy stuffed animals from different places that have meaning to us. Our big trip to NYC saw us returning with a stuffed cow by Manhattan Toys, which we proceeded to name Nyc (pronounced Nick). He has a special meaning to us for several reasons, so I stuffed him in her bags as well as a couple of my toy cars. She never knew until she got to Ft. Liquordale.

We don't much like being separated from each other.


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## pdswife (Mar 8, 2006)

That is wonderful Phinz!!!

I love it when you guys do romantic things!


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## LEFSElover (Mar 8, 2006)

Oh and I forgot about the following mis-somethings...........
"All of 'the' sudden"............instead of all of 'a' sudden.............
and this one really gets me, 'suppose''b''ly.........


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## GB (Mar 8, 2006)

This is the one that gets me...Anyways instead of anyway. Another one is irregardless instead of regardless.


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## The Z (Mar 8, 2006)

LEFSElover said:
			
		

> suppose''b''ly.........


 
That's similar to Mr Bush's favorite word:  _nuk*u*lar _(I wonder if he's have pasketti for dinner and giving his wife some jewlary)


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## wasabi (Mar 8, 2006)

*I need to rant so here goes. My latest pet peeve. I bought a dvd burner and I'm getting ready to set it up............Where is the user manual? Do they give you a book?......NO! It's on the cd to read on your computer. Yes, you can print the book out but 25 pages? I don't think so. My iPod......no manual. I went to the book store to buy an iPod guide. Sheeesh! Just put a manual in the box, why don't you? Spend that extra 15 cents for you customer.*


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## corazon (Mar 8, 2006)

The Z said:
			
		

> That's similar to Mr Bush's favorite word: _nuk*u*lar _(I wonder if he's have pasketti for dinner and giving his wife some jewlary)


  lol Z!


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## corazon (Mar 8, 2006)

jkath said:
			
		

> It makes me want to run out screaming and waving my arms.


I can't stop laughing, imagining you do this.  I can picture it so clearly in my mind! 

I don't really pay attention to the responses I get from saying Thank You.  What really drives me up the wall is when someone doesn't say thank you to me!  I have a 2 year old by the hand and and infant in my other arm but I wait and hold the door for person coming in.  They are about 10 feet away but I smile and wait, they walk through without saying anything or even returning my smile.  It's as if they are too good for me and expect that kind of service all the time.  Makes me want to wait until they come back out and close the door in their face.


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## licia (Mar 8, 2006)

Bush wasn't the first president to mispronounce nuclear - check out Carter's pronunciation of that word - he was called on it quite often.


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## jkath (Mar 8, 2006)

mish said:
			
		

> Slaughter of the english language, i.e. mispronouncing 'often', as of*T*en, emphasis on the 'T'. Seems this is now acceptable. All's I want...makes me cringe. When someone says I should have went, rather than I should have gone. Misuse of theirs, there's, yours, etc. I wonder what went wrong in the school system.


 
I am known for applauding the schools as often as I can.
Many of my dear friends are teachers, who work through weekends and summers, just to make a difference in a child's life.
I have seen kindergarteners show up for school, never having held a pencil, and having no idea what the alphabet is. I chalk that up to neglectful parenting.
I don't think it's the school system that teaches poor grammar. 
Rather, it's the improper use of the language in the individual's home environment.

Also, I am enjoying the poetry out there! Please, phinz, Buckytom, Z and Lefse, post more!

Oh...and I was going to do a limerick for Tom, but realized I just shouldn't be rhyming "bucky".


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## The Z (Mar 8, 2006)

corazon90 said:
			
		

> Makes me want to wait until they come back out and close the door in their face.


 
Make sure when you do that you say "you're welcome"


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## corazon (Mar 8, 2006)

The Z said:
			
		

> Make sure when you do that you say "you're welcome"


maybe I'll say "no problem"


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## buckytom (Mar 8, 2006)

most peoples language, for better or worse doesn't bother me. i'm just happy to have someone want to have a friendly or even hotly debated conversation with me. on my planet, everyone is so quiet and think they know everything.


however, one that bothers me is the over and incorrect use of the verb to be, such as "this is where i grew up at." 

"is" is good enough, you don't need the final "at".


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## jkath (Mar 8, 2006)

buckytom said:
			
		

> ...on my planet, everyone is so quiet and thinks they know everything.


 
and it certainly annoys those of us who really do!


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## phinz (Mar 8, 2006)

No poetry, but here's a funny story I wrote about my misadventures. Some backstory: My daily driver is a Scion xB, and I have a Miata for fun. Mizzphinz drives a Honda Pilot. 

Anyway, here's the story. I wrote this and distributed it all over. My wife wound up sending it to all her friends and family. 

**********************
One afternoon on a really lazy Saturday about a month ago my wife decided she wanted to drive the Box to run her errands. I was at home doing my usual nothing, still in my pajamas, so I tossed her the keys and said, "Have fun!" 

She goes out to the car, gets situated and drives off. I had no sooner sat back down at the upstairs computer when I got a frantic call from her. 
"I'm in the driveway. Your car started making this beeping sound which got faster and faster!" 

She's thinking she blew something up, or was driving with the parking brake on (her Pilot beeps if you leave the brake on while driving) but she can't figure out where the sound is coming from. "It sounded like it was coming from the dashboard." 

I put a jacket on and go out to the car. It's *freezing* outside, so I really don't want to spend much time out there. 

"Let me drive the beeping car around the block and see if I can get it to beep again." Off I go in my flannel pajama pants, slippers, Manchurian Candidate sweatshirt and leather bomber jacket, down the road in my BCP Box, trying my ****edest to get the thing to beep at me. 

No dice. I pitch the car through turns with gusto. I pull the parking brake one notch and accelerate. I brake hard. I do anything I can think of to try and upset the balance of the car, but there's no beeping. I crank the stereo up, but doubt that will do anything other than make my ears bleed. 

Nothing. No beeps. 

By the time I get back, shaking my head to the negative, she's standing in the garage with a dumbfounded look on her face. I root around in the glovebox, get the owner's manual out, start reading it and roll down the window to talk to her. Did I mention it was freezing out? 

"What were you doing when the beeping happened?" 

"Driving." 

"No crap? Duh. OK. Did you have the brake on?" 

"Not that I know of. The beeping brake light wasn't on." 

I go through all the things I can think of with her. She's dancing in the cold and finally says, "Can I get in the beeping car? It's beeping freezing out here." 

"Sure." 

We talk about it. The car doesn't beep any more while I'm sitting out there. I go inside and she leaves to run her errands. She has no beeping problems the rest of the day. I have no issues with the beeping car when I make my daily drive to and from work. 

Fast forward a couple of weeks or so. I'm on the way home from running out to work on a Sunday. It's about 3ish in the afternoon, and I'm toodling through the construction zone on the interstate near my house when this beeping starts. It starts out slow, but then gets beeping insistent. I'm trying to locate the source of the sound. The beep is starting to sound like the countdown to a bomb going off. 

Picture this balding, slightly overweight, middle-aged, bearded white guy desperately trying to maintain speed on the interstate in a busy construction zone while trying frantically to locate the source of a beeping sound in the dashboard area. I'm doing everything but unbuckling and climbing into the passenger seat. 

Opening the glovebox. Opening the box under the radio. It sounds like it's coming from the middle of the dash, or somewhere under the dash. I can't pull off of the road because there's no shoulder. All the while the beeping is getting faster and faster. I'm afraid the next thing I'll hear is, "This Scion will self-destruct in 5 seconds." 

I'm desperately trying to get to an exit so that I can stop the car and figure out the beeping problem. 

Then the beeping stops. It doesn't slow down. It just *stops.* Nothing. No hint of sound. Nada. By this time I'm at my exit, so I head on home in a hurry. 

As I'm driving up the hill that separates my road from the main highway it dawns on me. I know what it is, and boy don't I feel like a beeping idiot. I get home, unlock all the doors and open the passenger side door. I look around in the floorboard and glove box. Then I reach under the seat. 

My beepin' alarm clock from work is under the seat. I had put it in the Box so that I could take it home and put some pictures in its frames. It had been going off every day at 3:16, but I'm rarely in the car at that time. 

Moral of the story? There isn't one. I'm just a beeping idiot.


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## corazon (Mar 8, 2006)

my new mexican faves-
"welcome to taco bell, malp you?"
and "don't you want a gum?"

As much fun as this is, and as much laughing I'm doing I gotta go for now. Need to take my kids on a drive to get them to fall asleep fast and I can have some peace. I'll's check's back's in a little bit!

Thanks for making my day, everyone!


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## LEFSElover (Mar 8, 2006)

Also, I am enjoying the poetry out there! Please, phinz, Buckytom, Z and Lefse, post more!

Oh...and I was going to do a limerick for Tom, but realized I just shouldn't be rhyming "bucky".[/quote]
Oh no please, no rhyming with that. I remember the Name Game song, no mention of Chuck anywhere! 


			
				corazon90 said:
			
		

> my new mexican faves-
> "welcome to taco bell, malp you?"
> and "don't you want a gum?"
> 
> There's something about Texas in that people there on the phone say, "Hode on" Or, "I tode you already". What 'is' hode or tode?


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## jkath (Mar 8, 2006)

Great story phinz! Sounds like something from a Steve Martin movie.


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## Corinne (Mar 8, 2006)

buckytom said:
			
		

> corinne, you gave out pacifiers?
> fantastic, that's just phenomenal!!!!!!
> QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## Jikoni (Mar 9, 2006)

pdswife said:
			
		

> Do any of you write poetry?


I do write poetry. I love it. One of my pet peeves is name calling. I just hate it when I have a disagreement with someone and they call me(or other people) names instead of understanding that we are all different and just because other people disagree with them doesn't make them bad people. why can't people just disagree fairly instead of calling others names.


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## letscook (Mar 9, 2006)

My biggest are the kids now days.
1-  They dress like slobs or half dressed with undies showing, clothings that are huge on them and hanging down to their knees but their undies hanging out at the top. 
All the piercings and tatoos on young ones.
Im not againest piering and tatoos -I never have one, and yes i do have my ear pierce one each.  but they are getting younger doing it.  Later in life when they grow up and decide how stupid that was they can't do anything with it. Without a large process and money
2- They are the Instant Gradification Generation.
Meaning they don't care if they can't afford it - they want it-  they don't have any idea to save for what they want.  I remember saving for something and the gradfication i got when i went to buy it. I not that old either.
A friend of ours, son won't drive a used vehicle, can't be seen it by the chicks, he wants a 40,000 truck he's working in a mall for 8.00 an hour.  Asked how you going to pay for it he said i don't care i want it.
They have no money in the bank. or even look to the future. they live day to day.
That is a scarey thought when they are our future.
Yes I have a Child - She use to be good about saving and planning things, She was taught to work for things and hard work pays off,  We weren't real strick either, we just showed how to do it.  When she moved out on her own she was doing great then I don't know what happened.  She is now again realizing her errors .
What a question to ask better quit here I could go on .


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## QSis (Mar 9, 2006)

Excellent story, phinz!  I'm really enjoying this whole thread!

Corazon, I get "malp you?" (that's beautiful, lol!), but I can't figure you "don't you want a gum?"  

Lee


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## corazon (Mar 9, 2006)

QSis said:
			
		

> Excellent story, phinz! I'm really enjoying this whole thread!
> 
> Corazon, I get "malp you?" (that's beautiful, lol!), but I can't figure you "don't you want a gum?"
> 
> Lee


"Would you like a piece of gum?" = "Don't you want a gum?"


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## kadesma (Mar 9, 2006)

Jikoni said:
			
		

> I do write poetry. I love it. One of my pet peeves is name calling. I just hate it when I have a disagreement with someone and they call me(or other people) names instead of understanding that we are all different and just because other people disagree with them doesn't make them bad people. why can't people just disagree fairly instead of calling others names.


Jikoni,
maybe they call names because they don't have the smarts to state their view..It's easier to unload mean names than use the old noggin..I almost pity the poor things..But I have found that walking away from them usually puts a damper on all the fun they are having...

kadesma


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## LEFSElover (Mar 11, 2006)

*BuckyTom*

.......PM me if you can.  it's 9:30pm Saturday night. In NYC.....


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