We all have them – those little things that just get under our skin, the habits or quirks of others that we find disproportionately irritating. These are what we call pet peeves. But what’s a pet peeve exactly? Simply put, a pet peeve is a minor annoyance that someone finds particularly irritating, often more so than others might. It’s not a major source of anger or frustration, but rather a persistent itch that you just can’t scratch, a small thing that consistently bothers you.
punctuation pet peeve
Pet peeves can range from the way someone chews their food to a specific grammatical error. Interestingly, even those who are experts in a field can have pet peeves related to their area of expertise. Take punctuation, for example. As explored in a recent discussion among communications professionals, even something as seemingly minor as punctuation can be a major source of irritation for some.
One writer confessed to an addiction to ellipses, admitting to overusing and often incorrectly using this punctuation mark. While they recognized their error, they confessed to not being ashamed, especially when it came to informal digital communication. This lighthearted confession opened the door to a broader conversation: what punctuation habits drive other people nuts?
The responses were varied and insightful. One person’s pet peeve was punctuation inside the closing quotation mark, arguing for the placement of commas and periods outside of the quotes. Another declared themselves firmly on “#TeamOxfordComma”, highlighting the importance of this often debated punctuation mark. Unnecessary apostrophes, like those seen in “apple’s for sale”, were another source of annoyance.
The overuse of exclamation marks also came up as a significant pet peeve. The sentiment was that strong writing should speak for itself, without needing the added emphasis of multiple exclamation points. Inconsistency in style, such as randomly capitalizing words or mixing headline styles, was also mentioned as particularly jarring. For some, even the seemingly innocuous ellipsis could become irritating when overused at the end of every sentence, creating a sense of incompleteness and confusion.
Even receiving well-intentioned but incorrect punctuation advice can be a pet peeve for some, highlighting the subjective and often personal nature of these minor irritations. On the other hand, the absence of punctuation in text messages was a pet peeve for someone who pointed out that dictation software now easily recognizes punctuation, making its omission seem unnecessary and lazy.
So, what’s a pet peeve in the grand scheme of things? It’s a small thing, but it’s your small thing. It’s the tiny detail that, for whatever reason, grates on your nerves. Acknowledging our pet peeves, and even sharing them, can be a fun way to connect with others and realize that we’re not alone in our quirky irritations. What are your pet peeves?
