I try not to have pet peeves, because a person who is peeved about things is not pleasant to be around. Lighten up, people! The little quirks of life are no big deal.
But there are things that I find odd, or curious.
For example, why does someone send an email asking what such and so is, when they could get the answer from a search engine in as much time as it takes to send the email? It doesn’t bother me (or if it does, I need to get over myself), but I find it odd.
Why do people have a difficult time with that and which, affect and effect, assure, insure and ensure? It only takes a minute to get it right, but people can go on struggling for years.
What would you call this sort of thing? I reject “pet peeve,” because being peeved should be reserved for things that matter. There should be a word or phrase that functions like “pet peeve,” but simply expresses that you find it odd.
How about…aberrant, eccentric, anomalous or flaky? Yet, if all else fails…whack-a-doodle.
Those are good words, but I was looking for something that would function in a sentence the same way pet peeve does.
Whack-a-doodle could definitely work in a sentence. For instance… what a totally whack-a-doodle notion to believe Disney is somehow being disrespectful to women by creating a ride that illustrates Snow White receiving a kiss from Prince Charming without first giving consent.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/america/theme-parks/2021/05/05/disneyland-snow-white-ride-backlash-prince-charming-kiss-without-consent/4962154001/
Whack-a-doodle is a good phrase, but it’s an adjective while pet peeve is a noun.
Moreover, the person who is allegedly a whack-a-doodle causes another to have a peeve. The whack-a-doodle would thus be the peever, not the peeved. (Please note: “peeve” can also be a verb.) But I wouldn’t call an impulsve salter a whack-a-doodle. More likely just an unreflective creature of habit (as we all are in various respectives) or possibly just a lover of salt. A person who emails to get information that she could easily look up could be trying to stay in touch with the emailed individual.
Some people start salting their food before they taste it. How do they know that it isn’t salty enough? That has often slightly irritated me. I have never even mentioned it before. The irritation has never risen to a level that would merit the label “pet peeve.”
My mother was very upset at my father when she cooked fried chicken for him and he put salt on it before tasting it.
I feel her pain.