This pet peeve list
is to help writers with character development. Every good character needs a quirk or two, and a pet peeve can be a great (and sometimes funny) one! We can learn a lot about a character from what gets on their nerves.
Pet Peeve Definition
A “peeve” is an annoyance or aggravation. A “pet peeve” means something that a person finds especially annoying. It’s usually something that they’re more bothered about than the average person.
I’m including some of the biggest pet peeves (in other words, some of the most common pet peeves…)
But I’m also including some odd ones, too! Many of these are things that annoy a lot of people…but might drive a few people in particular nuts. And some of them are things that don’t seem reasonable to me! I got ideas for these from strangers’ tweets and online conversations.
THE PET PEEVE LIST
1
slow walkers
2
slow drivers, especially in the passing lane
3
drivers who don’t use turn signals
4
double-parked cars
5
gum chewing
6
any loud chewing
7
loud laughing
8
murmuring rather than talking at a regular volume
9
strangers striking up conversations
10
strangers making any kind of physical contact—a tap on the shoulder, for instance
11
strangers addressing one with familiar terms such as “hon,” “sweetheart,” or “buddy”
12
couples calling one another cutesy names
13
adults calling their parents “Mommy” and “Daddy”
14
adults being fans of something “childish,” like Disney World or Legos
15
invasions of personal space—people standing or sitting too close
16
someone not saying “bless you” after one sneezes
17
waiting after showing up on time for a medical appointment or a dinner reservation
18
people arriving late
19
requests to donate money
20
requests to tip for services that don’t traditionally involve tipping
21
movie and TV spoilers
22
talking during movies
23
being interrupted mid-sentence
24
not responding to texts
25
texts that begin with one’s name
26
getting voicemails instead of texts
27
getting texts or emails in the middle of the night
28
historical inaccuracies in books, TV, and movies
29
the sharing of false information masquerading as fact
30
dirty dishes left in the sink overnight
31
having one’s name misspelled, especially in an email when it’s right there
32
the tapping of a foot or a pencil
33
knuckle cracking
34
not putting phones away during a meal
35
talking on the phone in public
36
one-upping other people’s stories
37
name dropping
38
unsolicited advice
39
discussions about diets
40
people who won’t shut up about their hobbies
41
people who won’t shut up about politics
42
the use of slang
43
airline passengers who recline their seats all the way back
44
applause at the end of a flight or at the end of a movie
45
women wearing a lot of makeup
46
sandals and open-toed shoes worn in public
47
shoes worn inside the house
48
leaving socks and underwear on the floor
49
pet hair on a friends’ sofa or car seat
50
crumbs spills, or pet hair in one’s own car
51
cars with lots of bumper stickers, regardless of what they say
52
belief in and discussion of astrology
53
grammatical and spelling errors
54
cheeriness and positivity
55
pessimism and whining
56
having no choice but to use a self-checkout lane
57
wasting food
58
lying about trivial things—to look better or to sugarcoat the truth
59
people saying “let’s do lunch sometime” when they have no intention of ever making plans
60
people who cancel plans at the last minute
61
signs or pictures that aren’t hung completely straight
62
being asked, “Are you okay?” when everything is fine
63
being told, “You look tired,” whether or not one is tired
64
people who impede one from getting off the elevator by getting on
65
people who don’t return their shopping carts to the proper place
66
cabinet doors or dresser drawers left open
67
obligatory gift-giving
68
being given unnecessary directions
69
forgetting why you walked into a room
70
forgetting what you went to the store to buy
71
very flimsy toilet paper in a public restroom
72
a roommate or family member who never replaces empty rolls of toilet paper or paper towels
73
long hair getting stuck on one’s lip gloss
74
fluorescent lights that buzz
75
two songs playing at the same time—or music and a TV show playing at the same time
Do you have other pet peeve examples you want to share?
I think it’s fun to think about “pet likes,” too—little things that make your characters unusually happy! It’s fun to think about your own, too. I hope your week is fun and pet peeve-free! Thanks for reading!
