Pet Peeves: Aka Things That Make You Go "Gah!"

[Ohiopirate02]

13 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Shrinkflation, indeed. I'd been to 3 supermarkets nearby + Walmart, trying to find kitchen sponges (4 in a package). All they had were the sponges with the green bottoms (for scrubbing). Today I went to the last supermarket in my area and found a package of 4 sponges. When I got home and took one out, I saw that the sponges were thin. It was as if they'd sliced regular sponges in half horizontally. Will try Target & Costco next. Sheesh 🤬

I buy all of my sponges from Dollar Tree or Dollar General. I find that their business models have certain categories where they do not skimp to save a buck and things like sponges fall into those categories. It's like their research shows low income people are willing to make some tradeoffs when it comes to affording common items and crappy sponges is one step too far for them.

[Mindthinkr]

25 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I buy all of my sponges from Dollar Tree

Same. I get a 6 pack of thick ones (with the green scrubby side) for $1:25. There wear well and I don’t get upset if I have to throw one away after doing a dirty job. 

Edited Tuesday at 03:14 PM by Mindthinkr
Autocorrect changed wear to water. I have no clue as to why it came to that conclusion.

[annzeepark914]

13 hours ago, Yeah No said:

It used to be a big pet peeve of people in my age bracket when our parents would tell us as kids to "think of all the children starving in Africa" every time we didn't finish the food on our plates. Honestly when my friends and I get together and talk about the stuff our parents used to tell us it almost feels like we all had the same parents, LOL.

Actually though, my parents never did say that particular phrase to me, not seriously anyway. They used to kid me around with it because it was a known expression, like the one about how they had to "walk to school uphill both ways in the snow", LOL. But they could also say a lot of things other parents would say to their kids and not be joking about it.

At our house it was "Think of all the starving children in Korea". We had to eat what was served--no offers of a PB&J sandwich 😸. I think that started with the next generation (post '64). My mom wasn't exaggerating re: long treks to school in the North Bronx back in the 20's & 30's. We also had long treks, living an hour north of the city. But all those challenges built character...or so they said.

[StatisticalOutlier]

4 hours ago, Yeah No said:

large parts of the US and Canada call it that or "Coke"

Yeah, in my neck of the woods, you'd hear this:

"Do you want a Coke?"

"Okay."

"What kind?"

"Dr Pepper."

[Quof]

I've lived in many parts of Canada.  I've never heard a Canadian say "Coke" to describe anything other than Coca-Cola.

[Salacious Kitty]

1 hour ago, Quof said:

I've lived in many parts of Canada.  I've never heard a Canadian say "Coke" to describe anything other than Coca-Cola.

I think Coke is more of a Southern US thing. 

[annzeepark914]

36 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

I think Coke is more of a Southern US thing. 

When I first moved to Raleigh, I asked where the soda machine was. A southern woman I worked with said, "We call it the Coke machine". Even though the machine held a variety of soft drinks, they still called it a Coke machine. Then I began to hear southerners (with heavy drawls) talk about having a "Co-cola".  I just loved that. One of my aunts, originally  from Virginia, would ask us if we'd like a glass of ging-ale. A southern friend told me that when her mom attended Duke, her mom talked about going with her friends to the "cocaine store". That meant they were getting Coca-colas (which she said had a bit of cocaine in it back then). Really? Can this be true?

Edited Tuesday at 10:58 PM by annzeepark914

[PRgal]

1 hour ago, annzeepark914 said:

When I first moved to Raleigh, I asked where the soda machine was. A southern woman I worked with said, "We call it the Coke machine". Even though the machine held a variety of soft drinks, they still called it a Coke machine. Then I began to hear southerners (with heavy drawls) talk about having a "Co-cola".  I just loved that. One of my aunts, originally  from Virginia, would ask us if we'd like a glass of ging-ale. A southern friend told me that when her mom attended Duke, her mom talked about going with her friends to the "cocaine store". That meant they were getting Coca-colas (which she said had a bit of cocaine in it back then). Really? Can this be true?

It's a Coke machine it only has products made by Coca-Cola and the machine is basically a big Coke sign.  

[ebk57]

2 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

That meant they were getting Coca-colas (which she said had a bit of cocaine in it back then). Really? Can this be true?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola

Quote

When launched, Coca-Cola's two key ingredients were cocaine and caffeine. The cocaine was derived from the coca leaf and the caffeine from kola nut (also spelled "cola nut" at the time), leading to the name Coca-Cola.[77][78]

Hell of a recipe... 

[Bastet]

6 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

That meant they were getting Coca-colas (which she said had a bit of cocaine in it back then). Really? Can this be true?

Way back in the 1800s, yes, otherwise, no.  Here's an article that gives an overview.

4 hours ago, PRgal said:

It's a Coke machine it only has products made by Coca-Cola and the machine is basically a big Coke sign.  

Sure, in numerous places you can find a Coke machine that only dispenses Coca-Cola products (just as you can find Pepsi machine only dispensing Pepsi-Co products).  But the discussion refers to all the places in the southern U.S. where "Coke" is used as generically as "soda" or "pop" or similar are used elsewhere to refer to soft drinks in general, regardless of brand.  @StatisticalOutlierillustrated this well with the Dr. Pepper example.

[Browncoat]

Yep, where I live, all soda machines are Coke machines.  My workplace has a contract with Pepsi, so we don't even have Coke products, but they're still Coke machines.  But I call it soda.  And I may or may not have ever said "co-cola" at some point in my life.

[meep.meep]

One thing I've never understood about people calling all soft drinks "Coke" is that both Coke and Pepsi are rabid enforcers of their trademarks.  I had friends who owned a pizza parlor that served Pepsi, and Coke sent in someone who ordered a "Coke" and because they didnt' say "No, it's Pepsi" they got sued.

Like the old Saturday Night Live restaurant sketch:  "No Coke, Pepsi!"

[Anela]

I still need to get new bluetooth headphones that connect to my computer (and ones with a longer wire, to plug into it), because mine crapped out just before Christmas. My battery-powered, wireless headphones that connect to our old TV, just gave out on me, too. They were $90, five years ago. 

I'm using cheap wireless ear buds, but they hurt my ears. 

Edited Wednesday at 11:42 PM by Anela

[Mondrianyone]

4 hours ago, Anela said:

I still need to get new bluetooth headphones that connect to my computer (and ones with a longer wire, to plug into it)

I'm confused. If they're Bluetooth, why do they need to be plugged in? The whole point of Bluetooth is that it's a wireless technology. I have (cheap--I've never paid more than $15 tops on eBay) Bluetooth headphones that I use to watch TV when my husband's sleeping. I also use them with my laptop occasionally. Maybe I'm misunderstanding?

[oliviabenson]

why do the small appliances cords so short? I have to use an extension cord with everything! 

[ginger90]

21 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

why do the small appliances cords so short? I have to use an extension cord with everything! 

Make sure you are using an extension cord rated for appliance use.

[fairffaxx]

I was told that appliance manufacturers make the attached cords short so that they won't trail all over the counter/floor & cause accidents.

So everyone has to add extension cords, which are often/usually longer than needed for the appliance in question, & trail all over the counter/floor & cause accidents.

Good for the extension cord sellers but bad for everyone else.

[Dimity]

2 hours ago, fairffaxx said:

I was told that appliance manufacturers make the attached cords short so that they won't trail all over the counter/floor & cause accidents.

For me I actually like that the cords for most small appliances are relatively short.  I hate having cords stretched across my kitchen counters and prefer them  hidden behind the appliance I'm using.  Of course that's easy to say if you have a kitchen like my current one with lots of outlets.  One kitchen we had had exactly one.  I have no idea what the builders were thinking other than:  "Gee no one will ever need to plug in more than a toaster and a kettle so we're good here".

[ABay]

Charging cables for tablets and phones are also ludicrously short and I've bought longer ones. 

[Is Everyone Gone]

I hate it when the trackpad in your laptop starts to act funky and then you need to buy a wireless mouse. Ugh.

[SoMuchTV]

12 minutes ago, Is Everyone Gone said:

I hate it when the trackpad in your laptop starts to act funky and then you need to buy a wireless mouse. Ugh.

Ah, young’un. Come over and go through my drawer full of every possible generation of mice. 

[Yeah No]

I woke up to a couple of inches of snow this morning. And it hasn't melted yet, despite having turned to rain! This is the latest my husband and I can ever remember seeing snow stick on the ground. Grrrr.....😠

[Yeah No]

On 4/9/2025 at 6:39 PM, meep.meep said:

One thing I've never understood about people calling all soft drinks "Coke" is that both Coke and Pepsi are rabid enforcers of their trademarks.  I had friends who owned a pizza parlor that served Pepsi, and Coke sent in someone who ordered a "Coke" and because they didnt' say "No, it's Pepsi" they got sued.

Like the old Saturday Night Live restaurant sketch:  "No Coke, Pepsi!"

"No fries, chips", LOL 😉

That's like calling cellophane tape "Scotch Tape". Technically that's a brand name but I've never heard of anyone getting sued for using that term incorrectly, LOL.

On 4/9/2025 at 7:41 PM, Anela said:

I still need to get new bluetooth headphones that connect to my computer (and ones with a longer wire, to plug into it), because mine crapped out just before Christmas. My battery-powered, wireless headphones that connect to our old TV, just gave out on me, too. They were $90, five years ago. 

I'm using cheap wireless ear buds, but they hurt my ears. 

The wireless earbuds would have to be bluetooth as well. I guess you just want a full set of bluetooth headphones, then? I get that because they can be more comfortable.

That said, my pet peeve is how obtuse many people have been about using bluetooth headsets and ear pieces. I have been using a bluetooth earpiece for 20 years now. It's not rocket science but how long has it taken for people to get up to speed on this stuff? I just can't get over it.

It's not just for the car but for use around the house or just out in the world. It allows me to multitask without having to hold a phone or run for it or search for it in my purse. I don't use the bluetooth function in my car because I use the earpiece all the time and I hate when the two "fight" with each other over which one gets to connect.

I also hate it when people see you talking like you're really talking to a person (and not just crazy talking to yourself) and look at you like you're strange. Come on, people, this is not 1982, you have zero excuse for not knowing what's going on here!

On 4/11/2025 at 9:13 AM, fairffaxx said:

I was told that appliance manufacturers make the attached cords short so that they won't trail all over the counter/floor & cause accidents.

So everyone has to add extension cords, which are often/usually longer than needed for the appliance in question, & trail all over the counter/floor & cause accidents.

Good for the extension cord sellers but bad for everyone else.

Yeah, but at least the manufacturer can't get sued if the accident is caused by your extension cord and not their cord. I think they were getting sued and that's why they're shortening the cords. Some of them were ridiculously long but it's similarly ridiculous, though, how short they're getting. And if you live in an older house with fewer outlets you have no choice but to get extension cords.

And then there's the situation in which certain appliance user guides tell you not to use them with extension cords, like anything with heat, such as electric heaters, humidifiers, etc. WTF are you supposed to do THEN?

[Caoimhe]

1 hour ago, Yeah No said:

I woke up to a couple of inches of snow this morning. And it hasn't melted yet, despite having turned to rain! This is the latest my husband and I can ever remember seeing snow stick on the ground. Grrrr.....😠

I feel your pain.  Our trees and grass are still covered, the driveway and steps haven’t melted, and we aren’t getting anywhere near the forecast temps as it still feels below freezing.  It’s supposed to be spring. 🤬😡

[Yeah No]

15 hours ago, Is Everyone Gone said:

I hate it when the trackpad in your laptop starts to act funky and then you need to buy a wireless mouse. Ugh.

I hate trackpads. I disable them and use a small travel sized wireless mouse.

[PRgal]

4 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

I hate trackpads. I disable them and use a small travel sized wireless mouse.

Same.  For when I travel, anyway.  I have a regular sized wireless at home/office.

Edited 20 hours ago by PRgal

[annzeepark914]

2 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I woke up to a couple of inches of snow this morning. And it hasn't melted yet, despite having turned to rain! This is the latest my husband and I can ever remember seeing snow stick on the ground. Grrrr.....😠

Mid-Aptil 1970 when I lived in Westchester, there was quite a snowfall. I didn't have boots but we were going over to NJ so I put maybe Baggies?? over my shoes. Whatever the product was, they protected my shoes. Going over the GW Bridge in a big snowstorm was memorable!

[Yeah No]

8 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Mid-Aptil 1970 when I lived in Westchester, there was quite a snowfall. I didn't have boots but we were going over to NJ so I put maybe Baggies?? over my shoes. Whatever the product was, they protected my shoes. Going over the GW Bridge in a big snowstorm was memorable!

Oh yeah, back then we had some cold weather for sure. I remember Winters as a kid in NYC where the snow piled up and never melted all season into the Spring.

[oliviabenson]

On 4/11/2025 at 8:52 PM, ABay said:

Charging cables for tablets and phones are also ludicrously short and I've bought longer ones. 

and no more charging brick provided either. 

[Quof]

I buy long charging cables that are brightly coloured, so when people are leaving a meeting no one accidently picks up mine.  I also choose cables with flat connectors because they're more durable.