Pet Peeves: The Holy Trinity and Beyond

[DownTheShore]

Or a version of that:  "Hot damn!  No oven!  I never have to cook a stupid turkey again!"

[NYGirl]

Oh good...the kitchen is closed off from the family room.  I never entertain anyway....

[mojito]

* We don't need a guest bedroom. We moved to Melbourne to get away from our families.

Edited November 13, 2014 by mojito

[NYGirl]

I just realized while watching tonight...why do the realtors think that everybody needs an office?  Every room that has no designation.."oh this can be your office".  Not everybody works from home and I giggle at the thought of the realtor saying that to my husband the truck driver who does not know or have any desire to go on a computer. 

[Bastet]

My favorite spin on that came in an episode when a HH was looking for a vacation home.  I don’t think any of them had second bedrooms, and the agent kept looking for nooks that could be turned into office space.  The HH said words to the effect of, “It’s a vacation house, I won’t be working.”

[Bastet]

Even worse is the twee storyline where the agent says a room would be good for a nursery, the woman grins inanely and the man stutters in horror.  HH sure does love its gender stereotypes.  "Man caves" in which no one else is allowed, closet space jokes, "open concept" kitchens in which women can spend their days cooking and hovering over their children ...

[QuinnM]

You know they've stopped closing each other in the closet and giggling.  I miss those closet shenanigans.

[BearCat49]

I just realized while watching tonight...why do the realtors think that everybody needs an office?  Every room that has no designation.."oh this can be your office".  Not everybody works from home and I giggle at the thought of the realtor saying that to my husband the truck driver who does not know or have any desire to go on a computer. 

 

They don't, IMHO.  I can only think of 1 exception on the HH program but in general, nearly 100% of the time, the realtors only make those comments if the HH participant expressed a desire for a home office area or room during their wish list recitation at the top of the episode. 

 

If an agent wasted your time in that fashion, NYGirl, I believe you probably need to find another agent!  If they can't take the time to listen and understand your basic needs, wants and desires, it implies a low level of competency.  JMHO.

[BearCat49]

My favorite spin on that came in an episode when a HH was looking for a vacation home.  I don’t think any of them had second bedrooms, and the agent kept looking for nooks that could be turned into office space.  The HH said words to the effect of, “It’s a vacation house, I won’t be working.”

 

Yep, that's the 1 exception I was thinking of, too.  It was definitely a vacation home.

 

Pretty sure they've only made those comments when it's been consistent with the participants' wish list all the other episodes and I've seen - well, I refuse to admit how many, lol ... 

 

Yep, you guessed it!

[BearCat49]

You know they've stopped closing each other in the closet and giggling.  I miss those closet shenanigans.

 

Nope, I was thinking the same thing recently and then saw somebody do that the other day!  BTW, I only watch new episodes so it was a current gag.

 

I believe they've developed (haha) so many of those ridiculous gags/lines over the years that they mix them up instead of doing the same ones each and every episode.  JMHO

[ChelseaNH]

A "home office" space can also be used for paying bills and maintaining family schedules and generally running the business of the house.  Although in that case, a whole room dedicated to the purpose would be probably excessive -- and you still wouldn't need one on vacation.

[BearCat49]

A "home office" space can also be used for paying bills and maintaining family schedules and generally running the business of the house.  Although in that case, a whole room dedicated to the purpose would be probably excessive -- and you still wouldn't need one on vacation.

 

Agree, ChelseaNH - many, if not most homeowners don't technically "need" a home office.  That said, it's not about their "needs" but their "wants" or desires.

 

If a prospective homeowner expresses a want / desire for a dedicated home office to their realtor, then the realtor, as a sales person, should respond appropriately and attempt to satisfy that want/desire, within any other constraints or limitations expressed by their client, e.g. budget. 

 

OTOH, if a dedicated home office wasn't included on the client's wish list, then a realtor's simply wasting everyone's time if/when they address it during the house hunt.

 

JMHO

Edited November 18, 2014 by BearCat49

[bubbls]

 

* Oh, that's a deal breaker for me. I wanted a white kitchen. These stainless steel appliances will have to go.

 

I'll never be on HH, but my realtor will hear me say this when I go house hunting in a few weeks. I've already informed my husband black or stainless appliances will be sold on Craigslist and then I'm off the appliance store to buy some nice white ones. 

 

Back on topic: My latest pet peeve is an updated kitchen being on the list of wants. I've begun responding "Of course you do" in a sarcastic tone whenever the buyer rattles off their list and "updated kitchen" inevitably appears. 

[mojito]

"A room where I can do my crafts."

"A room where I can watch TV."

"A room where the kids can play."

"A room where I can sew."

"A room where I can display my sports memorabilia."

"A room where I can brew beer."

 

In the days of old, where feasible, that room was simply called the "basement".

[Vivigirl10]

OMG...the sister in the Chicago episode last night!  I don't care if you're family; mean spirited, negative, put-down humor is one of my biggest pet peeves.  When they walked into the guest bedroom in one of the condo's, sister remarked how disgusting, ugly and uninspiring the paint color was.  Buyer sister replied, "oh, I like it!"  To which sister shot back a lovely comment along the lines of, "that would make sense, of course you do." 

 

Second favorite observation was her absolute horror with the fact that you walked into the dining room from the main entrance instead of the living room.  She tried to sell her point to buyer sister by stating as a fact that she would simply be too tired at the end of the day to be able to walk back to the living room and instead would collapse in a heap in the dining room.  What an idiot!

[bubbls]

I'm sure it was their bad acting skills, but those two sisters in Chicago made me uncomfortable. After some arguing back and forth one of them finally said "Let it go" and I don't know, it just seemed like there were some competitive undercurrents there. Or maybe they just acted it too dramatically. Either way, I was so distracted by the possibility of seeing one sister murder the other one right on TV I kept forgetting to notice those gorgeous old homes. 

[DownTheShore]

Oh yeah, that older sister!  What a PITA!  Her sister knew exactly what style of building she wanted and what type of neighborhood she wanted to live in, and the older sister kept trying to steer her towards places that appealed to her (the older sister, that is).  The arguments she tried to use to dissuade her younger sister were just plain stupid, especially re the place where the dining room was the first room.

 

I couldn't figure out if she thought it was her responsibility to ensure that her sister moved to a "hip" area for social advantages, or if perhaps she's got the family label of "the wild one" and wanted her younger sister to take some of the family heat off her by living the same lifestyle.  She did seem to be always pictured with a glass of wine in her hand - lol.

[SunnyBeBe]

I always wonder if they are going to play it straightforward with the selection or throw in the old fake routine.  You know how the couple will say that they MUST HAVE a garage and pool, but after all is said and done, they pick the one house that didn't have a garage and pool.  lol They say, we just figured the one we picked did have so much of what we wanted to we went with it instead of the other two that did have all of what we wanted.  Makes no sense. I assume it's scripted just to throw off the viewer.  

[bubbls]

Regarding those sisters, I did notice the blond HH sister certainty didn't let Bossy boss her. She got what she wanted and decorated it like she wanted. Ha!! 

 

On topic, I think the latest Must Have is going to be a bar. I was sick a few weeks ago and had an HGTV marathon and I think "bar" is replacing stainless/granite as something People I Don't Understand simply cannot. live.without. A bar.....who needs a bar for Pete's sake? All those entertainers I guess. What a massive waste of perfectly good money IMO. 

[Bastet]

I haven't noticed that trend, but I've cut way back on my watching of this show.

 

A bar seems an odd thing to expect a house to already have.  I built one in my game room (which is what I turned the "bonus room" attached to my garage into) and am quite happy with it, but would never have even thought of one otherwise -- I managed to drink just fine in other rooms of the home before getting this house. 

[auntjess]

May we please add "spa-like," in reference to bathrooms, to the hated cliche list!
I want a bathroom to be, like, a bathroom.  Toilet, sink, tub and/or shower.

 

[bubbls]

Yeah, I can comprehend a bar in a out-of-the-way room, but the ones I'm seeing have bars in living rooms. Maybe I just happened to catch a theme run on bars that week. I'm all for people doing whatever they want in their own homes even if it's unconventional, so I'm not even sure why this bothers me so much. Probably because it's part of everyone needing a place to do all that entertaining nobody I know in real life does. 

 

Edited to say what I was seeing was conversation about great "spaces" to put in a bar, not actually requesting a bar in the home. I wasn't clear, sorry. 

Edited November 21, 2014 by bubbls

[chessiegal]

I was watching "This Old House" this morning with the finish of their Boston row house. The homeowner put in brass colored fixtures in her kitchen and powder room. Made me chuckle.

[mojito]

 

I was watching "This Old House" this morning with the finish of their Boston row house. The homeowner put in brass colored fixtures in her kitchen and powder room. Made me chuckle.

Was this a recent show? I never watched TOH, don't know if it's still in production.

 

Once in a blue moon, I like something before it's popular. Along those lines, I never liked brass fixtures. I'm no trendsetter, but brass always looked tacky to me, like a poor man's gold (although I think I'd find real gold gaudy). While brushed nickel is nice, I'm perfectly OK with unpretentious chrome.

[Bastet]

Yes, it's still in production and that row house is the project currently airing.

 

I've always found brass fixtures ugly, too.

 

(Unlike some of the HHs, however, I don't declare a bathroom a gut job upon seeing them or act as if a house should be crossed off my list because I'd want to replace some light fixtures.)

[BearCat49]

Have heard that brass and gold are coming back and am seeing designers using them.  I'm sure many home centers, contractors and designers, etc. are pretty frustrated with how long certain things have stuck, recently.  (Granite and stainless steel, anyone??  lol !!)  They have to do something to drive sales, right?

[DownTheShore]

Powder-coated colored faucets - now that's the ticket! You heard it here first! LOL

You know what's beginning to annoy me? Those tiny little toilet rooms that are sectioned off the main bathroom. I don't want to sit, locked up in some cube. I want a window and enough side room to flap my elbows without hitting the walls.

[auntjess]

 

You know what's beginning to annoy me? Those tiny little toilet rooms that are sectioned off the main bathroom.

Too, after taking care of my mother when her healh was failing, Iook at things to see will a walker fit, is there a grab bar, and other things that become necessary.

[jnymph]

The (female) HH's with vocal fry has officially become my latest pet peeve.  THAT and comments peppered with the words, " Like, literally, like, literally, like, literally."  over and over.

 

Why must so many young women speak that way ?!     My ears bleed out every single time.   UGH !

Edited November 24, 2014 by jnymph

[mojito]

It seems that just a few years ago, people were tearing out wet bars along with wood paneling.

 

I'm sick of hearing how people "absolutely love" something, or "love, love, love" something. I'm also sick of a single sentence with the word "actually" used in it multiple times. Or three statements using the word in each sentence.

[chessiegal]

I'm very sad for the death of the proper use of the objective case of the personal pronoun. it seems like every episode these days we hear "for Dan and I" - sorry, wrong!

Edited November 24, 2014 by chessiegal

[ChelseaNH]

Wincing in pain right along with you.

[Quof]

You missed the ever popular "Dan and I's plan is to.."

 

Makes me want to rip my ears off.

[WendyCR72]

You missed the ever popular "Dan and I's plan is to.."

 

Makes me want to rip my ears off.

 

No. No, no, NO.

[TVForever]

 

Do have a different guess for one phrase.  (Yippee, lol!)  My understanding is that "ticking the boxes" is a British phrase.  Have learned by reading various participant blogs that the main, and possibly the original, HH production team was (and is, currently) based in London.  So, I believe that's the origin of HH's constant use or overuse (IMHO) of that particular phrase.

 

 

          I remember when you only heard that phrase from the British and some of the European couples. Over time, you started to hear Americans saying it, and it just sounded weird, maybe even a little pretentious. I'm used to it now, but it still makes me smile sometimes when I hear someone with a regional American accent talking about a place "ticking all the boxes". Stop it. Next, they'll be riding lifts and going to the loo.

[DownTheShore]

My pet peeve are Americans who say "across the Pond". It's not a freakin' pond, it's the freakin' Atlantic Ocean! It can kill you; show it some respect!

[Apprentice Ilisidi]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and I love it, having become mildly addicted to HGTV housing porn. Don't get me wrong, I hate all the things that you guys hate, and  have been complaining loudly about them (it's a painful addiction). Some points that may not have been made yet:

 

1) There are no books. None of the people on these shows want bookcases and none own any books. Yes, there's the very occasional reference to reading, but it's rare. Now one of my first musts would have been lots of walls to put my bookcases on and still more bookcases, built in.

 

2) The reason they all talk about space for entertaining so much is that they're building up to the obligatory final scene in which 7,000 people are present - usually in the kitchen - to admire their new home.

 

3) And an observation: from viewing the restoration programs, as vs. House Hunters, I have learned that granite is almost out and quartz countertops are in. Most of the designers on those programs give the kitchen quartz. The only thing is that the House Hunters sheep have not yet learned this.

Edited December 2, 2014 by Apprentice Ilisidi

[Apprentice Ilisidi]

I've got a language comment too. I'm annoyed by Americans referring to a bathroom attached to a bedroom as an "en suite". I know the British do it, they're allowed because the term has become established there, although I still think it is grammatically weird. (En suite is not a noun, at least in French. "Ensuite" in French means something like "next" or "after".)

 

And while we're on the subject of language peeves, this one is off topic but I must get it off my heaving chest: To "gift" is not a verb. "Gift" is a noun. But I am hearing "to gift" used as a transitive verb everywhere and I will not have it!

[BearCat49]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and I love it, having become mildly addicted to HGTV housing porn. Don't get me wrong, I hate all the things that you guys hate, and  have been complaining loudly about them (it's a painful addiction). A couple of points that may not have been made yet:

 

1) There are no books. None of the people on these shows want bookcases and none own any books. Yes, there's the very occasional reference to reading, but it's rare. Now one of my first musts would have been lots of walls to put my bookcases on and still more bookcases, built in.

 

2) The reason they all talk about space for entertaining so much is that they're building up to the obligatory final scene in which 7,000 people are present - usually in the kitchen - to admire their new home.

 

3) And an observation: from viewing the restoration programs, as vs. House Hunters, I have learned that granite is almost out and quartz countertops are in. Most of the designers on those programs give the kitchen quartz. The only thing is that the House Hunters sheep have not yet learned this.

 

Good points, Apprentice Ilisidi, although I have a few different takes on them, as follows:

 

1.  WRT books, on the reno programs, the built-ins are staged so the designers tend to use decorative items in built-ins.  In addition, books can be heavy and unwieldy for staging.  BTW, the participants do request and typically receive built-ins.  I'm a reader, too, and always assume that the homeowners would replace the on-loan staging items with their own books and bric-a-brac when tptb vacate the premises.  Sometimes the designers do stage with them but they use discards purchased for $1 or less and turned backwards for various reasons but usually b/c it's the same discard!  When the designers color-code with them, that cracks me up! 

 

I don't pay much attention to the HH stuff during the final scene but I'm sure books appear.  One thing, however, as a reader I do most of my reading electronically these days and try to reduce clutter in my own home.  Books and newspapers can, unfortunately, invite clutter.  I don't buy as many, these days, so it doesn't surprise me that not as many appear in the final scenes.

 

2.  WRT entertaining, these programs are dramas and they're creating an illusion.  Do a reno or upgrade to a new home, using our advertisers BTW, and you, too, can have 7K people over in your kitchen, having fun!  The final scene also allows Aunt Tilly (or whoever) to join in on HH and talk about the good life to her f&f, too!

 

3.  IMHO, whoever purchases products, at the end of the day, decides what's in or out.  Yes, advertisers and designers have been trying to push homeowners into new products, for sales reasons, but homeowners still demand granite.  The colors and styles of granite have changed and been updated, somewhat, over the last few years.  Yes, it's tiresome to constantly hear about granite and s/s on HH but many times those are the participants reciting lines, fed to them by some intern standing to their side, out-of-frame. 

 

Quartz is also in, together with other natural products.  At the end of the day, if they stand their ground, the sheep will purchase what they prefer - not whatever item the designer's pushing that day in order to win the sales contest and trip to Hawaii, lol!

 

Good post and welcome to the boards.  Hope you'll return and share more.

Edited December 3, 2014 by BearCat49

[BearCat49]

I've got a language comment too. I'm annoyed by Americans referring to a bathroom attached to a bedroom as an "en suite". I know the British do it, they're allowed because the term has become established there, although I still think it is grammatically weird. (En suite is not a noun, at least in French. "Ensuite" in French means something like "next" or "after".)

 

And while we're on the subject of language peeves, this one is off topic but I must get it off my heaving chest: To "gift" is not a verb. "Gift" is a noun. But I am hearing "to gift" used as a transitive verb everywhere and I will not have it!

 

I've been told that the HH original crew was British so I frequently notice their phrases and speech patterns.  Some intern probably used the term in their standard script and it hasn't been removed, IMHO.  That said, I believe it's become more common in the U.S., so I don't find it particularly odd.  Accepted by usage -

 

Where, i.e. on what/which HGTV program(s), do you hear the phrase "to gift" used?

Edited December 2, 2014 by BearCat49

[DownTheShore]

Welcome, Apprentice!  I'm the one who pointed you in the direction of these forums from the Kindle one.  I go by a different name here; this one tends to be my usual forum name, in most cases.

 

I think that "gift" is one of those nouns that is well on its way to becoming a verb.  I don't use it myself; I still "give people presents" - lol.

 

Now that you mention it, one of the first things I would ask for, if I was on one of these shows and remodeling, would be built-in bookcases.  Doesn't it cause a heart pang when the homeowners walk into a room with beautiful built-ins, and the first thing they say is "these have got to go"?

 

Sometimes I wish they would just show an unedited show, you know, of real people looking at real houses with no expectation that they were actually going to buy the homes. No script, just what real people would say when touring a house.  Such as:

 

"Why on earth would they put the master bedroom up in an open-air loft?  The kids'll hear us every time we have sex!"

 

"Look, another house where they've installed the wine racks right next to an appliance that gives off heat!"

 

"Who is going to clean all of those bathrooms every week?"

[Apprentice Ilisidi]

Thanks so much DowntheShore for pointing me to these forums. They're great. I'm going to check out the Property Brothers and Love it or List It forums soon. I may not have anything new to add, but I'll love reading everybody else's posts.

 

BearCat - I haven't heard "to gift" on HH or its relatives - that's why I called it "off topic". I have read it many times on Amazon Forums, as In "My sister in law gifted me a Kindle Fire." No, no, no. I will not have it. Nor will I tolerate "disinterested" used to mean "uninterested" or "fortuitous" used to mean "fortunate". I have seen the last two used by otherwise quite literate authors, both English and American. And "all right" is not spelled "alright". All Off Topic, please forgive rant.

 

A further HH language observation: Whenever a young woman sees a house whose "curb appeal" (ouch) she likes, she says that it is "cute". Many of these houses aren't cute at all. They may be pretty, or attractive, or some other adjective, but "cute" is frequently inappropriate. Especially for a ginormous McMansion. (I like "ginormous" - do me something.)

[FormerMod-a1]

BearCat - I haven't heard "to gift" on HH or its relatives - that's why I called it "off topic". I have read it many times on Amazon Forums, as In "My sister in law gifted me a Kindle Fire." No, no, no. I will not have it. Nor will I tolerate "disinterested" used to mean "uninterested" or "fortuitous" used to mean "fortunate". I have seen the last two used by otherwise quite literate authors, both English and American. And "all right" is not spelled "alright". All Off Topic, please forgive rant.

 

 

Apprentice Ilisidi, I just met you, but I think you may find this Grammar police topic interesting.   Assuming you haven't already found it.

[chessiegal]

One grammar pet peeve I have on these shows and many others is putting a modifier in front of "unique". Something is either unique or it isn't.

I can't remember if I've heard it on HH or not, but another peeve is using the word "irredgardless". Sorry, that is not a word.

[DownTheShore]

Thanks for that Grammar Police link, Aquarian1.  I didn't know it exists; I haven't traveled all the highways and byways of PreviouslyTV yet.

 

---

 

I think the women on the show describe the houses as "cute" either because they don't want to come right out and say, "it's too small and I wouldn't want to be caught dead in it", or if that's not the case, then they don't have sufficient vocabulary skills to quickly come up with a more apt adjective. Cute is replacing the word nice as a catch-all term.

[Bellalisa]

What about what this woman said last night "That could be a potential dealbreaker"- I find this kind odd.. Either it's a dealbreaker or it isn't. If you are the one making the decision how could something be a potential dealbreaker?

PS: they bought the condo with the potential dealbreaker, only 2 bedrooms and the second bedroom tiny. 

[auntjess]

Welcome.
I hate seeing gift as a verb too, and I've seen newspapers use it.
And I did hear one wife, of a millionaire looking for a vacation home, saying she wasn't going to spend her vacation cleaning bathrooms.

[Apprentice Ilisidi]

Thanks, auntjess. I've noticed that it's very rare for any of the people viewing or even buying large homes to talk about how they're going to get them cleaned (by whom) or what the costs of heating and/or cooling will be. Every now and then there's a comment, but they're mostly rare.

 

I saw a HH show last night on Amazon Instant Video where a newly-married couple wanted a large 4 bedroom house with a giant kitchen, etc. (It was somewhere in the midwest, maybe Indianapolis.) They had no children and expressed lack of interest in having any soon. They just wanted a big house! So who's going to clean it?

 

And to change the topic, but not to go Off Topic, another prejudice: I hate mancaves, both the term and the idea. Any man who thinks  he's entitled to a large room so he can watch sports on a 70 inch tv whle his wife cleans the house, cooks and looks after the kids should be nailed up in his cave. 

 

The Grammar Police forum is good, but they sometimes complain if people diverge from citing grammatical howlers encountered other than on television. I don't always know where I've heard or seen something, and don't watch enough tv to have a television source for most of my examples.

Edited December 4, 2014 by Apprentice Ilisidi

[Bastet]

Well, that thread is within the TV forums; mods have mentioned that one could be created in the Off Topic section in which real-life crimes against grammar could be (respectfully) discussed, but no one has done so.

 

Man cave drives me crazy on every level, too.  As I've mentioned before, I have a game room -- there is a room attached to my (detached) garage that had a fireplace and built-in grill, so I added a pool table, stuck a giant TV up on the wall for prime football viewing, built a bar in one corner, etc.  I have people over for "happy hour" occasionally, and my best friend likes to come watch playoff games with me, but it's mostly used by me (and my cat).  Should I call it a woman cave?  Man cave is just such a stupid term, and the implications of it -- that he gets a place to escape from the household and parenting duties, but she's forever in the "open concept" kitchen, preparing the family's meals while simultaneously watching the kids' every move -- take it beyond annoying. 

Edited December 4, 2014 by Bastet

[BearCat49]

Welcome, Apprentice!  I'm the one who pointed you in the direction of these forums from the Kindle one.  I go by a different name here; this one tends to be my usual forum name, in most cases.

 

I think that "gift" is one of those nouns that is well on its way to becoming a verb.  I don't use it myself; I still "give people presents" - lol.

 

Now that you mention it, one of the first things I would ask for, if I was on one of these shows and remodeling, would be built-in bookcases.  Doesn't it cause a heart pang when the homeowners walk into a room with beautiful built-ins, and the first thing they say is "these have got to go"?

 

Sometimes I wish they would just show an unedited show, you know, of real people looking at real houses with no expectation that they were actually going to buy the homes. No script, just what real people would say when touring a house.  Such as:

 

"Why on earth would they put the master bedroom up in an open-air loft?  The kids'll hear us every time we have sex!"

 

"Look, another house where they've installed the wine racks right next to an appliance that gives off heat!"

 

"Who is going to clean all of those bathrooms every week?"

 

???  Guess I'm watching different HGTV programs b/c I don't notice or haven't heard many people desiring to immediately demo bookcases.  Yes, sometimes they're sacrificed to create the vaunted "open concept" but the space is typically replaced by open shelving and/or storage elsewhere.

 

Same thing with "to gift" used as a verb.  I frequently hear designers and hosts mentioning they're going to "give" the participants something or the other and that's a minor pet peeve of mine.  The show does the giving, IMHO.

 

Real, unedited participants would be a dream.  Can't see them ever doing it, unfortunately.  Tptb would consider many or most real people too boring, i.e. unable to deliver 22 minutes of good, dramatic, reality TV.  And, as long as they're happy with the ratings ... 

Edited December 5, 2014 by BearCat49