What little things drive you completely up the wall....?

[Miss Vertigo]

Someone reading something out to me, like from a website or a newspaper. When they say "Hey, listen to this..." and then read out the story - it drives me insane. I have no idea why. A friend of mine has a habit of doing it with jokes he finds on the internet and that drives me even more insane.

[mechtilde]

People using cutsie words or euphemisims for their genitals or normal bodily functions.

Make that ALL euphemisms. It is quite possible to have a conversation about the most intimate of matters without becoming crude or resorting to euphemisms.

[cicero]

Someone reading something out to me, like from a website or a newspaper. When they say "Hey, listen to this..." and then read out the story - it drives me insane. I have no idea why. A friend of mine has a habit of doing it with jokes he finds on the internet and that drives me even more insane.

oh, i see you know my father! this drives me crazy - i tell him "dad, i can read! if i see something interesting in the paper, i just read it myself!"

[Micah]

People getting common sayings wrong. Like the saying, "that'll throw a spanner in the works." My uncle says, "That'll throw a Spaniard in the works." (no he's not racist.) It's one of his favorite sayings. I'll admit I found it hilarious the first couple of times. Now it makes me want to shake him.

People standing way too close during a conversation. Even worse are the ones that FOLLOW you when you try to back away a little.

[Miss Vertigo]

Someone reading something out to me, like from a website or a newspaper. When they say "Hey, listen to this..." and then read out the story - it drives me insane. I have no idea why. A friend of mine has a habit of doing it with jokes he finds on the internet and that drives me even more insane.

oh, i see you know my father! this drives me crazy - i tell him "dad, i can read! if i see something interesting in the paper, i just read it myself!"

Heh. I like that tack, I might try and take it myself next time.

My reading-out friend loves to read me out jokes that people have sent him in texts, on his phone. It drives me insane. He knows I don't like jokes, and I like them even less when someone reads them out to me and the delivery is lacking. The exchange usually goes like this:

Joke-Reading-Friend: *opens text, starts laughing*
Me: *tries not to encourage*
JRF: "Hahah. Bob's just sent me something really funny."
Me: "Oh, that's nice. *beandip, beandip*"
JRF: "You'll like this one"
Me: "But see, no, I won't"
JRF: "You will!"
Me: "Please don't read it out"
JRF: "Oh go on, just this one"
Me: "No. Please, we've had this conversation a million times. Don't read it to me"
JRF: "But it's really funny!"
Me: "I won't find it funny"
JRF: *starts reading*
Me: *grimaces*
JRF: *is still reading it out five minutes later*
Me: *repeatedly banging head against wall*

You get the picture, I'm sure.

I really have no idea why he feels the need to do this, but it drives me insane.

[Layla Miller]

Fingernail clipping.  I hate how it feels when I clip my fingernails (toenails are okay), because even the thought of it makes my fingers feel indescribably uncomfortable.  I just let them grow and use an emery board to keep them neat.  However, I can't even stand to hear other people clip their fingernails.  When DH does, I have to either leave the room or cover my ears.

[demarco]

I can't stand it when somebody reads over my shoulder. If I'm reading something, stay away from it.

Eww, yes.  That drives me mad, including when someone reads the computer screen over my shoulder.  I'm inclined just to stop reading, close the book or shut down the computer if someone does that.

[Outdoor Girl]

My neighbours little yappy mop of a dog that never stops barking.

Drivers on the highway who can't drive a steady speed.  I use cruise control so I know my speed is steady.  It gets a little old to pass the same car 5 times.

And right now?  The light fixture vibrating above my co-worker's neighbouring cubicle.  I'm getting really twitchy...

[Giggity]

Chewing noises. It is entirely possible to eat without making noise. (Except potato chips, but crunch is okay.)

People chewing with their mouths open even if I can't hear them. Tres declasse!

When people take a drink and then make the "Tk-AAAAAAH" sound. (So yeah, the "Coke reflex" commercial makes me insane.)

Hair in the hairbrush. I clean my hairbrush every time I use it. I can't stand to see that big wad of hair in the brush.

Hair in the bathtub. My hair is long, and Boyfriend's is even longer; he sheds like a prize cat and I am forever picking hair out of the drain.

Being read out loud to. I learned to read like 40 years ago, and I guarantee I can read to myself a lot faster than you can read to me. Plus, a lot of people (Mama Isabella, I'm looking in your direction) get this weird pseudo-kindergarten-teacher voice when they read that makes me go GRRRRRRR.

[Outdoor Girl]

Chewing noises. It is entirely possible to eat without making noise. (Except potato chips, but crunch is okay.)

Actually, for me, it isn't.  I have TMJ issues and if I'm chewing, my jaw is clicking.  For those of you who can't take the sound of others chewing?  I guess we won't be doing lunch...   

[PeasNCues]

I am going to agree with the chewing noises.

My mom has these pretzel chips and I can't stand when she eats them because she sllloooooooowly crunches them and it just sets my nerves on end.

I can't stand people reading over my shoulder either.

[hope]

I can't stand it when somebody reads over my shoulder. If I'm reading something, stay away from it.

POD!  And the sound of nails (fingers or toes) being clipped.

[Clara Bow]

Pretentiousness. I cannot, cannot, cannot stand it at all even a little bit.

Most socks...I only really like Hanes Her Way or Fruit of the Loom  white athletic ankle socks, though I did find some black and brown ones for my loafers that I'm okay with. Trouser socks, hose, stockings? Ugh! They make my mouth feel funny, like chewing yarn. I can't explain it, they just send this weird shiver up me.

Sticky hands, slimy hands, messy hands in general. I wash my hands tons of times while cooking because I hate the way "stuff" feels on them.

Wrinkled bedsheets. I prefer for the bed to be made daily so it's smooth at night.

Poor water pressure in the shower. I hate the shower in this house...one day I'm going to have a firehose in the shower!

Touchy-feely people. I am a cactus, and very, very few people have touch privileges. Don't cling on me, hang on me, touch me constantly, hug me every two minutes, etc. And never, ever for any reason touch my face.

[aventurine]

People who whisper just under their breath.  It gives me the creepy-crawlies.

Ugh, yes.  I can't even stand a stage whisper on TV.  It makes it near impossible to watch shows like Big Brother.

[2littlemonkeys]

The sound of Styrofoam on glass or squeaky gum is actually physically painful to me.  If someone ever wanted to torture me, that's pretty much all they'd have to do, LOL.  Even just imagining how it sounds makes me cringe.

Space Invaders (the people, not the video game)

Story tellers. I'm not talking about people who have the occasional interesting anecdote. I'm talking about the people who have an interesting anecdote for every single conversation that arises.  I have a relative who does this and you cannot have a single conversation with this person without him telling you, right down to the last nitty, gritty detail, about something that happened to him years ago that usually ends with him telling someone (usually important or famous) off.  It makes my eyes glaze over because something tells me he's probably making a lot of it up.