So here's my (current) list:
- The word "freakin". Americans all over the place use it all the time. To my mind, it sounds far too much like Friggin', which is a word I don't feel is suitable for everyday conversation. (Not that I'm a prude or anything, but well, there's a time and a place). Obviously Americans don't know "friggin", but it doesn't stop me from wincing when I hear "freaking".
- Parents (usually designer mothers) who say things like "My kids think broccoli is dessert". Can't remember which one of those mothers (Gwyneth? Gisele?) was quoted thus, only last week, but - give me a freakin' break! No matter how much a human being likes broccoli, it can never be mistaken for apple pie or chocolate pudding. And stop being so freakin' smug Gisele.
- Guests who insist on cleaning up in my house. OK, I appreciate the gesture, but when I say "No, really, just leave it", for the fifth time, I really, really mean it. Because I'm not going to leave you in my kitchen am I? I am going to have to join in - and after inviting you over, and preparing a meal for you, I would much rather enjoy your company over a glass of wine, rather than over the kitchen sink.
- Family members who tip unfinished meals into the sink - and leave them there. Back story - there is a waste disposal in the sink, so the idea is that you put waste food down there, but it usually has to be rinsed down the hole. By the time I realize that you've just left it in the sink, it's hard and stuck on. Oh, and it sometimes smells, and I sometimes get really annoyed.
- Dogs who dig up random bits of my back garden and then get let into the house without having their paws wiped down.
