Things That Annoy Me, But Shouldn't

So 43.7% of the What New Word Did You Learn Today thread?

Spoiler

Mine was persiflage,but I hadn't gotten to posting it yet.

 

Mmm... Depends.

Some words just have very esoteric jobs, but those jobs are still Monday-Friday, 9-5.

I'm thinking more along the lines of words that had jobs, got fired, collected unemployment, and then passed away in the night sometime in 1635.

 

But what if they are cool?

 

Ah. My pet vocab peeve (can't for the life of me think of any examples at the moment) is the list of single-source neologisms that are being memed-about as "bet you didn't know there's a word for that!" Some medically-debunked feminine-hygiene apparatus is running around making stuff up and throwing it at the internet to see what will stick, and since no one is willing to take two more clicks to look for a source these days odds are the results will be like what happened when that manure-spreader jack-knifed on the turnpike.

 

Ah yes, the marketing version of Gretchen Wieners trying to make fetch happen.

 

Unrelated to the above: I'm reading a book that I've waited a long time to read, and... It's coming across as a lefty Heinlein.

That's not a compliment

 

I don't even know how you'd use that second one.

Sarah: "I'm not talking to you. I can't believe what you did this morning when you left for work!"
Tom: "Uum, you gonna give me a clue?"
Sarah: "How about I just tell you? You finished your coffee and just walked out the door."
Tom: "And?"
Sarah: "You absquatulated, you bastard!"

 

Spoiler: A day in the life of a professional book hoarder

-person approaches me in the aisle- I need help finding a book.
Me -bubbly and cheerfully because i love looking for books-: alrighty! what are you looking for?
person: a book.
Me -smile wavering behind mask-: any particular author? title?
person: something thats not to thick and not too thin
Me -pulls 3 books for size-: [Holds up GRRM's Fire&Blood] Too thick?
Person: yeah
Me: [holds up The Deep by River Solomon] how about this size?
Person: too thin...
Me: [holds up paperback Bird Box by Malerman] what about this size?
Person: I guess thats good- but I dont want to read that!
Me -starting to sweat-: No problem! its good we have the size down. What are you interested in?
Person: I dont know....
Me: thats ok. Young Adult books are a bit lighter reads, if you want to start there [crosses fingers]
Person: sure.....

me:

 

You're a lot nicer than I am...

 

I get that a lot...
thats actually one of the reasons why I was asked to give one-on-one tech/writing/typing/whatever assistance to the elderly and those with disabilities because my coworkers originally doing it have little patience for it.
I dont mind it. the elderly have great stories and those with disabilities generally like that someone is patient with them.

its stuff like THIS that boils my blood....

 

This heat is awful, man! It's like being in an oven.

 

Dude, those are quite literally my favorite things. Bring them zombie words back from the dead!

 

Perhaps they needed something inconspicuous to hollow out and hide money/gems/a Walther PPK in but they knew that Malerman would stick out as badly on their shelves as this little tome would on mine?

 

wow, you are way too patient and nice.

as a customer, I too don't like to read books that are "too" long. Well, it depends on my mood and if I am up for a challenge, because long books require remembering a lot of things that happen in the story. I used to feel embarrassed about this, thinking it was superficial, but then I grew up and my take on life changed.
And I sympathize with the customer a little as well: if I say I want to read "a book" (there is nothing more generic than that statement), then it means I have no idea what to read and what I want to read, so I hope the person helping me find one will ask me all sort of questions I didn't even know how to ask myself to figure it out (it sounds lazy but there are times I don't know how to deal with myself) , basically take info out of my mouth by force. I know I can be very demanding and selfish at times. On a side note ... once, after been particularly moody and demanding with this guy who so patiently helped me to look for a book, I went back with some chocolate to thank him and to acknowledge how I have been impossible and how despite that he helped with a smile. He thought I was hitting on him . . . so he "rejected" me and I was like "what is going on here????" Seeing I was confused he made it more clear that he was rejecting me by telling me he had a girlfriend already. . . I was like huh and never went back. That was way too embarrassing and complicated... . I might have been showing myself too enthusiastic, but his reaction seemed to come out of nowhere. ahh, drama at the bookstore!

 

An older lady i helped a while ago offered to give me a tip. I said i dont take tips, im just doing my job. She INSISTED i take her money and insisted she keep her money. A few days later, she came back with a bag of chocolate for me.
This other couple had gotten a new laptop and didnt know how to work it. I spent 2 weeks walking them through the basics and then showing them how to do their job stuff on it. The next week, the gave me a card with 2 cross pendants from both of them in it.
Its frustrating sometimes helping people, but it DOES make me feel good that ive done at least something lasting enough to leave that much of an impact. I dont take gifts, but the old lady with the chocolate and the nice couple with the prayer crosses, were the exception.

I could tell you a whole bunch of other awkward "drama" where helping had the opposite effect (my showing patience and attention being misconstrued into "i think she likes me, let me show her a picture of my..." Needless to say, he's not allowed back)

 

When this happens, i sometimes ask what they like to watch on tv. Or ill ask what they've read before. It gets the conversation going and it help a lot to know what they like. Ive had a 30min conversation with this one lady and by the end of it, she had an armload of books and 2 dvds.
Then ive had conversations where ive gotten nowhere and im just as lost as they are. Anyways... Talking helps. When the person doesnt want to talk... I honestly cant help.

 

Maybe you need a 'What Should I Read' table. Let the horse find its own water. Some peeps are afraid to take a chance. Some just need a nudge or a little attention.

 

Well, you can see where he was coming from to be fair

I think a simple, “Thank you. You’ve been incredibly helpful and patient.” might have avoided the misunderstanding.

 

All the talk and news around exam results and grades. When did these become so relevant and important? When I was at school no one gave a shit about exams and grades.

 

Not sure about the UK, but the US has been fumbling about for some time trying to figure out if students are actually learning anything in the classroom, hence the standardized tests. IMO, they've been fumbling that badly as well as the teachers' continued employment is now dependent on those tests so they're not teaching a damn thing that isn't testable (in a reversal of the traditional student asking "Is this going to be on the test?" and ignoring it if the teacher says it isn't, the teachers are now asking their administrators the same question with the same result. But I'm ranting my way into Debate Room territory, sorry). Anyway, I've tangentially heard that the UK is doing something similar, and combined with the disruption of distance learning due to COVID, everyone has got their mawashi untwisted over it.

 

Watch the movie, "Waiting for Superman" and the discussion about the state of the educational system in the USA. I'm sure other countries have the same issues but that movie is the only one I am aware of.

My understanding from the movie and my reading on the topic is that the grades the student got determined which path the educators put the students on. In the past anyways. Apparently if you got grade "X" you went into the stream headed for University and if you got grade "Y" you went into the stream that was headed for trade school (plumbing, electrician, etc). Nowadays with the emphasis on higher education and people wanting the best for their kids, there has been a tremendous push in the direction of university stream. Ironic because it seems that the trade streams make more money although the job is considered "less respectable." Sigh.

Honest work is honest work. We can't all be rocket scientists or brain surgeons. We need plumbers and electricians too.

Anyways.....that's part of the reason for the focus on grades. The other is that teachers teach to the test because they have limited time. They want the kids to learn the bare bones so that they can pass the test and move on.

 

I guess you are right. But I like to appreciate others. Maybe I misremember the past, but when I was younger I did lots of things to make sure people felt appreciated and there were no misunderstandings. Instead after a certain age, I have become too nice and the "hitting-on woman" caution light immediately lights up!? Now and after that I refrain myself, but I feel like I am missing something in life. Does it make sense?

 

oh my! I cannot believe there is someone so stupid out there who actually thinks that is going to work...

I am sorry you had to go through that, but I am glad that didn't make you give up being nice and helpful to others.