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Views #470 | Low Intermediate 4

Simon's Pet Peeve

Simon discusses his pet peeve.

Script
Vocab
Quiz

Simon

Yeah, I want to talk about one of my pet peeves. You know a pet peeve is something that you as a person don't like. You personally don't like a habit or a mannerism or something that other people do, um, for example a pet peeve could be people who don't like wrinkled shirts or they don't like it when people chew gum in public, or like the noise that some people make, or habits, mannerisms, for example my grandmother, my grandmother's pet peeve was, you know, messy clothes or people who wore messy clothes. She didn't like that, you know, if someone had a whole in their sock, she would sew it up immediately. She just hated it. It was her pet peeve, you know, if you didn't wear nice, crisp, clean clothes, you know, you know some people's pet peeve is, you know, when other people talk on the cell phone, ah, things like that.

Yeah, my pet peeve is a little more complicated. It's a little more unique I think then other people's pet peeves, but it's when Canadians wear, or embroider, canadian flags on their backpack. That's just something that's annoying or irritating for me. It's my pet peeve. I'm Canadian so it's not like I don't like Canada or I don't like Canadians because I am Canadian and I do love my country, but it's just so cheesy when I see so many travelers, usually the backpacking kind that put Canadian paraphernalia, especially Canadian embroidered flags on their suitcases or backpack. I don't know why it bothers me. I guess I think it's not cool, or I can't see the reason why to do that. I mean, people tell me it's to show that they're not American, but, who cares? You should be able to just tell them, "Hey, I'm from, you know, I'm from Canada, I'm from Vancouver, I'm from Toronto, I'm from Saskatchewan, where ever." Yeah, it's something I can consider as a personal pet peeve. Don't do it Canadians.

Learn vocabulary from the lesson!

pet peeves

I want to talk about one of my pet peeves.

A 'pet peeve' is something, usually an action, that makes you feel annoyed. Notice the following:

What is your biggest pet peeve?
People chewing with their mouths open is one of his pet peeves.

mannerism

Sometimes, you just don't like other people's noise, habits, or mannerism.

A person's 'mannerisms' are their habitual actions in certain situations. Notice the following:

Many of his mannerisms are just like his father's.
He has some very interesting mannerisms.

embroider

I hate it when Canadians wear, or embroider, Canadian flags on their backpacks.

When you 'embroider' something, you sew a design on it using different colors of thread. Notice the following:

I bought her a beautiful embroidered bag for her birthday.
My mother loves to make embroidered wall decorations.

cheesy

I'm a Canadian and I do love my country, but for me, it's just so cheesy to see that on people's things.

Something 'cheesy' is of inferior quality or is used so frequently that it loses meaning or becomes stereotypical or predictable. Notice the following:

Most of the things that he says to attract women are really cheesy.
The ending of the that movie is so cheesy and predictable.

paraphernalia

I don't like it when they put Canadian paraphernalia, especially embroidered flags on their backpack.

Used like this, 'paraphernalia' just refers to objects that use Canadian symbols. It can also be used to describe objects that are used for a particular purpose or activity. Notice the following: