A Full List of the Most Common Pet Peeves of All Time (2023)

Though we might not all be annoyed by the same particular things, having pet peeves is a natural part of being a human. For some people, it might be chewing noises or repetitive tapping that bothers them, for others, it might be things like constant interrupting or texting during a nice meal. Having things that get under skin in a very particular way is normal, though. How you deal with your pet peeves and practice self-care in the face of them is what's important.

Whether you like to address the annoyance head-on instead of fuming silently, or you give yourself some time to adjust to the issue, the most important thing to consider is if this pet peeve is going to affect your quality of life. It's also helpful for you to do work on yourself to overcome any annoyances. Sometimes, people make sounds or act a certain way due to a medical or mental health issue, so it's important to be mindful of this and remind yourself that you never know what someone else is going through.

One of the biggest things that can help with pet peeves, though, is just knowing that you're not alone in feeling that way. Most pet peeves are actually pretty common.

What are Pet Peeves?

The official definition of a pet peeve is "something that a particular person finds especially annoying," but there are many universal pet peeves, especially for those who work in office settings. According to an article from Psychology Today, the top three pet peeves for American employees in 2020 were malfunctioning/slow computers and software, when coworkers didn't wash their hands after using the restroom, and when coworkers came into work sick, respectively. But these three things are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what really annoys people.

The biggest and most common pet peeves:

• Chewing sounds/noises. Being frustrated by the sound someone makes when eating a crunchy apple or a bowl of soup is a pretty natural reaction, it seems. There is also a condition, called misophonia, which causes people to have strong reactions to specific sounds. People with misophonia can become frustrated or even enraged by repetitive eating sounds.
• Repetitive tapping. Whether it's tapping a pencil, pen, or foot, non-stop tapping can not only be annoying, but pretty distracting, too.
• Interrupting during a conversation. We all know someone who won't let us get three words in before they're already talking about something else over us. And it can be pretty darn annoying, that's for sure.
• Texting during a meal. If you've ever gone out to dinner with a friend or partner only to have them stare at their phone the entire meal, you probably already know how annoying this can be. It's rude, disrespectful, and definitely doesn't make you want to spend more time with them.
• Taking phone calls in public. It's one thing to take a phone call on a busy city street or in an empty park. It's another thing to take one in a peaceful, quiet coffee shop where people are working, or in an airport where you're shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers.
• FaceTiming without headphones. Similarly, there's no reason why you should be taking video calls in public without headphones on. Not everyone wants to hear the back-and-forth of your conversation as they try to get some work done or relax.
• Throat-clearing/coughing noises. Similar to chewing and foot tapping, throat clearing and coughing noises can be pretty repetitive for some people without them even realizing it, and therefore, pretty annoying.
• Leaving drawers and cabinets open. A lot of people have the habit of forgetting to close cabinets and drawers after they open them when cooking or getting ready for the day, but this can actually be pretty annoying to people who you live with.
• Not screwing the lids onto bottles and containers all the way. Similarly, leaving bottles and jars and cans with lids only half-way screwed on can be annoying, too. It can also be pretty dangerous if someone thinks a lid is on and it's not.
• Scraping silverware. Whether someone is scraping their silverware on their teeth or on their plate when they eat, this repetitive sound can be akin to nails on a chalkboard. It's also pretty rude, according to traditional etiquette rules.

• Cutting lines. There's nothing worse than a line-cutter, so don't be that person and wait your turn accordingly.
• Standing up at the exact moment the plane gets to the gate. Similarly, there is an etiquette to exiting a plane. The people ahead of you stand up and get off the plane before you do. Anything else feels like someone is trying to cut the line.
• Driving too slow. While certainly safer than driving too fast, slow drivers can be particularly annoying to some people. But just remember: When in doubt, follow the speed limit.
• Driving too close to the car in front. Tailgating is never a good idea, and it's often the cause of road rage incidents and accidents. If you're not sure how close is too close, just remember to keep one car-lengths between you and the person in front of you for every 10 mph. The faster you're going, the more room you should leave.
• People who talk during movies. Movies are meant to be quiet. Enough said.
• Unsolicited advice and recommendations. People can't seem to help themselves (especially on the internet) when it comes to suggesting where to go, what to do, and how to live your life — even if no one asked for their opinion.
• Being late. Everyone is late every now and then, but chronic lateness is beyond frustrating, and pretty disrespectful to the people you're meeting, too.
• Slow walkers. Some people feel similarly about slow walkers as they do about slow drivers. When possible, it's good to match the pace of those around you. But if that's not possible (and, hey, sometimes a nice, slow stroll is good), then just try to keep to the side of the path so people have a clear path.
• "Gate lice." If you travel a lot, you are probably very familiar with "gate lice," whether you know it or not. These are the people who crowd the boarding gate to make sure they get on the plane as soon as humanly possible — and they very much annoy gate agents.
• Know-it-alls. No one likes a know-it-all. Period.
• One-uppers. Have a great story or an exciting event coming up? We all know that person who has a more exciting event and a better event. It probably makes you want to roll your eyes just thinking of it, right?
• Gum cracking/snapping/chewing. This one is similar to chewing and eating. The solution? Just opt for some mints when you're around others. It's a more pleasant experience all around.
• Cracking knuckles. There's nothing that can disrupt a peaceful, nice dinner like your dinner date loudly cracking their knuckles throughout the evening. It's a little gross, and distracting, too.
• Using words the wrong way. While grammar police are a whole pet peeve in and of themselves, grown adults mixing up their/they're/there can still be a bit frustrating.
• Bad tippers. People who treat waiters badly are always bad news, and bad tippers are often those same people.
• People who adopt the interests/habits of every new significant other. There's nothing worse than someone who seems to morph into every new partner they have.
• The feeling of chalk. The sound of chalk on a chalkboard is pretty darn bad, too.
• ... or cotton balls. There's a reason why people get chills just talking about the idea of rubbing two cotton balls together.
• People who constantly talk about their diet. Most of us have probably ordered pizza or pasta only to have the person we're eating dinner with explain that they aren't eating carbs right now like they should be congratulated. Spoiler: It's not fun.
• ... or comment on what you're eating. A good rule in life is to never comment on what someone is eating, no matter what you might be thinking.
• Clipping nails in public. There is just no excuse for this. Ever.
• Stopping suddenly in the middle of a sidewalk. This one is very similar to people who stop in the middle of a busy sidewalk to send a text message.
• Being rude to customer service representatives. They're just doing their job, OK?
• Holding up a line (or, worse, a security line at the airport). Though most people have been through security at an airport, there seems to be some magical factor that makes people forget everything they know about it the second they get to the airport.
• Talking over people. If you have to raise your voice to make your point, then you should probably just wait to talk.
• Passive aggressiveness. When in doubt, just be direct.
• Mis-pluralized last names on holiday cards. It's "Happy Holidays from the Smiths" not "Happy Holidays from the Smith's!"
• Nose picking. Just... ew.
• People who say, "I'm sorry you feel that way, but that wasn't my intention." Talk about the worst apology ever. According to Psychology Today, a good apology has a clear "I'm sorry" statement with an expression of regret. "I'm sorry you feel that way," has all the focus on the other person, and not enough on the apologizer themselves.
• Strangers (and family) asking, "So when are you having kids?" as soon as you get married. Let's just stop doing this altogether, shall we?
• Clapping at the end of a movie theater. Are there worse things? Sure. Is it necessary? Probably not.

• Meetings that should have been an email. When in doubt, just go with the email.
• Using speech-to-text in public. This one is similar to taking phone calls without headphones. If you're able to, just save the speech-to-text for home.
• Using "LOL" or "OMG" in normal, in-person conversation. After all, "oh my god" is the same amount of syllables as "OMG," and it sounds a whole lot better.
• People who always seem to insist on criticizing the things you like. A good rule of thumb in life is, if they aren't hurting anybody, to just let people like what they like. Life is too short to police people's joy.
• Humble-bragging. Did someone just come to mind when you read the word 'humble-bragging'? Yeah. Don't be like that person.
• Not picking up after your dog. All dog owners have run out of poop bags while on a walk a time or two, but letting your backyard fill up with dog poop or letting your dog poop in any old place without picking it up is not acceptable and will definitely not make you a fan favorite in the neighborhood.
• The comment, "You look tired." Also, back-handed compliments in general.
• People who purposely ignore boundaries. Taking the time to set emotional boundaries can be hard and uncomfortable (but important). When people disregard and ignore those, it feels incredibly violating.
• Strangers calling you, "Sweetie" or "Honey." Some people find this sweet, but it can also be a little bit patronizing.
• Losing things. This is probably a universal pet peeve. There's no more frustrating feeling that when your keys or phone or AirPods are gone and you just had them.
• People who don't know their order when they get to the front of the line. Especially if you're in a hurry, this one can be incredibly irritating.
• Airplane seat recliners. There is a hot debate when it comes to whether or not reclining your airplane seat is rude, but it is definitely a pet peeve of some.
• Heating up smelly food in a work kitchen. Say no to leftover fish, people.
• Clapping when the plane lands. This can be kind of endearing, but it can also be the last thing people want to hear when all they want is to get out of a cramped, hot, smelly plane full of strangers.
• Slurping coffee. If the coffee is too hot to drink normally, just wait. Slurping is just not pleasant.
• Chewing on ice. Maybe just save the ice chewing for the comfort of your own home to be extra courteous to strangers.
• Leaving dishes in the sink. For some people, the mere idea of waking up with dirty dishes in the sink is unbelievable. The truth is that is really does feel good to wake up to a clean kitchen, though.
• Leaving empty containers in the fridge. Life rule: When you finish a condiment or a container of food, take it out of the fridge. Who among us hasn't reached for a tub of ice cream only to find it 99.9% empty? Very disappointing.
• Pen clicking. It's enough to drive a co-worker nuts.
• Staring. There are different cultural rules around staring, but in general it's a good idea not to stare at strangers, because it'll probably make them feel pretty uncomfortable.
• Leaving the cap off of the toothpaste. Is it just easier to leave the cap off sometimes? Yes. Does it really frustrate some people? Absolutely.
• Hair in the sink/drain/shower. If you have long hair, you probably understand this struggle. But it's still pretty gross.

• People who order something else and then want your food or drink. If you want the fries, just order the fries. If you want the steak, just order the steak. Though, to be fair, there are also the "grass is always greener" orderers, too.
• The sound of styrofoam rubbing together. Just the idea of it might make some cringe.
• Sneezing without covering your mouth. Don't do this.
• Being micromanaged. Whether you manage 10 people or 100, this is never an effective way to get things done or have your employees like you.
• Never offering to split the bill. Being frugal is one thing. Being stingy is something else.
• Burping in public. If you have to burp (because, hey, we're all just human), at least cover your mouth and say excuse me.
• Using "reply-all" on a work email. We've all made this mistake once or twice, but every week? That's a big no-no.