Pet peeve
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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A pet peeve is a minor annoyance that an individual identifies as particularly annoying to them, to a greater degree than others may find it.
Origin
Its first usage was around 1919. The term is a back-formation from the 14th-century word peevish, meaning "ornery or ill-tempered".
Description
Pet peeves often involve specific behaviors of someone close, such as a spouse or significant other. These behaviors may involve disrespect, manners, personal hygiene, relationships, and family issues.
A key aspect of a pet peeve is that it may well seem acceptable to others. For example, a supervisor may have a pet peeve about people leaving the lid on the copier up and react angrily, be annoyed when others interrupt when speaking, or by messy desks of their subordinates. That same supervisor may witness employees coming into work late, and not feel any annoyance whatsoever.
