Tuesday 16 April 2013

N is for Niggles

So today I'm going to write about niggles. I'm not talking huge great injustices here, but the illogical things that irritate me, that nobody else cares about, but that drive me insane :). They don't make sense, they are often unfair, but I just can't help it, they irritate me! :P

Hiccups (both in myself and in other people) - now these are a totally involuntary reaction, a spasm of the diaphragm, and hence, if I think about it in a sensible way, there is really absolutely nothing to get annoyed about. Being irked about hiccups is like being irked about breathing, but I have no control over this reaction. Sit me in a room with someone who has hiccups for more than 30s, or indeed, leave me with my own involuntary reaction for the same amount of time and I will want to scratch that person's eyes out (and yes, that includes my own eyes o.O). I try very, very hard to ignore hiccups, it's better for my blood pressure that way, but there is something about the squeaky little noise that grates right into my brain and...oof!

While we're on the subject of bodily reactions - sneezing - not the little atchoos into a handkerchief, those
are fine, but loud, obnoxious booms that cut right through my head. Sneeze more quietly! If the rest of us can manage to be quiet, there is no need for a sonorous foghorn sound, especially if you're going to do it more than once! So there! :P

Okay, let's move swiftly on from bodily functions before I burst a blood vessel! ;P

I borrowed this from
http://daveberta.ca,
because it is so appropriate :)
Rudeness, more specifically, people who flout social rules, really, really wind me up. I'm a Brit, we queue as a matter of habit, in the supermarket, to get on the bus, to get into the cinema. We are orderly and polite (generally) and everything happens nice and smoothly. So when someone decides that queuing isn't for them, by golly is there some stony glaring going on from those of us obeying the rules. The only problem is, being Britishly polite, it takes an awful lot for one of us to speak up and tell the person they're doing it wrong. The most they'll normally get is a polite cough. BUT, by golly, when that convention-flouter is gone, the entire queue will be sharing their disdain with each other - there's nothing like snubbing etiquette to get a bunch of British strangers talking like old friends! ;)

Pigeons - yes, you heard me, those stupid birds that wander around parks a lot ::grinds teeth:: I'm not scared of them and they're rather tasty in game pie, but alive they are just the densest and most annoying birds around. I like birds. I find crows and jackdaws remarkably intelligent and fun to watch when they're in the garden. I also love sparrows and have a soft spot for black birds. But the coo-cooing and the tiny head on such a large body of pigeons and their cousins the doves of all types just make me want to learn to shoot and not clay pigeons.

::Takes a breath.::

I think maybe I'll stop there. I said my niggles were illogical, didn't I? So, do you have any odd niggles that just don't make sense?


P.S. Check out other folk doing the A to Z April Challenge.

And if you want to see my other posts:

7 comments:

  1. Ha ha your list of niggles is so me! People sneezing loudly is so unnecessary, they are just attention seekers...a lady in my office back in the UK used to sneeze so loudly it would make us all jump, even with headphones on. When they shuffled us all round, I was like...don't sit me near her! I hate hate queue jumpers....rude! And people who don't say thank you if you hold a door for them, it makes me want to slam the door in their face! You should checked out patty published blog about L = Lines. It's hilarious http://kenandpatty.blogspot.com/

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    1. I'm glad it's not just me ;P

      I will have to check out that blog post.

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  2. Lol! As Rowena your list of niggles is so me too. And there are some people who chew their food making sound.. Gosh! It irritates the hell out of me... and also those lizards.... grrrrrrr......

    -Fellow blogger from A to Z!

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    1. I'm not too bothered by chewing food if they keep their mouths closed, someone who eats with their mouth open is far worse to me than a noisy eater ;)

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  3. I enjoyed reading this! You made me giggle. I have to admit, I'm one of those loud sneezers. :( Sorry. Generally only in the privacy of my own home though. I loved reading about how polite the British are. I can't stand rudeness either, it drives me bonkers. I will just have to hang out with British people more often I guess.

    Have fun with a-z. :)

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    1. LOL! My father's a sonic boom man as well, so I am somewhat used to loud sneezing :) The thing about niggles is people are generally forgiven/forgotten very quicklyafter the incident unless it was a terrible affront like queue jumping! ;P

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  4. I've only just realised you've been posting these seperately to Tasha.

    Niggles - Bodily
    I'll have to add constant sniffing. Not the 'I have a cold and feel miserable' type; but the sniffing constantly more from habit than need, the 'haven't you heard of a bleep-bleep tissue!' type.
    Yes I work with a 'sniffer' it progresses to phlemy snorts and I'm now fighting the wretch impulse it induces.

    Queues - I've broken cultural stereotype when in a VERY bad mood and observed the infraction loudly to hubby. He also walked me away and into the nearest coffee shop when the culprit swirled around snarling. Oops.

    Pigeons - We have a lot around here and opinionated (messy) seagulls.

    My Niggles -
    Empty bottles/jars put back in the cupboard; in work office chairs not back to the desks; people letting the door slam after them knowing you're behind them with your arms full, or watching you stoop to pick things up when you're already holding things and they aren't - Niggle might be too mild for my opinion of said people!

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