[Smiling]

1. Anyone who pronounces the word Missouri in the following manner - [mih-ZER-uh] will automatically elicit some sort of reaction from me. It's reflexive. That particular pronunciation repels and attracts me all at once. I'm not sure what that's about, but it is what it is. I never know exactly what to do when someone does it, though; it puts me all out of sorts. My outward reaction might be stoic, I suppose; but inside I'll be a little freaked out, lol.

2. When I hear adults refer to potatoes as "taters," tomatoes as "maters," and bananas as "nanners," it actually pains me. "Maters," by far, bothers me the most.

3. However, what really sends me over the edge more than anything else is the widespread phenomenon of adults having adopted the speech patterns typically associated with teenaged girls hailing from the valley - complete with that absolutely dreadful vocal fry.

(Case in point: I was having the most relaxing experience at the salon last week until two chatterboxes (who, it must be noted, literally did not stop talking the entire time I was in the chair) seated right next to me struck up one of the most inane conversations I have ever had the misfortune of overhearing.

And as they continued their ceaseless and vapid banter, all the more pronounced became this particular manner of speech in each of them. So what was at first (for all of 5 seconds) mildly amusing, reached a very rapid crescendo of annoying as I was forced by circumstances beyond my control to seriously contemplate the feasibility of stealing a pair of scissors and plunging them directly and deeply into my beleaguered ears for a bit of relief from the mounting migraine, lol).

I have never understood the need some feel to fill every single pause with mindless conversation. Ooh - there's number 4.

That's all I can think of for now, but this is not to be construed as an exhaustive list, lol.