Look … I’m knocking on a bit. I’m getting grumpy in my old age. It’s allowed. (Who am I kidding? I’ve always been a grumpy wee sort. 😉 ) There are more and more seemingly trivial thing that really grind my gears – or as we say in the west of Scotland, ‘rip ma knitting.’

My new pet hate is the current trend for people (most notably sports commentators) to say someone ‘just about managed’ to do something.

“He just about managed to keep that ball in play.”

“She just about managed to stay on her feet.”

“I just about caught the bus.”

Did the ball stay in play? Did she keep her footing? Did you get on that bus? Either he managed to keep the ball in play or not; she stayed on her feet or didn’t and you got on the bus or had to wait for the next one.

To say something ‘just about’ happened would indicate to me, it actually didn’t.

It just about makes my blood boil. Honestly.

Now, if you think I’m being petty about something as inconsequential as that, try this …

ATM cash dispensers! I hate it (no, ‘hate’ is not too strong a word) the way the bank notes are dispensed. When I worked in Branch Banking, and autotellers were some new, fancy-dan, futuristic, cutting edge technology, we had to ensure all the notes were loaded into the cartridges facing the same way.

Standards have dropped in the ensuing years, though. Now, I have to keep the people behind me waiting while I ensure the money is placed carefully in my wallet with the notes not only arranged in order of denomination, but all facing the same way.

An old manager of mine used to say, “You get slack by degrees.”

Accepting haphazardly dispensed bank notes is only the beginning. You mark my words!

😀

(So what banal / trivial things from your daily life really tick you off? What rips YOUR knitting?)