ENG

13

PET PEEVES

“If you haven’t anything nice to say, come sit by me.”

—Alice Roosevelt Longworth (1884-1980), icon and Theodore Roosevelt’s daughter

Sharing Complaints

Sometimes things annoy us and that’s okay. Share your complaints and pet peeves with your conversation partner. Laughing and sighing can help.

1. What annoys you? Do you have any pet peeves?

2. Do you prefer sales pitches in person, by phone, or on TV? Why?

3. How can salespeople be annoying? Can you give some examples?

4. Have you ever had serious email problems? How did you respond?

5. What technology or gadget bothers you? Why?

6. Do you quickly figure out how new appliances work?

7. What common behavior do you often find offensive? Why?

8. What are some things you find impolite? Give examples.

9. What is litter? Have you seen any litterbugs? Where does litter bother you most?

10. What do you consider bad cell phone manners or habits?

11. When, or where, do you most often see people stressed?

12. What behavior might be considered irritating in a neighbor? Have you ever had a noisy neighbor? Can you give an example of a difficult neighbor?

13. Is there a difference between assertive and aggressive? How do aggressive people make you feel? How do you tend to respond?

14. Are there many aggressive drivers in your area? Is “road rage” a problem?

15. What behavior would be strange for a man, but normal for a woman?

16. What behavior might seem odd for a woman, but normal for a man?

17. Is there a double standard for men and women? How? Is this fair?

Vocabulary

Choose the words you know. Use them to write three questions.

annoy | rage | peeve | bother | polite | impolite

offended | courtesy | litter | litterbug | obnoxious

toxic | profanity

Proverbs

Read the common sayings and proverbs below. Can you add two more?

Recite “patience” three times and it will spare you a murder. —Korean

This is done and I’m to blame; therefore, know that I’m in shame. —Persian

Control yourself: remember anger is only one letter short of danger. —School poster

Love makes a good eye squint. —English

The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour. —Japanese

The Conversation Continues

1. What table manners or eating styles make you frown or annoy you?

2. When, if ever, does snoring, sneezing, or coughing bother you?

3. Where do you find adults generally act their worst? Why?

4. How does a polite child act? How does a rude child behave?

5. Where do people learn good manners? What are good manners?

6. What do you dislike about living here?

7. Can you describe a polite boss? A very difficult boss?

8. How have co-workers annoyed you? What did they do? How did you handle difficult co-workers?

9. How have you handled working with rude customers? Are you able to keep your cool?

10. Does foul language, or profanity, upset you? When?

11. What obnoxious ads have you had a strong negative reaction to?

12. Have you ever walked out of a movie? Were you bored or offended? Why?

13. Are there personality traits that you find extremely disagreeable?

14. How can someone really make you “blow your lid” or explode? What brings out the worst in you? A family relative? A good friend?

15. What is something that once annoyed you that you have, over time, come to tolerate?

16. Have you seen any changes in what are considered good manners in your life? What?

17. Do you have any advice for dealing with difficult, moody, or “toxic” people?

Discussing Quotations

With your conversation partner(s) or on your own, read the following quotations out loud. Do you agree? Do you disagree? Why? Explain your reasons.

1. “If you empty a cup of wine in one gulp, you are a drunkard.”

—Talmud

2. “The test of good manners is to be patient with bad ones.”

—Solomon ibn Gabriol (1021-1051), Hebrew poet

3. “Good manners are made up of petty sacrifices.”

—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), writer

4. “Be polite; write diplomatically; even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.”

—Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898), German Chancellor

5. “Never treat a guest like a member of the family-treat him with courtesy.”

—Evan Esar (1899-1935), American humorist

6. “My dad was the town drunk. Usually that’s not so bad, but New York City?”

—Henny Youngman, (1906-1998), comedian

7. “Isn’t it monstrous the way people go about saying things behind other people’s backs that are absolutely and entirely true?”

—Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), playwright

8. “In the first place, God made idiots; this was for practice. Then he made school boards.”

—Mark Twain (1835-1910), humorist

9. “The best way to be successful in Hollywood is to be as obnoxious as the next guy.”

—Sylvester Stallone (1946-), actor and director

10. “Being a star has made it possible for me to get insulted in places where the average Negro could never hope to get insulted.”

—Sammy Davis, Jr (1925-1990), American entertainer

11. “When you’re down and out, something always turns up-usually the noses of your friends.”

—Orson Welles (1915-1985), actor and director

12. “Earthquakes bring out the worst in some guys.”

—George Kennedy, American actor, in Earthquake

13. “I’ve had a wonderful evening – but this wasn’t it.”

—Groucho Marx (1895-1977), American wit and quiz show host