pet

Mrs. Astor's pet horse

old-fashioned Someone dressed or decorated very ostentatiously; someone who is particularly pretentious or showy in appearance. The "Mrs. Astor" in the phrase refers to American financier William Astor's wife Caroline, a legendary 19th-century New York City socialite known for her lavish parties. Look at her swanning about in all her furs and jewelry, like Mrs. Astor's pet horse.
See also: horse, pet

pet hate

A source of annoyance for one; a pet peeve. Ugh, my pet hate is people who chew with their mouths open.
See also: hate, pet

pet peeve

A typically minor issue that causes one frequent and recurring annoyance. It's always been my pet peeve when cars turn without using their signals. It drives me crazy! A: "Ugh, I hate it when people talk during a movie." B: "Oh, I know, that's my pet peeve, too!"
See also: peeve, pet

teacher's pet

1. A derogatory term for a teacher's favorite or favored student, typically one who has sought such favor by being ingratiatingly obedient. Jill's classmates called her a teacher's pet after she volunteered to supervise the class while the teacher was away. Being the teacher's pet will get you nowhere when the midterm exam rolls around.
2. By extension, a derogatory term for someone who has gained or attempts to gain the favor of an authority figure, typically in order to obtain preferential treatment. Jeff is the resident teacher's pet in the office. He brings the boss coffee every day.
See also: pet
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

pet hate

Fig. something that is disliked intensely and is a constant or repeated annoyance. My pet hate is being put on hold on the telephone. Another pet hate of mine is having to stand in line.
See also: hate, pet

pet peeve

Fig. a frequent annoyance; one's "favorite" or most often encountered annoyance. My pet peeve is someone who always comes into the theater after the show has started. Drivers who don't signal are John's pet peeve.
See also: peeve, pet

*teacher's pet

the teacher's favorite student. (*Typically: be ~; become ~.) Sally is the teacher's pet. She always gets special treatment. The other students don't like the teacher's pet.
See also: pet
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

pet peeve

A particular or recurring source of irritation, as in My pet peeve is that neighbor's cat running through my herb garden. [Early 1900s]
See also: peeve, pet

teacher's pet

A person who has gained favor with authority, as in Al has managed to be teacher's pet in any job he has held. This expression transfers the original sense of a teacher's favorite pupil to broader use. [1920s]
See also: pet
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

your, his, etc. pet ˈhate

(British English) (American English your, his, etc. pet ˈpeeve) something that you particularly dislike: She didn’t mind people smoking, but her pet hate was people blowing smoke in her face.
See also: hate, pet
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

pet peeve

n. a major or principal annoyance or complaint. Dirty dishes in restaurants are my pet peeve.
See also: peeve, pet
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

pet peeve, one's

One’s favorite gripe, a recurring source of annoyance. The noun peeve is what linguists call a back formation from the adjective peevish, but its ultimate derivation, as well as that of pet, is apparently unknown. The pairing of the two, an Americanism, dates from the early 1900s.
See also: pet
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer

teacher's pet

Someone who seeks preferential treatment. A derisive epithet hurled at a student who tries to curry a teacher's favor in hopes of a better grade. Such a charge, valid or not, often led to cloakroom or schoolyard challenges and bloody noses. Outside of school, it was applied to people who insinuated themselves to authority in the hope of special treatment. The French equivalent is “teacher's little cabbage.”
See also: pet
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price
See also:
  • Astor
  • borak
  • accompany (one) on a/(one's) journey
  • accompany on a journey
  • a happy bunny
  • a happy camper
  • a stranger to (someone or something)
  • be out of (one's) league
  • be out of somebody's league
  • be in bad with (someone)
References in periodicals archive
Pet Gear Solutions currently offers collections that feature more than 200 different products for cats and dogs.
Several owners are hyped up on the idea of exploring the city with their pets that they often forget to bring their pet's leash or crate.
This might seem like a no-brainer if you have kids around, but it's also important to keep your pets away from alcoholic beverages.
Jason certainly isn't paying pet rent if he acquired the dog after his move-in date and never reported it and the dog might not comply with community regulations.
Guests who intend to check in with their animals will be asked to sign a pet agreement, present the pet's vaccination certificate, and make sure that he or she is 'clean, well groomed, and completely free of fleas and ticks.' Pets must always be leashed, with ID tags.
Compatible with most Apple, Samsung, Motorola, Android, LG, HTC and Nexus phone and tablet models, Pet Photo Saver is able to store up to 16 GB of memory (up to 4,000 photos!) and precious moments, which means thousands of pet's photos will be safe and organized together forever.
Understand your pet's language Pets use body language to communicate with their fur-parents.
Pet Life Radio is available on-demand from the PetLifeRadio.com website, iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and over 30 podcast distributors.
Lotte Department Store established a taskforce for its pet business last August under immediate control of the company's representative director.
The report concludes that there's little pet owners won't do for their pets.
Grocery retailers can help solve those problems -- and profit in the process -- by merchandising and marketing products that pet parents can use to prepare their furry companions for winter.
Both Pet Valu and Pet Supermarket are one-stop shops for customers, offering a pet food, supplies and services sold.
Just as we have been for many years, we remain the number two pet search website as measured by a variety of industry standard metrics, said Meyer.
PDSA research revealed that four out of five veterinary professionals had seen an increase in pet obesity cases in the last two years.
The survey is open to all pet owners and covers all species.