pet peeve, one's
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
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
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
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
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
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
- peeve
- pet peeve
- your, his, etc. pet hate
- pet hate
- a bone to pick
- a crow to pluck
- anything else?
- (Is there) anything else?
- (will there be) anything else?
- final