Pet Peeves: Things That Get on The Nerves of an Average Nigerian

We all have those one or two things that get on our nerves.

One thing you should know is that Nigerians have little or no patience for annoying behaviour, you’ll be insulted without hearing a word from them.

Have you ever been given the stink eyes when you behaved irritatingly?

If yes, that subtle look is enough for you to know that your behaviour is uncalled for.

If you’re a Nigerian, I’m sure you’ll be able to relate to these unpleasant and annoying behaviours, be it in your house, office, church, or anywhere you can think of.

Table of Contents

What Are Pet Peeves?

Pet Peeves are simply things or behaviours that annoy an individual or bother them to the level of irritation.

They are things people do to you that make you say “what is this?”, “Ewww”, “OMG, this is not happening!”, etc.

Pet peeves are everywhere, you’d think people are born to annoy, hence this common Yoruba phrase “se won ran e simi ni? (Were you sent to me?).

List of Some Pet Peeves of an Average Nigerian

Below are some common and uncommon pet peeves of an average Nigerian.

Slow drivers

Have you ever been annoyed at a slow driver before, even if he’s not the one driving the car you’re in sitting in?

An average Nigerian is always irritated if a slow driver is wasting or delaying his or her time, by not moving as they are supposed to.

This is a pet peeve that every Nigerian can relate to. Trust Ibadan Micra drivers, they won’t waste time raining curses on the slow driver.

But then, it is advisable for these slow drivers to turn on their emergency lights for those behind them to know.

Cutting lines

You would agree that this is a pet peeve that irritates everyone. Imagine being on a queue for some time only for someone to jump the line or come out of nowhere to move to the forefront.

Trust Nigerians, they definitely wouldn’t agree. Shouts of ‘who are you? And where are you coming from?’ would fill everywhere.

That line cutter would regret doing such.

It is pure cruise in Nigeria honestly because while you’re even on the line worrying about the situation you’re in, there’ll be an event that’d make you smile there.

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Talkative

Eiiiii, have you ever had an encounter with a talkative? This pet peeve should be first on the list.

No Nigerian can stand someone who talks too much. Always having something to say every time.

An average Nigerian would want to hear something that can add value to his/her life.

Recently, a survey was carried out about what irritates some Nigerians, and don’t be surprised because “talkative” came up on the list.

Someone even said, “no be talk-talk go give me money, mafe jo pami, (meaning don’t use talk to kill me)”.

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Unsolicited advice

Some people can’t seem to help themselves, especially people you don’t even have a personal relationship or friendship with.

They have a first-class degree in giving unsolicited advice to people they don’t even know.

They are like “haha this your phone get as e be o, your pimples are too much” and a host of other unsolicited information that gets on the nerves of an average Nigerian.

Imagine someone that’s already self-conscious about his/her body/skin, then a stranger walks up to them and tells them that.

It’s insensitive of that adviser, so, if you’re reading this and you offer unsolicited advice to people, this article is telling you to put an end to it.

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Wrong use of words

Using words the wrong way, especially in a conversation is another pet peeve to look out for.

An average Nigerian mixes up words like “their/they’re/there”, and this can be a bit annoying.

What about those that shorten words when chatting? I’m sure you don’t want to cross paths with such people.

Imagine someone sending you a chat and it goes like this “Ow r u?” (meaning How are you?), “Op u r good”, (this is for hope you are good?). “Appi buffday/bday” (Happy Birthday).

Come on, you should change the way you chat now, the world has changed and you should change likewise.

Asking personal questions

Strangers and family alike asking personal questions is another type of pet peeve that gets on the nerves of an average Nigerian.

When I say personal questions, I mean questions like “when are you getting married? why are you not married? Your mates are in their husband’s house already?”

Or they ask you, “why have you not given birth? Don’t you want to get pregnant quickly?”

I mean, this is not your business aunty, mummy, mind your business.

Read also: Amazing Health Benefits of Moringa to Nigerians.

Use of chat phrases in physical conversations

Have you ever met someone that says “lol”, “omg”, or “tbh”, etc in normal conversations, like in-person conversation.

It is extremely awkward and an average Nigerian will always react when they hear a friend say “LOL” because your conversation is funny.

To some Nigerians, this behaviour must stop, but some find it funny.

Annoying sounds

This is another pet peeve that gets on the nerves of an average Nigerian.

Have you experienced the chills down to the bones when someone drags down a chalk on the board, drags a chair on the floor, or their shoes on the ground? Yes, that sound, it is extremely irritating.

Hey, sis, carry the chair or table instead of dragging it on the floor. Stop being annoying.

Conclusion

Now you know what pet peeves mean, if you’re guilty of any of the above-mentioned pet peeves, please do the needful.

You can also add more to the list of pet peeves in the comment section because there are quite a lot of irritating habits.

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About Author

Angela Ajani: Give her books and you've made her day. Ajani Angela is a graduate of History and International Studies from Bowen University, currently pursuing her Masters Degree in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Ibadan.
Angela loves to read and meet new people. Her interests are not limited to just education; she also loves to offer advice to people going through a lot.
Angela loves to hear from readers. You can email her at [email protected].