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What gets on your nerves?

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Everybody loves to complain. We talk about things that annoy us very often so let’s learn how to do that in English!
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Useful phrases and idioms

Watch those clips and fill in the gaps to construct the phrases and idioms.
  • “They’re getting on my ..., mom.”
  • “You kids are driving me ...!”
  • "That guy just … me.”
  • “Ryan, is he ... you? Dwight, you gotta (have got to) take a ... pill, man.”
  • “I’m not ... the ..., okay? I didn’t sleep well last night.”
  • “Dwight tells me you’ve been ... him ... company info. ”
  • "Bree Van De Kamp had occasionally found her home invaded by household p…. When it came to the latest p… who had invaded Bree's home, extermination was not an option.”
  • “Your rabbi is a ... in my ass.”
  • “Every time I think about him, my ... boils.”

Let’s recap the phrases:

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And practice them!

Exercise 1
Fill in the gaps.
  1. It really b... me when you eat with your mouth open.
  1. I don’t wanna go to the cinema today, I’m not ... the mood.
  1. I have to stay late at work today and finish the paperwork! It’s such a pain in the ...
  1. I can explain everything so just take a ... pill.
  1. Stop p... me to give you free tickets. I can’t do that!
  1. She kept asking me stupid questions and it really got on my ...
  1. It makes my ... boil when I see how he treats his mother.
  1. I hate being so helpless, it ... me crazy!
  1. My computer has crashed 3 times today. It really ... on my nerves.
  1. Can you please get off my back today? I’m not in the ... to argue.
  1. My co-worker has this annoying habit of biting her nails. It really b... me.
  1. I find it very frustrating when sellers keep p... me to buy more stuff.
  1. When we learnt about the stolen money, it made our blood ...
  1. It’s not such a big deal, take a chill ...!
  1. I don’t wanna babysit again. That child is such a ... in the ass!
  1. They’re driving each other ... I bet they will break up soon.

I’m angry at/in/on you!

“I’m so angry ... you!” Which preposition should be used here? Listen to this clip to find out.
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Similarly, when you use other verbs with similar meaning to ‘angry’, you’ll also use the preposition ‘at’ in this context. Read those two sentences below aloud with the correct preposition. Then watch the clips.
“No, I'm still furious ... you.”
“I can tell they're pissed ... me.”
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Did you notice that in fast speech you can’t hear the preposition ‘at’ as an individual word? Read those sentences again and try to mimic the exact pronunciation of the characters in the clips.

‘Pissed’ means drunk or angry?

So... what comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘piss’? Watch this clip first and then I’ll explain why it’s relevant.
 
 
Yeah, to ‘piss’ means to pee, pass urine. The ‘cat-pissed’ couch is a couch on which this lady’s cat pissed. There’s another meaning of the word ‘pissed’, though.
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British English - pissed means drunk American English - pissed means annoyed and angry So how do Brits say ‘angry and annoyed’? They say ‘pissed off’. ❗Those phrases are considered offensive so use them only in informal conversations ❗
 
Check out those clips in which Americans use the word ‘pissed’ meaning ‘angry and annoyed’
”This guy thinks I cheated. I was so pissed. I may suck at physics, but I'm not a cheater.”
”Haven't you been working there for like a year? I bet Trevor doesn't even know you work there. I'd be pissed. Are you pissed? I'd be pissed.”
 
Exercise 2
Answer the following questions:
  1. How do you handle being angry at a family member who constantly borrows your things without asking for permission?
  1. If you were angry at a shop employee for providing poor customer service, what would you do?
  1. What do you do to calm down when you’re pissed?
  1. When was the last time you were pissed? What happened?
  1. Would you be pissed if a friend repeatedly cancelled plans at the last minute?
  1. Would you be pissed if somebody stole your phone? What would you do?
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You can also use it as a phrasal verb. ‘To piss somebody off’ means to annoy somebody (both in British and American English). Example: Stop borrowing my car without asking. It’s pissing me off. Practise: 1. Does it piss you off when someone cuts you off in traffic? 2. What used to piss you off when you lived with your parents? 3. Would you be pissed off if you got a cold meal at a restaurant?
Here’s an example: ”Now I love you, and not just cause I have to. You just have to stop pissing me off.”

Quit bitching!

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rude, slang bitch about something/someone - to complain about something/someone (usually used to show that the listener is getting annoyed about the complaints) Example: Quit bitching about your flat already and find a new one! Practise: 1. Do you often bitch about your job? What do you usually bitch about? 2. Do people in your country often bitch about the weather? 3. Do you remember a time when you decided to stop bitching about something and take action?
Here’s an example: "You're not gonna end up alone." "Of course I am. I reject anyone who's crazy enough to actually go out with me and then I bitch about the fact that there aren't any great women out there." "Chandler, you have just described virtually every man that we have ever gone out with.”
Exercise 3
There’s a mistake in each sentence. Correct them.
  1. Jacob often forgets to mute his microphone during meetings and we can hear his dog barking. It really drives me nerves.
  1. Take a chill medicine and just calm down. Nothing happened!
  1. I know that it bees my mum when I talk to her and use my phone at the same time so I always turn it off when I visit her.
  1. It makes my soup boil when people park too close to the line in a parking lot and I can’t park on the spot next to them.
  1. My ex-flatmate used to put empty milk cartons back in the fridge. It was really running me crazy.
  1. My friend was very loud in the cinema and it pissed me on.
  1. I was so peed when the shop assistant accused me of stealing.
Exercise 4
Why are these people angry? Guess and describe the situation using the phrases we’ve learnt so far.
Example 1
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Example 2
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Example 3
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Example 4
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Example 5
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Example 6
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Example 7
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Example 8
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Grammar bit

First, let’s watch two clips. While watching, fill in the gaps with the words you hear.
A "I always … too much to my burrito so this time I'm gonna try and tread lightly.”
- YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
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https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxTqr8gMRDAioDzw6bKLLaNWDC6aSWrvUD
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tread /tred/ - step or walk on something Examples:
  • She was treading carefully over the icy pavement to avoid slipping.
  • I could hear someone treading on the wooden floor upstairs.
tread lightly/carefully - be careful, avoid causing problems, offence Examples:
  • He’s treading into dangerous territory by criticising his boss in public.
  • We need to tread carefully with these negotiations to avoid conflict.
B ”Why ... you always ... her all the time?”
Click here to read the transcript of this video:
"Phil Donahue did a whole show..." "Gwenna, no one wants to hear about Phil Donahue right now." "Why are you always interrupting her all the time? How would you like it if somebody interrupted you every time you started to talk?”
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  1. Which tense did Speaker A use?
  1. Which tense did Speaker B use?
  1. Did both speakers talk about habits?
  1. Which speaker was irritated: Speaker A or Speaker B?
Complete the sentence with the words "general" and "annoying":
  1. Use the Present Simple to talk about … habits.
  1. Use the Present Continuous to talk about … habits.

Theory:

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Exercise 5
Fill in the gaps. All sentences are about annoying habits.
  1. She … her keys! (always/lose)
  1. My brother … my laptop without asking. (constantly/borrow)
  1. You … about your job. Do something about it! (always/complain)
  1. I don’t like meeting up with them. They … (constantly/fight)
  1. Why … she … on her phone instead of working? (always/talk)
  1. I don’t wanna talk to her! She … everything I do. (constantly/criticise)
  1. Why … the boss … at you? You work so hard. (always/yell)
  1. I don’t know why he … money. He has a job. (always/borrow)
  1. Mum, I don’t wanna go to school. All the kids … at me. (constantly/laugh)
  1. I’m so mad at myself. I … things. (always/forget)
Exercise 6
Fill in the gaps with either Present Simple or Present Continuous.
  1. They … the plants every Saturday morning. (water)
  1. They’re always … my things without asking! (borrow)
  1. My neighbour is constantly … loud music late at night. I can’t sleep! (play)
  1. She … to classical music while working—it helps her focus. (listen)
  1. She’s always … me for help at the last minute—it’s so frustrating! (ask)
  1. He’s constantly … his dirty dishes in the sink. (leave)
  1. They … dinner together every evening—it’s their way of unwinding. (cook)
  1. I … a cup of tea every afternoon—it’s my little break. (drink)

Let’s chat!

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Exercise 7
Answer the questions. Use phrases from this lesson.
  1. What bugs you about your colleagues and family members?
  1. Does it get on your nerves when you’re stuck in a traffic jam?
  1. Do you have siblings? Do they sometimes piss you off?
  1. Do you find it annoying when telemarketers pester you with phone calls?
  1. Does waiting in a queue drive you crazy?
  1. When you can’t sleep at night are you not in the mood the next day?
  1. When you were a child, do you think you were a pain in the ass?
  1. Tell me about a teacher that made your blood boil in high school.
  1. Does it get on your nerves when somebody tells you to take a chill pill when you’re furious?
  1. When was the last time you were angry at yourself?
  1. When is your partner/best friend a pain in the neck?
  1. Did your teachers have favourite students? Did that get on your nerves?
  1. What puts you in a good/bad mood?
  1. Do you have annoying habits? What are they?
  1. What does your best friend often bitch about?
 

Exercise 8

Let’s revise with some bonus clips!
  • "How come Angelus is getting all cuddly with her, Lyle? I mean does the man have no code?" "Are you gonna be p… me with those questions all damn day?
  • "Can you cut one R out of your R& R and come back now, please?" "Look, just don't b… me anymore. I got too much wildness going on here to answer any of your dumb questions.”
 
  • "Our lab needs an incubator." "Yeah, we could speed up diagnoses and treatment by days." "Well, hell! We just got the barbecue. I can't pester them … an incubator."
  • "I always think I'll have a lot of fun if I'm alone, but when I'm alone, isn't that much fun at all. I don't care how much people b… me sometimes, I'd rather be with somebody than by myself."
  • “I propose a toast. Now he may be a … in the butt at times. Trust me, I know. But this cat proved to me without a doubt whose heart is bigger than stomach”
Video preview

Answer key

Exercise 1
  1. bugs
  1. in
  1. ass/butt/neck
  1. chill
  1. pestering
  1. nerves
  1. blood
  1. drives
  1. gets
  1. mood
  1. bugs
  1. pestering
  1. boil
  1. pill
  1. pain
  1. crazy
Exercise 3
  1. It really drives me crazy. / It really gets on my nerves.
  1. Take a chill pill and just calm down.
  1. I know that it bugs my mum…
  1. It makes my blood boil when…
  1. It was really driving me crazy.
  1. It pissed me off.
  1. I was so pissed / pissed off…
Exercise 5
  1. She’s always losing her keys.
  1. My brother is constantly borrowing my laptop without asking.
  1. You’re always complaining about your job.
  1. They are constantly fighting.
  1. Why is she always talking on her phone?
  1. She’s always criticising everything I do.
  1. Why is the boss always yelling at you?
  1. I don’t know why he’s always borrowing money.
  1. All the kids are constantly laughing at me.
  1. I’m always forgetting things.