Stupid Pet Peeve of the Day
It bothers me when people stretch words out by repeating a consonant that can’t be repeated easily. The letters B, D, K, P, Q, T, and X (or C and G, for their hard sounds) make no sense when you stretch them out to indicate the word’s being drawn out. For example, if they want to indicate a whiny “Please”, and they type “Ppppppppplease!” Given the presence of so many other letters that can be stretched (especially the first “E” and the “S”, which are typically the letters drawn out when stretching the word please), there’s no reason for the P to be stretched unless you’re pronouncing it with a stutter, like P-p-p-porky P-p-pig.
While I’m ranting about silly stuff, I get annoyed when people misuse “Ooh” and “Oh” or “Ah” and “Aah”. “Ohhhhhhhh” is not pronounced like a drawn out “Ooh.” “Ooh” (Or, if you must draw it out, “Oooooh”) is a sound of amazement, joy, excitement. “Oh” (or “Ohhhhh”) is more of an expression of surprise, possibly alarm. It might also be used simply as a generic interjection. “Oh, I get it now.” This might be drawn out if you’re coming to a slow, dawning realization, “Ohhhhhhhhh, I get it now.” Using “Oooh” in that case conveys something different.
“Ah” is very similar to “Oh” in its usage, whereas “Aah” is an expression of surprise and alarm. Think of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, just before the Black Beast of Aarrgh shows up:
Bedevere: Ooooh!!!
Lancelot: No. ‘Aaarrgh’, at the back of the throat. Aaaarrrrgh.
Bedevere: No, no, no. ‘Ooooh’ in surprise and alarm!
Lancelot: Oh, you mean a sort of ‘Aaah!’
Now that you mention it, yes, I think I am feeling a bit nitpicky today.