Friday, August 16, 2013

Bete Noire

Ladies and Gentleman, please raise your hand if you have ever heard the words Bete Noire before.  Now raise your other hand if you know what Bete Noire means.

I have no clue what Bete Noire means.  Google is your friend…and mine…so I had to google it to find out what the heck it meant.  On a side note – when did “google it” become synonymous with “search for it on the internet”.  Can I still google it via Yahoo or Bing?

I digress…

The meaning of Bete Noire is “someone or something you especially dislike”. More or less “someone/something you absolutely hate”.  I came to find out that it’s a French word/phrase.  (Since this is something related to the French, I know one of my readers (Who Posted This?) is going to rip on the Frenchies.  Go ahead, I’m ok with that.

So tell me - do you Bete Noire anyone or anything?  I most certainly do.

Telemarketers
(Please don’t call me – if I want something, I’ll call you at 2 am)

People who go out of their way to listen to your phone conversation.
(A little privacy please?  Hello, please don’t invade my personal space.)

Traffic jams
(Why is there always a traffic jam in the direction that I’m driving?  And why is my lane always the slowest moving lane - even when I switch lanes?)

Long TV commercial breaks, especially on Indian television
(I took a nap in the afternoon, woke up and they STILL haven’t ended the commercial break yet)

People who never say “I don’t know” for any question. 
(Even if they don’t have a clue, they will just smile like an idiot as their response.)

Somebody sitting in your seat when you board an airplane
(Why does this always happen to me.  Hey pal…that’s my seat 2B.  So I want your stinky body 2 B out of my seat before you contaminate it.)

People who ignore their children when their kids are being completely obnoxious in public
(Hey parent…if you don’t discipline that kid then I will.  Don’t think I won’t.)

Long lines at theme parks
(30 minute wait for a 30 second ride.  Ugh!  Torture.  Why do we do this to ourselves.  And we pay money for this torture too.  No thanks, I’d rather chew on some broken glass).

People who laugh at their own jokes
(Ummm ok.  So tell me, was that funny?  Please let us do the laughing if really THAT funny.
LOL…HA!  Bwahahaha!  HA HA HA! 
I’m so funny today.  Yeah, except that you’re not.)

LOUD Cell phone talkers
(OMG!  Hey buddy, I’m not interested in knowing the details of your aunt’s toe surgery.  Tone it down a bit so I can discipline your kid who by the way is behaving badly)

18 comments:

  1. Nice post.. Even I hate most of the things you listed here in this post.. Especially when someone goes out of the way to listen to my phone conversations.. And for long commercial breaks on indian tv.. I don't think that will ever end.. Lovely blog.. Keep writing..!!

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  2. Thanks for your comments. And, welcome to my blog. Also, thanks for your complements.

    Priya, please visit my blog as often as possible. Thanks.

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  3. I have a huge bete noire list of people, but I feel it's better to forgive and forget. I don't want to lose my peace due to them. Telemarketers call you at 2 AM??

    Destination Infinity

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  4. Thanks for your comments Rajesh. No, they don't call me at 2 am. This was an attempted humor.

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  5. Leave it to the French to come with a word/phrase like that.
    They hate everyone and everything…yet they come running and begging for help when they’re in trouble.

    Bete Noire The French!

    You know I was actually in France in the year 2000 when they won the World Cup.
    They celebrated like CRAZY…because that was the first time they ever won anything without the help of the U.S.

    Then they turn around in 2001 and not help us (the USA) in liberating Iraq.
    But then again why should we expect their help…the French didn’t even help us liberate France!

    Eventually France did come around and decide to help us with the war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan.
    I’m glad they helped too…because we really needed the French expertise and experience in showing Saddam and Osama how to surrender.
    The French are so good at that.

    Regards,
    Bravery, Courage, Heart, Will

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  6. Thanks for your comments Bravery, Courage, Heart, and Will.

    Don't be so sure about the 2000 World Cup. May the referee for that match was an American.

    Freund, ich hasse die Französen auch. (That is German for "Friend, I hate the French too".)

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  7. hehehe nice post.. you have covered a lot of my "Bete Noire" in your list :)

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  8. Thanks for your comments Rajlakshmi. I am glad you liked this post.

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  9. yes, i have heard the word 'Bete noire' but no, i did'nt know the meaning until you wrote about.

    Ditto agree with you on almost all points from telemarketers till the end except commercial breaks.

    SG, some advertisements are more interesting and creative than the main programme.

    good listing, SG!

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  10. I have my list too -some of them same as yours like those whose kids behave badly in public! Another category are people who prefer to throw their garbage outside the garbage bin - they feel it is too much effort to extend their arm just a fraction of an inch more!!

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  11. Thanks for your comments Asha. I did not say advertisements are not interesting. My pet peeve is the TV stations put too many commercials. Some times, the same commercial is repeated more than once in a single break.

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  12. Thanks for your comments Meera. Yes, I have observed people throw garbage anywhere they want to.

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  13. bete noire
    got a long list
    nice post

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  14. Thanks for your comments sm. I am glad you liked this post.

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  15. I agree with most points in your list, esp. the TV commercials in Indian television!

    I hate people who call us and keep on talking one way. They don't bother even to know if we are listening and never listen when we start talking!

    Talking loudly in public places! The list goes on!

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  16. Thanks your comments Sandhya. Here, we avoid long commercial. We record the program in our DVR. Start watching 30 minutes later. Then, we can fast forward all the commercials.

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  17. Yes,you said it.All those plus boasters,coaxers,over-smart players and sycophants I hate.Nice post.

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  18. Agree with all the Bete Noire you mentioned in this post!! The topmost in the list would be guys from Airtel calling every second day to suggest that I change my broadband tariff plan!! :|

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