Minor things that bother you

[kurumi]

This song might be apropos for this point in the thread (profanity, sexism in lyrics):

[1995hoo]

So she eventually got there 30 minutes late. One of them had called her by then, so they knew she was lost. She said when she arrived, they all applauded. (May I mention this restaurant is maybe a mile or two from where she works!)

[ZLoth]

Here is something that bugs me about football broadcasts... but first, a YouTube video....

This concerns the "Up" cameras (aka Cameras 1, 2,3) that cover the field. What has bothered me in some NFL broadcasts, depending on the stadium. In some cases, the camera isn't mounted high enough, so when there is a big scoring play, all of a sudden you are seeing someone's hand blocking the field of vision of the camera. You mean you couldn't get one more foot for that camera?

[thenetwork]

This one has perplexed me in the last several months:

I LOVE Nacho Cheese Domino's, but I don't like spending over $6 for a large bag of them or over $2 for a small single serve bag.

Doritos are extremely popular at the retail grocery stores, so much so there is usually a Nacho Cheese flavored section running from the floor to the top shelf in the snack aisle.

If Nacho Cheese Dorito's are such a popular item, then why is it so hard to find a generic store brand on independent brand of Nacho Cheese tortilla chips that are usually half the price bust just as good?

Ive looked at Safeway, Kroger and even the neighborhood Walmart stores (Even the Dollar General stores.  They have tons of plain tortilla chips that are not made by Frito Lay, and occasionally one or two other flavors (lime or ranch), but more times than not, they are always completely out of the Nacho cheese flavored.  If on that rare occasion they have some in stock, it's usually about 10-12 bags tops.

Out of all the different chips and pretzels that are made by Frito Lay and non-Frito Lay entities, why is it just Nacho Cheese Dorito's the only brand you can readilly buy for that flavor anywhere and everywhere?

[hbelkins]

This one has perplexed me in the last several months:

I LOVE Nacho Cheese Domino's, but I don't like spending over $6 for a large bag of them or over $2 for a small single serve bag.

Doritos are extremely popular at the retail grocery stores, so much so there is usually a Nacho Cheese flavored section running from the floor to the top shelf in the snack aisle.

If Nacho Cheese Dorito's are such a popular item, then why is it so hard to find a generic store brand on independent brand of Nacho Cheese tortilla chips that are usually half the price bust just as good?

Ive looked at Safeway, Kroger and even the neighborhood Walmart stores (Even the Dollar General stores.  They have tons of plain tortilla chips that are not made by Frito Lay, and occasionally one or two other flavors (lime or ranch), but more times than not, they are always completely out of the Nacho cheese flavored.  If on that rare occasion they have some in stock, it's usually about 10-12 bags tops.

Out of all the different chips and pretzels that are made by Frito Lay and non-Frito Lay entities, why is it just Nacho Cheese Dorito's the only brand you can readilly buy for that flavor anywhere and everywhere?

I didn't know Domino's made a nacho cheese pizza! 

First of all, you're buying them wrong. With the digital coupons from Dollar Genera, you can usually get them two for $6 or $7. Walmart has them for $3 for a 9.25-oz bag and $5.94 for a 14.5-oz "Party Size" bag.

There are some some store brand nacho cheese flavored tortilla chips out there. I think Save-a-Lot may have some under their J. Higgs or Senora Verde brands. But they generally taste like crap compared to name brand Doritos.

[kphoger]

I didn't know Domino's made a nacho cheese pizza! 

And here, I assumed he meant the table game...

Ive looked at Safeway, Kroger and even the neighborhood Walmart stores (Even the Dollar General stores.  They have tons of plain tortilla chips that are not made by Frito Lay, and occasionally one or two other flavors (lime or ranch), but more times than not, they are always completely out of the Nacho cheese flavored.  If on that rare occasion they have some in stock, it's usually about 10-12 bags tops.

Out of all the different chips and pretzels that are made by Frito Lay and non-Frito Lay entities, why is it just Nacho Cheese Dorito's the only brand you can readilly buy for that flavor anywhere and everywhere?

First of all, you're buying them wrong. With the digital coupons from Dollar Genera, you can usually get them two for $6 or $7. Walmart has them for $3 for a 9.25-oz bag and $5.94 for a 14.5-oz "Party Size" bag.

He can't get them if they're always out of them, though.

[1995hoo]

I've tried Wegmans brand nacho cheese tortilla chips. They were fine, but for whatever reason I simply like Doritos better. I couldn't really tell you why, though. In any event, I don't buy either very often.

[Rothman]

I've tried Wegmans brand nacho cheese tortilla chips. They were fine, but for whatever reason I simply like Doritos better. I couldn't really tell you why, though. In any event, I don't buy either very often.

I've been eating Wegmans' version of Cheez-Its and am disappointed.

[JayhawkCO]

I've tried Wegmans brand nacho cheese tortilla chips. They were fine, but for whatever reason I simply like Doritos better. I couldn't really tell you why, though. In any event, I don't buy either very often.

I've been eating Wegmans' version of Cheez-Its and am disappointed.

The Kroger generic Cheez-Its are terrible. Their generic Goldfish are awesome though.

[kphoger]

Seems like a good time to bring this up.

Barnum's animal crackers just don't taste the way they used to.  They're like eating cardboard now.  But the brand they sell at Aldi tastes just like I remember, maybe even better.

[J N Winkler]

Aldi's house brand (Savoritz) is fully as moreish as real Cheez-Its.

[kphoger]

Aldi's house brand (Savoritz) is fully as moreish as real Cheez-Its.

Disagree.  We tried them, none of us liked them, and we've gone back to brand name Cheez-Its.

[1995hoo]

I've tried Wegmans brand nacho cheese tortilla chips. They were fine, but for whatever reason I simply like Doritos better. I couldn't really tell you why, though. In any event, I don't buy either very often.

I've been eating Wegmans' version of Cheez-Its and am disappointed.

I'll take your word for it. I'm not sure when the last time I had a Cheez-It (whether name brand or the equivalent store brand) was, other than that it might not have been during the 21st century.

[GaryV]

Barnum's animal crackers just don't taste the way they used to

Probably took out the trans fats. That's what made most food yummy.

[kphoger]

Probably took out the trans fats.

Transphobic fat-shaming greedy corporate pigs.

[wanderer2575]

There are some some store brand nacho cheese flavored tortilla chips out there. I think Save-a-Lot may have some under their J. Higgs or Senora Verde brands. But they generally taste like crap compared to name brand Doritos.

I've had some decent ones, although of course I couldn't tell you the brand names.  The other thing about tortilla chips is that I find Doritos a little too heavy on the amount of spice powder but other brands usually a little too light.

For the ultimate store brand tastes-like-crap, Kroger brand pizza rolls tops my list.  I tried them once and then put the whole bagful down the garbage disposal because they were so gawdawful inedible.  (But I think their thin crust frozen pizza is pretty good.)

[kphoger]

Kroger brand pizza rolls tops my list.  I tried them once and then put the whole bagful down the garbage disposal because they were so gawdawful inedible.

Why didn't you just put them in the trash?  That probably wasn't good for either your disposal or your pipes.

[thenetwork]

Seems like a good time to bring this up.

Barnum's animal crackers just don't taste the way they used to.  They're like eating cardboard now.  But the brand they sell at Aldi tastes just like I remember, maybe even better.

IIRC, if you can find Austin's Animal Cookies, they use the same formula as the old McDonaldland Cookies.  Both come from Keebler. Those are the best.

[formulanone]

I've tried Wegmans brand nacho cheese tortilla chips. They were fine, but for whatever reason I simply like Doritos better. I couldn't really tell you why, though. In any event, I don't buy either very often.

I've been eating Wegmans' version of Cheez-Its and am disappointed.

I'll take your word for it. I'm not sure when the last time I had a Cheez-It (whether name brand or the equivalent store brand) was, other than that it might not have been during the 21st century.

My kids have outgrown a lot of different snacks but Cheez-Its still have a place in the pantry (if there's any left).

Weird that someone hasn't been able to make a knock-off "triangular nacho-like corn-based salty snack which stains your fingers during consumption" after all these years.

[wxfree]

"More than" values.  Sometimes these make sense.  A number like 1,000,042 can be "more than a million.)  Showing the actual number, such a big number doesn't have much more meaning than the general number (one million).  Smaller and more familiar numbers aren't like that.  And writing "more than a dozen" doesn't save space or mental effort compared with saying "15."  To me, a dozen, unlike a million, isn't a thing.  A dozen is 12, which is a number, a number I can easily count to.  A million isn't a specific value, but is an idea of a big number.  I know exactly how big it is mathematically, but I can't form an image of a million items in my mind.  So a million is a thing, an idea, and not just a number.  A dozen isn't, because it just means 12, which is a number I easily understand.  (I can easily imagine driving 12 miles in 12 minutes.  I've done so many times.  I can't imagine driving 1,000,000 miles in 1,000,000 minutes.  The number is too big to be something specific, so it's more of an idea or part of a mathematical calculation, so saying "more than" or "almost" a million has more meaning than a precise number.  I know some people drive those numbers, but holding that numerical value in your mind is a different thing than doing it over a course of decades.)

That went off on a wide tangent.  I'd never thought about how I conceptualize numbers until just now.  My real complaint is about putting "more than a dozen" or "more than 50" in a news story rather than just telling us the actual number.  It doesn't save space on a newspaper page, it takes more space, and it doesn't have more meaning, because numbers in those ranges are familiar.  What I really hate, and is fortunately rather rare, is use of a specific number rather than a round number, like saying "more than 43."  What does that mean, 44?  Isn't it easier to just say that?  I've seen something like that I think twice and wondered why anyone would combine a generality ("more than") with such specificity (an exact number).  I'll really complain when someone says "more than 39" and apparently means 40.  In protest, I'll start referring to 12 as "more than a dozen minus one."

[LilianaUwU]

"More than" values.  Sometimes these make sense.  A number like 1,000,042 can be "more than a million.)  Showing the actual number, such a big number doesn't have much more meaning than the general number (one million).  Smaller and more familiar numbers aren't like that.  And writing "more than a dozen" doesn't save space or mental effort compared with saying "15."  To me, a dozen, unlike a million, isn't a thing.  A dozen is 12, which is a number, a number I can easily count to.  A million isn't a specific value, but is an idea of a big number.  I know exactly how big it is mathematically, but I can't form an image of a million items in my mind.  So a million is a thing, an idea, and not just a number.  A dozen isn't, because it just means 12, which is a number I easily understand.  (I can easily imagine driving 12 miles in 12 minutes.  I've done so many times.  I can't imagine driving 1,000,000 miles in 1,000,000 minutes.  The number is too big to be something specific, so it's more of an idea or part of a mathematical calculation, so saying "more than" or "almost" a million has more meaning than a precise number.  I know some people drive those numbers, but holding that numerical value in your mind is a different thing than doing it over a course of decades.)

That went off on a wide tangent.  I'd never thought about how I conceptualize numbers until just now.  My real complaint is about putting "more than a dozen" or "more than 50" in a news story rather than just telling us the actual number.  It doesn't save space on a newspaper page, it takes more space, and it doesn't have more meaning, because numbers in those ranges are familiar.  What I really hate, and is fortunately rather rare, is use of a specific number rather than a round number, like saying "more than 43."  What does that mean, 44?  Isn't it easier to just say that?  I've seen something like that I think twice and wondered why anyone would combine a generality ("more than") with such specificity (an exact number).  I'll really complain when someone says "more than 39" and apparently means 40.  In protest, I'll start referring to 12 as "more than a dozen minus one."

On a similar note, don't get me started on "half a dozen". There's a three-letter word describing exactly that number that has existed for ages.

[wxfree]

"More than" values.  Sometimes these make sense.  A number like 1,000,042 can be "more than a million.)  Showing the actual number, such a big number doesn't have much more meaning than the general number (one million).  Smaller and more familiar numbers aren't like that.  And writing "more than a dozen" doesn't save space or mental effort compared with saying "15."  To me, a dozen, unlike a million, isn't a thing.  A dozen is 12, which is a number, a number I can easily count to.  A million isn't a specific value, but is an idea of a big number.  I know exactly how big it is mathematically, but I can't form an image of a million items in my mind.  So a million is a thing, an idea, and not just a number.  A dozen isn't, because it just means 12, which is a number I easily understand.  (I can easily imagine driving 12 miles in 12 minutes.  I've done so many times.  I can't imagine driving 1,000,000 miles in 1,000,000 minutes.  The number is too big to be something specific, so it's more of an idea or part of a mathematical calculation, so saying "more than" or "almost" a million has more meaning than a precise number.  I know some people drive those numbers, but holding that numerical value in your mind is a different thing than doing it over a course of decades.)

That went off on a wide tangent.  I'd never thought about how I conceptualize numbers until just now.  My real complaint is about putting "more than a dozen" or "more than 50" in a news story rather than just telling us the actual number.  It doesn't save space on a newspaper page, it takes more space, and it doesn't have more meaning, because numbers in those ranges are familiar.  What I really hate, and is fortunately rather rare, is use of a specific number rather than a round number, like saying "more than 43."  What does that mean, 44?  Isn't it easier to just say that?  I've seen something like that I think twice and wondered why anyone would combine a generality ("more than") with such specificity (an exact number).  I'll really complain when someone says "more than 39" and apparently means 40.  In protest, I'll start referring to 12 as "more than a dozen minus one."

On a similar note, don't get me started on "half a dozen". There's a three-letter word describing exactly that number that has existed for ages.

That reminds me of football game announcers.  I don't willingly watch football on television, but years ago when I was stuck watching whatever someone else had one, I saw some games.  The announcers seem to have a bias against the unit of length equal to more than a dozen minus one inches.  They'd say "third and four" referring to four yards, or "third and inches" referring to a short distance.  Sometimes those "inches" looked like about a foot, but they'd never say that.  One time I heard one refer to the distance as a third of a yard.  That confirmed the bias, as there's no other interpretation of that description.

[GaryV]

"more than 50" in a news story

That might be because they don't know the actual number. It might be 52, it might be 54. It might be even more. But until all the cars in that snowstorm wreck are pulled off the Interstate, the news reporter (and the police who are informing the reporter) don't really know the specific number.

[There, see how I cleverly got it back onto a road topic?] 

[jeffandnicole]

"More than" values.  Sometimes these make sense.  A number like 1,000,042 can be "more than a million.)  Showing the actual number, such a big number doesn't have much more meaning than the general number (one million).  Smaller and more familiar numbers aren't like that.  And writing "more than a dozen" doesn't save space or mental effort compared with saying "15."  To me, a dozen, unlike a million, isn't a thing.  A dozen is 12, which is a number, a number I can easily count to.  A million isn't a specific value, but is an idea of a big number.  I know exactly how big it is mathematically, but I can't form an image of a million items in my mind.  So a million is a thing, an idea, and not just a number.  A dozen isn't, because it just means 12, which is a number I easily understand.  (I can easily imagine driving 12 miles in 12 minutes.  I've done so many times.  I can't imagine driving 1,000,000 miles in 1,000,000 minutes.  The number is too big to be something specific, so it's more of an idea or part of a mathematical calculation, so saying "more than" or "almost" a million has more meaning than a precise number.  I know some people drive those numbers, but holding that numerical value in your mind is a different thing than doing it over a course of decades.)

That went off on a wide tangent.  I'd never thought about how I conceptualize numbers until just now.  My real complaint is about putting "more than a dozen" or "more than 50" in a news story rather than just telling us the actual number.  It doesn't save space on a newspaper page, it takes more space, and it doesn't have more meaning, because numbers in those ranges are familiar.  What I really hate, and is fortunately rather rare, is use of a specific number rather than a round number, like saying "more than 43."  What does that mean, 44?  Isn't it easier to just say that?  I've seen something like that I think twice and wondered why anyone would combine a generality ("more than") with such specificity (an exact number).  I'll really complain when someone says "more than 39" and apparently means 40.  In protest, I'll start referring to 12 as "more than a dozen minus one."

For most numbers, the actual number doesn't matter, and for most audiences, they don't care either.

Same reason why amounts are often abbreviated in financial reports. Even when you fill out a 1040, you could round to the nearest dollar. The IRS doesn't care about the exact cent.

[vdeane]

That reminds me of football game announcers.  I don't willingly watch football on television, but years ago when I was stuck watching whatever someone else had one, I saw some games.  The announcers seem to have a bias against the unit of length equal to more than a dozen minus one inches.  They'd say "third and four" referring to four yards, or "third and inches" referring to a short distance.  Sometimes those "inches" looked like about a foot, but they'd never say that.  One time I heard one refer to the distance as a third of a yard.  That confirmed the bias, as there's no other interpretation of that description.

They're probably trying to avoid having the audience do unit conversions.  The field is measured in yards, so they use yards.

Same reason why amounts are often abbreviated in financial reports. Even when you fill out a 1040, you could round to the nearest dollar. The IRS doesn't care about the exact cent.

And not all tax software will allow you to enter the exact amount.  Free file fillable forms doesn't; it rounds to the nearest dollar if you try.  And NYS tax forms explicitly require the rounding.