When you decide to rescue a new (or old) pet peeve, please consider those with special needs. While special needs peeves do tend to require around-the-clock care far beyond the age when most peeves leave the nest altogether, nurturing them seems especially satisfying.

Take, for example, my most special (and most needy) pet peeve. Many years have passed since I first decided to rescue the addition of a new definition of “literally” which literally means “not literally”. I can only assume the dictionary gods finally tired of explaining how to properly use the word in a sentence and literally (not literally?) gave up on humanity.

I have to attend to my special needs peeve more than most others, so that I don’t accidentally stop caring how people use the word. It’s a slippery slope, folks.

Don’t forget to rescue peeves with special needs. They are loyal. Most will stay with you forever.