nails on a chalkboard (uncountable)
- Something that sounds very unpleasant.
2000 May 2, Christopher John, “country singers who turned to acting”, in rec.music.country.western[1] (Usenet):That's funny because I hated Randy's voice until I saw that movie. It was nails on a chalkboard until I heard "My Greatest Fear" that song is very pretty, IMO.
2001 February 17, mrs_cal, “Why do you post here?”, in alt.support.divorce[2] (Usenet):aside from country music (which is nails on a chalkboard to me, lol) and what my son and I call 'pop drivel a la Backstreet Boys, and N'Stink.<g>....I will listen to, and probably enjoy most anything.
2005 December 6, Nancy Young, “Way OT: Phrases you hate”, in rec.food.cooking[3] (Usenet):[The phrase] Where's it at? is nails on a chalkboard to me, but I am sure I have many annoying speech mannerisms, too.
