When I entered the agency, this was one of the first queer phrases I latched on to. The appropriate way to say it (to maximize the desired effect) is with a raised eyebrow or a killer rolling of eyes and a mild falsetto. The irita-factor doesn't refer to plain quirks or abnormalities. Quirks are just mere peculiarities that you can bear. The irita-factor usually escalates with the number of interactions you have with the person bearing the said factor. A few people I have encountered in my workplace that have optimized their irita-factors are:

A fellow AE in my account group (to whom i turned over one of my past accounts to). She asked me about a radio material that they finished and were about to release (note that this AE has been in the company for more than a year, inclusive of what we shall call her practicum). The query was on the radio release materials for this brand: in the past when we release, do we dub on both sides? My answer: You're releasing RB3's (they're like little movie reels). She says: Yup. I confirm her stupidity: RB3's don't have sides. They're the little reels. She says: Oo nga (Yup). Ano ba. From now on she will be known as stupid. Here are other questions that drove us nuts:

- On a print campaign that was turned over: The compre is already approved, what's the next step? (uhhh... production?)
- On the month-by-month billings forecast: Foz, where did you get the month-by-month budget for media? (ummm... sa media grid? AOR gives us MBM's diba?)
- Still on the MBM: The MBMs I have don't have costs (Look in my factbook, there's bound to be one with costs) Ang dami ko kasing factbook, nakakalito. Ito ba yung binder that says MBM Plans & Powerpoint Presentations? (uuuhh... baka oo)

Next, our Creative Director who lashes out everytime you tell him you have revisions. When you clarify a board or copy, he accuses you of not appreciating creative intent and immediately junking a work without such appreciation. He explicitly said that he doesn't want to get close or "chummy" with us AE's because it will affect workplace relations and creative output (where's the maturity there?). And how about saying that they are Creatives so they should know best how to talk to the consumers - they come up with the handle and they know they will work? Uhh, excuse me, as far as I know we're called a team...

Out of our office, there's the 7th Floor people in our building. One of our CD's call them the "masa". They squeeze themselves into one elevator, no matter how many they are or how many people are currently filling up the elevator. As in marami sila. It's like being engulfed by pistachio ice cream (they wear pistachio-green colored uniforms). At one point, the elevator just stopped and beeped because of the overload. It seems that they don't accept the idea of being separated from each other. This closeness is beyond comprehension and the normal level of annoying. Aside from that, the universal mute button that elevators impose on people who enter doesn't apply to them. They yack and cackle as if they were on an open field and not in a cramped, slowly moving box. Everyone hates being with them in the elevator. It's like being in a box with turkeys.

I can go on and on about different people with this irita-factor complex. I'm sure you can too. I'll just have to stop myself for now, it's a Friday and I should be happy :)