I like to look at the ground ahead of me while I walk and talk to myself. Friends have said I look like I'm deep in thought when they've seen me out in public sometimes.

I will only eat a piece of fruit if I can first cut it open and remove the core or stone, unless it's something really small like a cherry. People in the office think I'm strange because I keep a little knife in my desk drawer so that I can prepare my fruit to eat at work.

I don't like raisins. Apparantly, this is quirky enough to get commented on every.single.time it comes up. Like so:

Friend A: Oh, I made some oatmeal raisin cookies, they're delicious. Have one!
Me: No, but thanks though. I already ate like 12 chocolate chip ones.
Friend B: No she didn't, MuddGirl just doesn't like raisins.
Friend A: You don't like raisins?!??!
Friend C: MuddGirl doesn't like raisins?!?! What about Craisins?
Me: I like Craisins alot - do you have any Oatmeal Craisin cookies?
Friends: YOU ARE A FREAK!!!

This happens pretty much once a month.

I am terrified of the noise of tooth-brushing and I HATE it when people come out of the bathroom and walk around while they are brushing their teeth.
For many years I had to use an electric toothbrush so the buzz would dorwn out the brush.
You would be surprised how many movies and commercials feature people brushing their disgusting teeth!

There are LOTs of popular foods I don't like. Chocolate, for instance. I wouldn't say people look at me funny and then forget about it and move on, though; I've been nagged about food my whole life.

I'm really, REALLY picky about not having two "noise sources" going at the same time. If you turn the TV on, I have to turn the stereo off. If someone starts playing back messages on the answering machine, I mute the TV. That kind of thing. Being in a bar where there's music going AND a TV with the sound up makes me crazy.

I'm so extremely laid-back about my surroundings in most other ways, it seems to surprise people when I get adamant about this.

I'm kinda the opposite of BP. I have to have two or three noise sources going in order to sleep. A fan and some ambient music. Loud traffic and a shortwave radio. Whatever combination of drones I can rustle up. I've done as many as four at one time by placing different things throughout the room. I sleep like Brian Eno.

I have an occasional mode that my friends call "Myke-stubborn." That is, I get so incontrovertibly locked into my decision on something that absolutely no amount of pleading, reasoning, questioning, or otherwise will get me to change my mind, or even consider the possibility of doing so. This is only a passing mood and not a full-time state of mind (thankgod), but it's caused many, many fights in my life.

I will go to unfathomable extremes to avoid asking for help. I once walked home five miles after a bicycle accident, bloody and carrying my bike, because my then-boyfriend was in the middle of a model shoot. I also once walked 15 miles back to a friend's house - across state lines, over thickets and briars and highway-traversing bridges - rather than stop to use a pay phone to arrange for a lift.

And, on a simpler note, I dispose of my organic compost in corn-based bags, even though L.A. has no residential composting program. (They're only now starting a limited pilot phase, and my apartment building doesn't have the green "lawn waste" bins.) I hate throwing organic matter in with the non-recyclable "black-bin" trash. Yes, it all ends up in the regular garbage anyway, because I'm not part of the pilot program.

Beeps - I'm glad you do this. We are far more aware of your position when there's less background noise.

- The People Who Are Quietly Building Your Conspiracy Theory

Beeps - I'm glad you do this. We can be far more aware of your position when there's less background noise.

- The People Who Are Quietly Confirming Your Conspiracy Theory

I never get earbugs, or whatever they're called. I've ususally got at least one track of music going in my head at any given time. Most of it's unconscious. If I don't like what's "playing", I'll swith to something else.

Sometimes I'll have two dissonant tracks going, and I might let them go for a while, and try to mix them in my head. If that doesn't work, I'll "put on" one of my favorites, like The Four Seasons or something from Jim West.

Oh, and multiple sources of noises don't bother me, I just turn up the volume :)

I'm exactly like BP when it comes to noise. I don't like two noise sources at the same time. It's maddening. I also don't like loud televisions. I barely like loud radio unless I'm in the mood to crank up some rock and roll.

I dislike when lights are on in the daytime.

Sometimes I put empty boxes and jugs back into refrigerators and cabinets. I don't think this is quirky, but idiotic.

Four nights out of seven I'll sleep with my bra on. I don't mind bras. They're not uncomfortable for me.

I'll rarely buy the magazine someone leafed through. I grab a fresh and untouched one from the back. I'm not afraid of germs or anything like that. I just want my magazine to be pristine.

I have a lot of quirks, I'm sure, but I can't remember any of them at the moment. Hrm. I'm sure I'll be back with an update.

There are probably three, none of which are very interesting:

1. I sing. A lot. Without prompting, in completely inappropriate locations ("oh, we're walking from class? Clearly, I should start singing journey"). At the same time, i get really irritated with people who sing in inappropriate locations (for example: at my college, which is very small, there is a very visible, tight-knit group of theater kids who will sing show tunes in the dining hall. this irritates the crap out of me). I guess hypocrisy isn't really a quirk.
Also, I will harmonize with the radio. I picked this up from a friend of mine, though.

2. Related: I love rap and hip hop. I am practically the only person in my close group of friends who does. It seems to be a source of amusement for people (probably because I'm a goofy, Amish-looking white dude whose musical tastes generally are in the emo-and-alt-country-sort-of-range). This means that whenever anyone hears a new rap song or a reference to hip hop in another song (such as the line in that Vampire Weekend song about Lil' Jon), they will rush to tell me about it. I don't really get why, say, liking Wilco isn't comment-worthy but liking Tupac is.

3. I swear to excess. This isn't so unusual, I guess, but I've had more than one friend from college say that they noticed they swear a lot more now that they know me.

I'm with BP on the noise. I used to live next door to a family who, whenever I walked into their living room, I'd find they had the TV and at least two other sources of noise (CD, computer game, radio) on at the same time, without anybody actually paying attention to any of them. It drove me nuts.

My quirk is that I'm non-quirky. At least I don't think I am. Bunnies?

I count people in my field of vision, unless it's a too-big number. How many, what are they wearing, what direction are they moving in, what are they carrying. If I can see a reflection off a glass door, window, or a mirror in a restaurant or a bar, I try to do it that way. I keep my hands out of my pockets, and try to keep them free of anything I can't drop or throw at a moment's notice.

During my waking hours, I tune out noise, except for roosters, kids, and some dogs. It's there, sure, and if something in the noise changes, I do perk up. Otherwise, not so much. TV, radio, trains, jackhammers, emergency responders, horns, car alarms, yelling, banging - whatever.

Which sounds odd, I know. But I also note things like new blossoms on the magnolia trees here - some are as big as my face and really something to behold. They open up and wilt fairly quickly, so you have to pay attention.

So, I guess hyper-awareness of my immediate surroundings would be my quirk, if that even qualifies as one.

P.S. to dismas: What the fuck are you talking about with #3? ;)

I don't like multiple noise sources, either. I have trouble focusing on a single source, especially if they're all more or less at the same volume. I say "What?" a lot, which is irritating to me.

People have pointed out other quirks, but I can't remember any of them right now. They mostly just seem like normal behavior to me.

I can tolerate multiple noise sources but I will filter all but one out- and I don't always have complete control over which I hear. It weirds people out sometimes that I literally won't hear what they say if there is a TV or music on in the same room.

I swallow fruit seeds (but not like peach or plum pits), and don't peel vegetables before cooking them (even mashed potato - just mash up the skins, mmm).

I need people who are close to me to walk to my right when out in public, but those I don't know so well to walk to my left (negotiating my space in public can be tricky with one eye - I've gestured and accidentally grabbed the strap of an old lady's handbag before; she thought I was trying to mug her and I had to apologise profusely).

I get really crabby if I don't get time alone every day.

I like brushing my teeth with hot water, it makes the toothpaste taste better.

I've been known to eat a whole jar of pickled cucumbers in a sitting, same goes for pickled onions, capers, basically anything pickled in vinegar.

I have to *do* something when I watch television / movies. I once turned up on a date for a movie night with a potential boy, and, when i freaked out at the too obvious attempt at seduction, pulled out a cross-stitch to embroider during the movie.

I swear a shitload. Sometimes it's only in my head, most of the time it's out loud.

I like having background noise. I usually always have the tv on or music playing, or something. I really need to have background noise to sleep well (although I can do without, but it usually makes me cranky).

I play with my hair a lot. Usually if I'm thinking, I'll be twirling my hair. Which makes me look very silly, but it's a clear sign that I'm muddling through something.

Oh, me too jonathonstrange. Unless I'm really tired, or it's a show I'm really into (hello The Wire) I do crosswords or cross stitch or surf the net on my wee eeepc or pick my boyfriend's zits. It's rare that I actually watch TV.

I also swear like a trooper, and took out my nose ring because I played with it too much.

Ooh! Ooh! Me too, goo! Don't know what I did to play with before I got my nose pierced.

I love swearing too, mostly because I look so butter-wouldn't-melt-in-my-mouth most of the time. Watching Deadwood changed my swearing for life, now every thing is a cock-sucking mother fucker. I love that show.

trondant (and everyone else who swears a bunch): my original post said "I swear a fucking bunch," but I changed it because it seemed too cutesy (although it was unintentional).

Seriously, though, the f-bomb doesn't even phase me anymore, and I have a hard time remembering to not swear in situations where it's inappropriate (when visiting my old high catholic high school, during debate rounds, speaking to my adviser/dad/priest...).

I stopped worrying about my swearing when I had senior managers casually drop f-bombs in formal meetings - two senior managers so far, both in their 60s and in the poshest RP you can think of. It was quite disconcerting initially.

Whenever I'm given power over the TV remote, I mute the commercials. Some people think this is REALLY WEIRD.

Also, I eat croutons as a snack food.

jtron: i will also eat croutons as a snack food, given the opportunities (that is to say, given available croutons).

Past quirk that I've thankfully gotten rid of:
As a kid, I also used to pour the instant hot chocolate mix down my throat straight up (like a chocolate pixie stick). I was a gross kid.

Uh oh - I used to do that, too. Also with Jell-O mix.

oh jesus, i tried that once as a kid and got sick