If I've been eating food with my hands, I have to wash them right away because I CAN"T STAND them smelling like food. Just tonight I went out to eat with two co-workers. We all got the special - $5.00 roast beef sandwiches with horseradish mayonnaise. Yum. As soon as we were done eating I went to the ladies room to wash my hands. Funny timing with this thread - because I told my co-workers I was quirky!!

I *need* to drive in a specific lane on the freeway. If I know I'll be taking an exit, I like to get in the closest lane a couple of miles before I get there.

My husband will drive in the left lane with the exit 1/2 mile away and it is so hard not to nag :-)

I don't have any!

Hah!

There was a documentary on tv years ago about identical twins who had grown up in different families & how many quirks they had in common, like...

The 2 maybe-in-their-sixties identical twin sisters who were put into separate rooms & told to "dance to the music".

They were shown on a split screen, & when the music started, they moved in the exact same ways, as though the dances had been coreographed.

& the brothers who washed their hands both before & after going to the bathroom.

fascinating stuff!

I have to check at least 3 times if I unplugged the iron...if if I'm sure I did. I'm paranoid about it because a house burned down years ago due to the iron being left on. I know irons have automatic shut offs now, but I still need to check....and recheck.

When eating a plate of food, I like the last bite to be that of the food I liked best.

If I am eating a snack absentmindedly (while watching tv, reading, etc) I really dislike not realizing that I've eaten the last chip, nut, candy, etc. I might even get a few more, just so I can be *aware* "this is the last one".

I'm like juellie except it's not just the iron. It's my coffee pot; extension cord for fan; computer; hair dryer. Pretty much anything I unplug I have to check to make sure both prongs are still there.

I also double check to make sure I turned the water off and the lights are out. OK...so I am a little OCD...but the big one for me is making sure all my cigarettes are out. I wet them down just to be safe.

SamKaren
your resident DJ

I never step on a grate in the sidewalk or in the street. I measure my stride so I step right before, or right after the grate. Or go around.

I always leave at least one window cracked in my car when it's in the garage.

I have to eat half of the crust off my toast, starting at one corner of the soft rounded part, first. Then when half the crust is gone, I fold the crustless part over the rest in a triangle and then eat it all, middle and crust all together. (Boy, that sounds really really quirky when I write that down. But that's how I ALWAYS do it. I don't even know why or when I started doing that.)

When I buy clothing with a nap, it has to feel smooth being brushed in a downward direction, as opposed to being smoother if brushed upward. I have returned corduroy pants and a velour robe when I forgot to test the direction of the nap in the store. It reminds me of brushing a short haired dog backwards to me if fabric nap goes in the 'wrong' direction!

Dangling hairs freak me out...I cannot stand for a hair to be on my skin or especially not under my shirt tickling me. If a hair is in my food, I totally lose my appetite. My husband thinks that's crazy to freak when a hair in tickling my skin...HA! Not really freak but it creeps me out...BAD.

This is fun to read!

So far (!), I've come up with two. The first one is a biggie.....I absolutely WILL NOT be late, not for anything. I'll be fifteen minutes or more early to any meeting or appointment and wait. Being on time is the same as late, in my mind. If Robert needs to accompany me to an appointment, I'll tell him that we need to be there fifteen minutes earlier than we really do.

The other is that I always leave something on my plate.....even though I never overserve myself. Something is always left on that plate.

I have a compulsion to ALWAYS put my left foot first....into my shoes, or slacks, or socks. Left foot first on the stairs, into the shower, on the escalator. Is everybody like that or is it a bonafide quirk?

I'm starting to feel alot better... My self esteem is zooming ! Just kidding, I'm actually just taking deep breaths for courage ! And then... LOOK OUT !

I don't know if the left-foot-first habit is a quirk.

we have 'dominant' feet as well as dominant hands:
maybe you're just left-footed!

Rhizo, I'm a right footed person. Right handed too, but I realized I was always starting up or down a flight of stairs with my right foot, even if it meant taking a little half step as I began. Onto an escalator. A ladder, step stool, dressing and stepping into clothes too.

Realized it before I knew I had what was probably a genetic issue with my left hip. Now that I'm older, it's clear my right leg is stronger than my left and has a broader range of motion although not likely noticeable to anyone but me or a PT.

I used to be more OCD about my stove. Rechecking if any of the burners were left on.

Also, my garage door. But, my DH just installed an app so we can see if our garage door is open, and close it from anywhere in the world! This came about when we were in Costa Rica and my DD left the garage door open all night. A neighbor called and asked if everything was ok since the door was open the entire night! DD had friends over and she uses the garage as a door since it goes into the lower level where her room is. She had friends over and did not think to check the garage when they went home.

I'm with BeeOHIO.... I eat everything on my plate, but always save my favorite for last!

Have any of you seen the Monk TV series? :)

rhizo, your food quirk would do well in China. My husband is Chinese and when our children were growing up, we went for Sunday dinner at his parents' house every week. Every time I finished eating, his father would try to heap more food onto my plate. I would always smile and gesture, 'no' indicating I was full, but he would smile back and put another helping onto my plate.

DH explained that it is a Chinese custom to continue serving guests tea or more helpings of food, if they ever empty their cup or plate. They believe they have not satisfied their guests appetite if no tea remains in a cup or no morsels remain on a plate. I asked my DH to just tell his parents (who didn't speak English) that they needn't worry, as I would simply serve myself if I wanted a second helping.

But it never worked and his father always plopped another serving on my plate once I'd finished whatever was on it. I learned to just graciously accept their custom and leave a morsel of food and a few drops to tea, to indicate I was 'so satisfied I couldn't even finish' which did the trick!

I don't wash my hair in the shower because I can't stand the feel of the loose hairs on my body. I only buy clothing made of soft fabrics for the same reason. I can't put on a wool sweater without getting goosebumps. (Cashmere is OK; a sweater over a blouse is OK.)

This isn't a 'quirk'. I just have very sensitive skin. My mother took a picture of me as a toddler, set down to walk on our lawn for the first time. My face is screwed up in distress. My shoulders are raised and my hands are out to my sides with fingers splayed. I'm trying to raise both feet at the same time to get off those nasty blades of grass!

Mine are probably about food. I don't like my food touching. I don't like syrup, jelly, condiments, sauces, etc., on my food. They have to be in ramekins on the side, so I can "dip". When we have fish and chips, I have three ramekins - one for tartar, one for malt vinegar and one for "Bloomin' Onion Dip" (for my fries). I will NOT eat cold food. When I put dinner on the table, you better be in front of that plate, because I'm not letting my steak chill waiting for you to wash your hands (when I told you to wash up for dinner five minutes ago).

I have the hair thing with arkansas_girl. Hair on my back will start as an annoyance, then itch, then hives. I think it's an allergy to the soap or shampoo....?

I *love* Monk!

cracks me up when he scalds that toothbrush!

Most of you are pretty good at identifying your own quirks, that's interesting to see. Even those who suggest that their odd behaviors aren't quirky know that they are.

The "food not touching" one is pretty common, I've known a lot of people who feel that way. So too is the habit of eating things one at time, start the mashed potatoes and finish them before moving on to the peas. I also know people who won't eat meat with bones - the same meat with the bone removed is fine.

I'm guilty of double checking that things are off or closed at bedtime or before leaving the house. Especially when leaving on a trip. I probably circulate around twice.

I'll tell you my mom and sister's (I'd tell you if were all standing around talking, and they were here). They eat sandwiches by going around the edges, turning it so that in the end nothing is left but the last perfect bite, full of all the condiments, meat, etc. We all fight over whether you should eat the cherry (like on a sundae?) first or last too. I say if you love it the most, eat it! Enjoy it! They say, save the best for last.

I think I am rather quirky about numbers. I often count the # of strawberries in the clamshell as I clean them, or # of apples in the bag, etc.

I will measure the distance it takes to get to a destination, then check how that compares with an alternate route; also track the time for each route. I think this was borne of necessity when I was working, to find the most efficient route for leaving home at the last minute. But I still do this for other occasions that it doesn't matter a whit.

I count the # of ladies who show up for our line dancing class; how many minutes I wait in dr's waiting room, as well as how long in the exam room.
Now I dont *always* do these things, so I don't think it is a compulsion, just a quirkiness about numbers. And I have a bit of a penchant for math.

I'm starting to wonder if I even want to hang out with you people.
JUST KIDDING !

Just add my name under BeeOHIO's post ... except, I DO NOT have a penchant for math. :-)

Jodi-

I have to put my shoes on left foot first, pants, left leg first too. Bra strap left arm first. I am right handed.
Mary

*Children* don't want the food on their plates to 'touch'! *Children* eat all of one food before moving on to the next. (May be be a leftover from the kiddie plates with the dividers or Mom spooning in each food, one at a time, from Gerber jars!)

Anxious people 'count stuff'. It's a form of control. It occupies your mind when you are waiting for the doctor to see you. Count the acoustic tiles in the waiting room ceiling. Count count the number of holes in each tile.

There are 'habits' and there are 'compulsions'. Not sure about 'quirks'!

I head to the first tee for every golf round with my golf glove in my left pocket and *exactly* 3 tees and 1 ball marker in my right pocket -- unless it's a scramble and then I'll use 3 and 3. lol!

I can't sleep in a bed without covers - preferably a top sheet and a comforter.

I have to read in bed before I can go to sleep.

In the morning, I go down to the kitchen and make my coffee..then carry it back up to the bedroom, turn on the news, and read the paper. Oh, the coffee has to be my fresh ground and brewed blend, in a tall ceramic Starbucks mug, Amaretto creamer, whipped cream and sprinkled with fresh ground cinnamon. I travel with my beans and a travel grinder.

Other than the above....i'm perfectly normal.

I've noticed in the past few years I put my clothes on in an odd order. At least I think it's odd, and I'm the one doing it.

I get dressed in a strict order...

Shower, dry, powder, spray, lotion, etc. Then put on...

Büstenhalter, blouse/sweater/top

Sit on chair. Put right foot through knickers, pull on sock, pull on right pants leg, put on and lace up right shoe.

Now do left side.

Weird? I think so, but it's how I get dressed when I'm on auto-mode.

I also don't like my food to touch if I'm eating at home. I'd never do this at someone else's house, but I've been known to put all my food items into small bowls so they won't touch.

I love "Monk," and I, too, scald my toothbrush.

Chisue, yes counting can be a manifestation of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder which helps lower anxiety. But that is not the case for me...very laid back, very very little stress in my life; healthy & going to dr or dentist produces nary a blip.

I think my number thing is more my "analytical" side that likes to compare & contrast. Quirkiness...

I finally coughed up a quirk of my own but it didn't post. Maybe I didn't hit the submit button. Anyway, it's that I hate shaking hands. I hate it when someone extends a hand. Besides, no one seems to remember that it is considered poor manners for a man to offer his hand to a lady. Or used to be. Anyway, I wish people would keep their germy paws offa me !

You posted it on the "Little things that shouldn't bug you" thread.

Re: Shaking hands. I too was brought up that a man should not offer his hand unless the lady has first offered hers. I think that went away as a bow to equality in the workplace. Thanks to some modern ideas about avoiding germs, I'm no longer getting 'looks' if I just keep my hands clasped. I have arthritic fingers, and I don't want to spread germs. Honestly, though, I am just uncomfortable about the contact with a strange man. (Don't get me started on 'the huggers'!)

Oops. Thanks, Angelaid.

So interesting......I feel a little offended if hands are not offered as a business or impersonal greeting. The only exceptions are during times of eminent contagion or if I'm meeting ladies with clenched fingers, lol.

If greeting someone I know well, hugs all around. If simply a very friendly so-glad-to-see-you-again greeting, a clasp with both hands is normal. I was raised by a mother who made darned sure that her sons AND her daughter (me) knew how to give a full, firm, warm handshake. Believe me, she trained all of our friends and my boyfriends, too.

To this day, a fingertip or limp handshake gives me the willies.

But I am sensitive to and respectful of another's dislike of contact.

In my profession, hand shaking is the norm and expected. If a man offers his first, I respond in kind, but if I sense a man is of the older school (and many of my favorites are) I offer mine promptly to avoid hesitation.

Bee, I also do a lot of mental math, not counting as much making quick calculation -- "if I'm 105 miles from my destination, if I average 70 mph how much time will it take to make the drive?" I've always loved math, my very favorite class in college was an upper level business statistics class. Some of my partners come to me for help in numbers driven issues.

A few personal quirks: I sit cross legged on the bathroom floor so I can read a book while I am drying my hair. I don't style it as it drys and it's a boring task without the book. Getting up isn't as easy as it used to be, but I can do it. If DH isn't home when I leave, I tell the dog that I'm going to work and will be back. I'm pretty compulsive about the garage door. I will be glad when fall comes and the leaves drop because I'll be able to see from my last turn out of the neighborhood and won't have to turn around to check. Although I ride an elevator in a tall building multiple times a day, I occasionally have mild panic attacks when alone in the elevator and it is not acting quite right.

In my profession, hand shaking is the norm and expected. If a man offers his first, I respond in kind, but if I sense a man is of the older school (and many of my favorites are) I offer mine promptly to avoid hesitation.

Bee, I also do a lot of mental math, not counting as much making quick calculation -- "if I'm 105 miles from my destination, if I average 70 mph how much time will it take to make the drive?" I've always loved math, my very favorite class in college was an upper level business statistics class. Some of my partners come to me for help in numbers driven issues.

A few personal quirks: I sit cross legged on the bathroom floor so I can read a book while I am drying my hair. I don't style it as it drys and it's a boring task without the book. Getting up isn't as easy as it used to be, but I can do it. If DH isn't home when I leave, I tell the dog that I'm going to work and will be back. I'm pretty compulsive about the garage door. I will be glad when fall comes and the leaves drop because I'll be able to see from my last turn out of the neighborhood and won't have to turn around to check. Although I ride an elevator in a tall building multiple times a day, I occasionally have mild panic attacks when alone in the elevator and it is not acting quite right.

Anytime I go in a room to get something I taught myself to pick up 10 things and put them where they belong. It can be the smallest tissue but I keep at it rather than a whole day of cleaning. It is close to a game to find something.

I'm a good dancer, but I can't dance with shoes on.

I still bite my nails at almost 62 years old. I also eat my meals "weird". I eat all of one food on a dinner plate before moving to another portion on the plate. Like, I'll eat the all the peas, then the meat, then the potato. It drives my family nuts.

I have some of the same as some of you. I double-check the hair dryer, curling iron and stove in the mornings to make sure they're off. I do the same thing with locks. I'm not sure if these are actually "quirks" or just habits learned from my dad, who did the same things.

I like for my favorite food to be the last bite off the plate.

When I'm shopping, I mentally add up the prices (rounded numbers) as I put things in my cart. I know roughly how much my bill should be when I check out. Even the other accountants I work with were surprised by this.

Like someone else said, I eat all of my sandwiches around the crust edge first. A hamburger is eaten around in a circle leaving the middle for last. I guess I think the best stuff is in the center so I save it for the last bite. There are several other foods that I assess as to which is going to be the best bite, which I save for the end. I wonder if people notice and think I am strange but no one has ever commented about it.

jannie, my best friend in high school ate her meals one item at a time. I loved that she could do that! I'm definitely the "everything must come out evenly on the plate" kind. :O)

My mother taught me that a man should never offer his hand to a woman, and I work in a business where handshakes are absolutely the norm, so I *always* try to offer my hand first. I was even told a few times that I have a very good handshake. lol! Only one jerk totally crushed my hand once and it was clearly deliberate.

Maybe I've had one too many 'lingering' handshakes -- or those where the man can't just shake your hand, but also has to get up close and lay his *other* hand on you. Recently I complimented a new neighbor on his unusual dogs and asked their breed. I may have spoken to him twice before this, but he came towards me as he spoke and put his arm around my shoulder. Ick.

Things like this are not 'conventionally polite'. They aren't necessarily sexual advances. They ARE demonstrations of dominance.

I know how to give a firm handshake. I just don't want to touch every person I greet or to whom I say goodbye. I'm happy making eye contact and giving and receiving a smile and a nod of polite recognition.

People who aren't dear friends should greet one another without invading anyone's personal space. Some people never learned proper interpersonal skills like that, others take the opportunity to be creepy. You can't be sure in those situations what is what.

A handshake is always a starting point. Those who hold back from that give off as weird an aura as someone whose greeting is overly familiar.

Holding back is personal preference and my focus is NOT on giving the other person a buzz, harmless or not.

You don't know how many times we are backing out of the garage and go back in to check the closet lights. We have spot lights in the walk in closet and if they aren't turned off it can get really warm in there. I don't know if they would start a fire but don't want to find out. It used to be the coffee pot but don't have the kind with a burner any more. We also will back up some times to see if the garage door went down.

I also don't like hair touching my neck, I don't like long hair on me, although it is beautiful on others. Mine is short and cut straight across at the neck...I don't like long floppy bangs either, mine do not get in my eyes.

To this day, a fingertip or limp handshake gives me the willies.

Me too, Rhizo. Your mom was wise to teach her children to give a good handshake. I don't remember teaching mine, but they must have picked it up somewhere because they're good at it.

I once saw a friend give a fingertip handshake to a woman, and I asked him later why he did it that way. He said he was taught that this is the way a man should shake a woman's hand. Some women have shaken my hand that way too. It always leaves an icky impression. :-)