Dear Tuffy Luv,
I moved for my senior year of high school and at the beginning had a little trouble making friends because it’s a small town, everyone knows everyone, etc. Finally, I did start making some, and one of the first ones was this girl, Peggy. Peggy is one of those people who is overly nice to everyone, so it really wasn’t surprising she was one of the first people to approach me.

So now it’s halfway through the year and I’m still friends with Peggy, except I’ve realized I don’t like her. At all. I found out the reason she’s so nice to everyone is because it’s one of her “Christian Values,” along with being extremely judgmental. She thinks she is a step above everyone else, and it is really getting to me. And now prom is coming up and she’s laid out this whole plan expecting me and whoever I go with to go along with it, and I don’t want to. But at the same time, I don’t want to be completely rude to one of the first friends I had. She isn’t the kind of person I really want in my life, but I put in a lot of time in the friendship earlier on because as a new senior I really wasn’t in a position to turn down friends and she seemed perfectly nice at the time!

So Tuffy, what should I do? Should I confront her or stick it out for the school year? We’re going to different colleges so there wouldn’t be any need to see her again. But if I do stick it out for the year I probably won’t be able to help sending her bad vibes so she might think I’m a jerk either way.

HELP!
Sincerely,
Friends?

Dear Friends?,
Judgmental people are poop, and poop is not to be stepped on.

Look, you’re right. If you don’t do what she wants, she’s gonna think badly of you no matter what. But I like your attitude, girl. You seem like a nice person who wants to clear the toxicity out of her life without hurting anyone’s feelings, and I appreciate that. So let’s get down to the advice.

I wanna say, kiddos, normally we do not run questions about high school. But this is a major problem for us all, yes? Frenemies, after all, has become a really standard part of the popular lexicon. And that’s sad, kiddos. Because we should really only be friends with people we LIKE. At any age, Tuffettes, we must be courteous to others, but REAL and TRUE to ourselves, yes?! STOP BEING FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE YOU DON’T LIKE!! But, if you find yourself in this situation, regardless of your age, here is Tuff’s advice:

First of all, Friends?, you absolutely should NOT do her prom plans. (The rest of you: don’t do her plans, period.) It will totally ruin your time, guaranteed, because you’ll be annoyed at her and resentful that you’re doing things her way and not yours.

Likewise, stop giving her the power to tell you what to do in your everyday life. Next time she tells you what to do (or, as you imply, guilts you into it), explain to her that you totally value your friendship but sometimes you have to do what feels right to you.

If she gives you any of this holier-than-thou shoop, you just tell her you’re sorry but that’s how you feel and she can take it or leave it.

The Textaholic. The movie you’ve been dying to see for weeks now is about to begin and the message comes up on the screen reminding everyone to turn off their cell phones.  The movie starts and as you’re trying to enjoy Jacob’s shirtless bod in Twilight, you’re interrupted by the constant sound of clicking coming from behind you.  It’s two hours tops, people— put the phone away!  If something is really that important, take it outside.

Resolution: Texting Support Group. Enough said.

The Stinker. It may be your best friend or maybe even some random guy in line in a store, but either way— they stink.  Unfortunately, they are so used to their extreme body odor by now that they don’t even notice it anymore.  People may have even told them and they still refuse to jump in the shower once every few weeks.

Resolution: Febreze isn’t just for your mildewy apartment anymore….

The “Do You Like Seafood” Eater. I love to eat and I’m sure a lot of other people do too.  The thing I don’t like about eating is when I’m with someone else and they shovel food into their mouth, start talking, and their food ends up on my plate.  Sorry, do I look like a baby bird that enjoys eating pre-chewed food? No.

Resolution: Ever heard of an etiquette class? Sign ‘em up! And if that doesn’t work, getting a table for 6 when it’s just the two of you and sitting at the other end should send the message loud and clear.

The Less-Than Stellar Roommate. They sound like a wildebeest when they snore, leave sandwiches with living things starting to grow on them under the couch, and make you listen to lovely animal-like grunts coming through the walls (or better yet, across the room in a dorm) when you’re trying to get a good night’s sleep.

Resolution: Two words: Air horn. And I would also highly suggest purchasing ear plugs unless you feel like learning to enjoy noises straight out of the Discovery Channel.

The Attention Whore. Do you know someone that constantly needs all eyes on them 24/7 and expects everyone to drop what they’re doing and focus on them and only them the second they enter a room?  We all do.  Sadly, some people need a wake-up call to realize the world doesn’t always revolve around them.

Resolution: Don’t acknowledge them every second that they expect you to.  After awhile of this, they might have a revelation and suddenly discover that other people in the room may have things to say too! Crazy, I know.

The Creeper. Sometimes it’s hard to resist the urge to stare at people (especially if it’s a cute boy) while you’re hanging out at the mall, or anywhere for that matter. I have to admit, I’m an avid people-watcher myself, but sometimes it gets a little creepy.  Especially if there’s an old man sitting across from you that wouldn’t turn his head away if his life depended on it.

Resolution: Stare back! With big eyes. If he likes it, run away.

The Gossip Girl. She spreads rumors and tells secrets she’s supposed to keep to herself.  There’s nothing more annoying then someone who thrives on causing drama and on top of that, loves every second of making other people’s lives miserable in the process.

Resolution: Give her a taste of her own medicine. I’m not saying go spread around that she’s pregnant with a criminal’s child…but you catch my drift.

The Borrower. One of the best parts about having friends is being able to borrow cute clothes from them.  When someone borrows something, it’s expected that it’ll get returned, but there are always those people who keep “forgetting” that they have something of yours and only give it back when you go fetch it yourself.  And you usually have to rip it out of their dead, lifeless grip.

Resolution: “Borrow” their stuff….and accidentally spill red wine on it. Woops!

The New Year should be full of lots of surprises and lots of fun people.  What are some other annoying people that need a kick in the butt for 2011?

Dear Tuffy Luv,

I have a friend who is, like, obsessed with me. I don’t know what to do. She calls me all the time and then just wants to talk and talk and I don’t really feel like listening. I mean how many times can I hear about her ex-boyfriend?

Tuffy, to top it all off, she never even asks about me! I mean she calls me all the time you’d think she’d have the common courtesy to at least say hey “what’s going on with you?” It’s really annoying.

I don’t know what to do. This girl has been my friend since elementary school. But now we’re both in college and we live in different cities. But the cities are nearby so I could hang out with her if I wanted to, but the thing is, I don’t want to. It’s really sad because she always calls me (like every week) and I almost never pick up because she bugs the crap out of me. But the thing is, she doesn’t really have any other friends. She makes new friends sometimes, like at school, but she can never keep them very long. Not because she’s mean or anything – just she only talks about herself and I think it gets on people’s nerves.

She’s really nice and she was my friend for years, but she is driving me crazy. If I could, I would just stop being friends with her completely! But I really don’t want to hurt her feelings. What should I do?

– Feeling Like a Bad Friend

Dear FLBD,

You’re not a bad friend. SHE’S a bad friend. She sounds freaking annoying.

Look, usually when people can’t keep friends, there’s a reason for it. Sometimes it’s because they’re jerks. But sometimes, as in the case of your “friend,” it’s because they’re completely self-absorbed.

This girl should get a clue. When EVERYONE has the same reaction to  you no matter where you go, it’s probably not them, it’s probably you. In other words: IT’S HER. But, of course, you have history with this girl. I totally get why you don’t want to leave her hanging.

See, this is the thing about self-absorbed people. They are TAKERS. Takers of your energy and of your good nature. They always, always, always look for givers. Givers are the ones who, in spite of not being able to stand their taker, will still listen, still hang out, still give.

Givers are puppies and takers are the ticks.

So before she wears you the floop out, set rules for yourself. Try distancing yourself by responding to her phone messages via email. That way, you limit the amount of energy she can squeeze from you. When you do talk on the phone, set a time limit for yourself. Don’t let her blab at you endlessly. You are allowed to get off the phone whenever you want.

Tuffy would like to say you should just cut her off if she’s bugging you, but, unfortunately, Tuffy too has a soft spot for old friends.

Just spend as little time dealing with her as you can, and when you do deal with her, make sure you do something nice for yourself afterward: go for a walk or eat some chocolate. You know, cool down. If she’s REALLY pissing you off, you REALLY CAN say something. For instance, say: “Do you want to hear my latest news?” or whatever, or, if you’re feeling particularly ballsy, “It hurts my feelings when you don’t even ask about what I’m up to.”

Conversations shouldn’t be one-sided. You are under no obligation to deal with someone who brings you absolutely no pleasure. But, since she is an old friend, you may find that you just need to limit your dealings with her. Making sure you only talk to her once a month (or however long) may keep you from ripping her eyeballs out.

Just don’t let her get to you, okay? She can’ t bother you any more than you let her.

Hearts & Skulls,
Tuffy Luv

Need some more tough love? Get it all right here.

While I love my boyfriend Matt to death, there comes a time (OK, many times) when he drive me insane. Sometimes all of the little annoying habits he has make either want to barf or slap him upside the head. I’m sure some of you will think “That’s terrible! I would never be grossed out by or want to hurt my boyfriend!” But I’d put money down on the table right now that most of you feel my pain and are sitting there right now thinking, “OMG, sometimes my boyfriend annoys the crap out of me.”

For instance, let’s just take the fact that men, by nature, are gross. Matt is no exception (obviously). While yes, it’s appreciated that he showers regularly and brushes his teeth, it still grosses me out to no end when he wakes up in the morning and immediately starts hacking and coughing up God knows what. I know that people have to take care of some phlegm in the morning on occasion, but this is every. single. morning. And it’s not one cough either – it’s several loud and, from the sound of it, very productive hacks. Trust me, it’s not what you want to hear at 6 a.m. when you’re trying desperately to get a few more precious minutes of sleep.

Then there’s the failed attempts at humor. While Matt has a great sense of wit and is usually really dang funny, he’s got one flaw in the comedy department: accents and impersonations. That really wouldn’t be a big deal if it weren’t for the fact that he tries to do them just about every time we’re with people. As a former theater major, bad accents get to me. I did a year of Irish dialect training, so when he tries his hand at an Irish brogue, it’s not only totally unfunny, but it has the same effect on me that nails on the chalkboard have one the rest of society. And our friends have noticed as well.

Before you go off thinking I’m a total witch with a capital B, please know that I’ve talked to Matt about it. While it was hard news to take, he did promise to try to cut back on the bad impersonations and has made huge strides in the hacking department. (Literally – he runs into the bathroom.) He is human and slips up sometimes, but I’m learning to not let stuff like that get to me, and in no way does it make me love him less. I also know that there are things that I do that annoy the heck out of him, so we both try to be understanding when the other slips up.

In a way it’s kind of nice to have a boyfriend with tiny flaws, because, well, it’s a whole lot better than someone with giant flaws. And at the end of the day, wanting to kick my boyfriend for attempting to pull phlegm up from his chest isn’t a bad thing – it’s normal. Even the happiest couple in the world wants to smack each other once in awhile.

So, what does your BF do that makes you want to scream?

Anyway, these lists (lately) have been pretty mild and have settled down since my hipster-hating era. Let’s chalk that one up to me getting laid more frequently these days. Hurray! (Although, hipsters, I still am NOT impressed.)

This is not one of those lists. This week I have been pretty ticked off about, I don’t know, everything? I’d like to blame my new birth control but who knows? It could just be the weather or the fact that I fell on my face in front of about thirty people the other night when I attempted to drunkenly pounce someone and now my knee really, really hurts and I’m cranky about it and the only way I can make myself feel better is to dress up celebrities on Stardoll.com (Yes, I am aware that I’m 21 and, no, I do not care).

It does not matter. Here are the top ten things that annoy me, without fail.

10. Empty boxes left in the pantry or snack drawer at work
What the eff? When I want a granola bar and I see a box in the cupboard, I expect there to be a granola bar INSIDE the box. How hard is it to throw away an empty box after eating the last delicious S’Mores Luna bar? Seriously.

9. Ironing
Okay, can anyone else relate to this? I just feel like I’m pushing wrinkles to different spots. Extra annoying if I’m not even ironing my own clothes because for some reason I’m the designated laundry bitch in my relationship. I feel like Paris Hilton trying to be domestic – no skills.

8. Crowds
I live in the best place for that, New York City! The capital of crowds. I love when my grocery store is the size of most public bathrooms and everyone is playing bumper cars with their shopping carts. Also, a special thank you to the lady who stood in front of the dairy section for a good 10 minutes trying to decide between butter or margarine and caused a traffic jam in the entire refrigeration section because her demon child decided to take control of her cart. Thank you for making my Fairway shopping experience even more unpleasant than usual.

7. Pants
If I had it my way, I would wear a dress every day. But I can’t because of this stupid…

6. Freezing Cold Weather
It’s this time of year that I really start to envy old people. They all get to fly down to Florida and they get that cute name of “snowbirds” while I’m stuck wearing two hundred layers and six scarves and freezing my ass off. However, even this week, Florida has gotten stuck with this crappy cold weather too. (Haha! Take that, old people!) I don’t know who to point a finger at here: Global Warming or myself for ever deciding to live above the Mason Dixon line.

5. When People Don’t Respond to Texts
Okay, I understand you’re busy. But if I just need to know if I left something at your apartment, is it that hard to answer YES/NO?! Seriously. Just answer! I know you’re only occupied by eating Doritos and playing Madden.

4. No Manners
I admit, I am not always the most censored human being (shocker, right?) but I’ve been inundated with people with zero tact lately. Also an unfortunate function of New York City, it seems like everyone is born with a case of “I have a problem with everyone” itis. Seriously, would it kill you to smile? I would head back to the Midwest to see some kinder personalities, but then, of course, I have to deal with a whole crapload of #6.

3. People Who Are Good at Everything
And look really pretty at all times. And they’re really nice and involved in every activity and they saved the dolphins and they’ve been to every country in the world and they have the perfect life and the perfect job and the perfect family and they don’t even brag about it, they’re just amazing and why CAN’T I BE THEM?

2. When Gmail/Facebook Crashes
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

1. Ugg Boots
and Northfaces, slow walkers, undercooked meat, overcooked meat, orange pad thai, cold coffee, runny noses, rain, snow, humidity, the flu, swine flu, Jon Gosselin, Kate Gosselin, Michael Lohan, Survivor, spilling, falling, hangovers, nausea from the pill, pantyhose, public transportation, cabs, getting almost killed by delivery guys on bikes, reruns, the phrase “Just sayin’!”, Sweetheart Sammi from Jersey Shore, traveling, Green Bay losing, and no more holiday cups at Starbucks.

This list could go on but now I’m really angry and need to eat a spoonful of peanut butter to calm myself down.

I'm not listening! I can't hear you!

I’m a huge fan of lists. Not to-do lists or grocery lists or my “list” (you know which one I’m talking about), but lists of things with bold faced sections that I can read through quickly and have a little chuckle. Or lists where I can vent my pent up frustration that I have been holding onto for years in hopes that the people at the root of that frustration will see the list, change their ways and make my life a whole lot more pleasant.

And that is what’s happening here. There are some people out there – lots of them – who say some pretty annoying stuff, so this week I’m gonna lay out the 10 most annoying phrases of all time. If you say any of these things, please stop. If you constantly say them all, please never come near me. Especially if I’m holding anything sharp.

10. “Just Sayin’”
End every sentence with this, really. Like I didn’t know you were saying something.

9. “On the real”
No. No. Not on the real. It’s been real, “on the real”. For real

8. “What the hey”
So cheesy, Chester Cheeto can’t even deal.

7. “Catch ya on the flip flop”
What does this even mean? Other than the obvious: don’t be my friend.

6. “Rock and Roll”
It’s time to go. Not time to Rock and Roll. Unless you want to smash up a hotel room and do lines off of supermodels, but I’m pretty sure you’re just telling me it’s time to leave the mall.

5. “No offense but…”
What I’m about to say is going to be strongly offensive.

4. “Double Yew Tee Eff, Oh Emm Gee or Bee Tee Dubs”
Really? Spelling out AIM acronyms in real life?

3. “I totally changed. It’s like I did a complete 360.”
So you spun in a circle? Good for you.

2. “Anyhoooooooo”
Self-explanatory.

1. “Literally/Essentially/Extensively”
First of all, why is it that anyone who uses these phrases uses them at the wrong time? Example: The days flew by, literally. Really? Did the days LITERALLY FLY BY? The days sprouted wings and fluttered away from you? Secondly, you are not intelligent just because you begin every sentence with “Essentially.” Don’t want.

What are some of your least favorite phrases/words?

Dear Tuffy Luv,

I have this friend who will NOT STOP BOTHERING ME! She’s really nice and I mean I know she means well but it’s like every time I look at my phone I have a text message or a voicemail from her. I’m so sick of it. And the most annoying part of it is I’ll call her back and she doesn’t have anything to say! She just “wanted to say hi” and then it’s like well I’m busy I have a life so can we talk when we see each other?! But now it’s to the point where I don’t even want to hang out with her.

It sucks because we’ve been friends since junior high (I just finished my freshman year of college), but I don’t know if it’s her or me but she’s really gotten annoying. I was away at State so I don’t know maybe I changed and she didn’t?

Anyway, help, please. I don’t want to lose her as a friend, but I don’t know how much more I can take.

Thanks, Tuffy!

Annoyed

Dear Annoyed,

Blah, how annoying indeed.

Well, let’s look at it from her perspective first. You guys are good friends and she’s just happy to have you home for the summer. This is the first time since Junior High that you’ve been apart for so long, right? Well, she’s not quite used to it yet, and she missed you. And that’s very sweet.

But girlfriend has got to get on with her life. She can’t be calling you a million times a day. It is absolutely going to ruin your friendship.

Get together with this girl and sit her down over dinner at her favorite restaurant. Tell her how much you love her and appreciate her friendship. And then tell her, nicely but firmly, that it’s really hard for you to get so many messages from her all the time. Explain that this is a really busy summer for you for whatever reasons it really is, and that texting is too expensive to do so often. But then tell her you missed her too and you want to see her.

At that point, you should make plans to have weekly dinner. (Or weekly coffee if you really can’t handle seeing her that much.) Tell her that this way you’re guaranteed to see each other and catch up every single week, and that you’re really excited to set this up.

After you’ve sweetly set this up and she’s happily agreed, if she’s STILL calling you till you puke, don’t call her back so quickly. If she calls you in the morning, call her back the next afternoon. As long as you continue to see her every week, she should get the message: you love her, but you don’t want to be her phone slave.

Hope this works, Annoyed! Have a great and annoyance-free summer!

Hearts & Skulls,

Tuffy Luv

1. Making out in totally non-romantic places.

If I see the two of you pawing each other at the Trevi Fountain in Italy, I’ll forgive you. Now THAT is romantic. But seriously – to the couple who gets on the dirty, overcrowded subway and feels the need to look into each other’s eyes, whisper sweet nothings, and make out for all of three stops – save it. Same for the couple who starts going at it in the checkout line at Rite-Aid. Unless you’re buying condoms, why are you so worked up already? And if you are buying condoms, then save it for the bedroom.

2. Sharing a calendar.

Just because you’re a couple doesn’t mean you can’t be individuals. I hate the girl who’s there for you every time… as long as she’s single. Once the “relationship” label gets slapped on some people, they have to synchronize their scheds, and like, can’t even go to the bathroom without making sure it won’t disrupt Date Night (the third one this week). It’s great when a girl can bring her boyfriend out with her friends, and vice versa, but if it’s a “Girls’ Night” and Henry’s trailing behind… it’s effing annoying.

3. Lame-ass Pet Names

Seriously, I’m not really opposed by the use of “Baby” or “Babe,” that is, when it’s used in a nonchalant way. As in, “Babe, I’m going out tonight, I’ll call you later.” NOT “Babyyyyyy I wuv you thiiiiiis much!” But other petnames are semi-obnoxious. If you do have cute names for each other, it should be your special secret. I once dated a dude who actually suggested we do nicknames. I promptly started calling him “Snuggles” in front of his coworkers. When he put up with that stuff, I knew it was time to go.

4. Fighting in public.

This actually might be worse than PDAs. You know THAT couple who’s throwing beers at each other at the bar? Who break up about 5.4 times a day and then go back into cuddle-mode for the ten minutes prior to the NEXT fight. Seriously, girls, he DIDN’T mean to call you fat, he WASN’T checking out the waitress, and just because he wants to watch sports instead of go shopping with you it doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. And guys, STOP inadvertently calling her fat, REFRAIN from checking out the waitress, and if you’re going to hang with the boys, just TRY to do something for her to show that you care in the meantime.

5. Becoming a biographer.

It’s a group event. Everyone’s meeting for drinks/dinner/ whatever, and of course the significant others are invited. There’s often that couple… the one where one party decides to relay everything he/she knows about the other to the group for the entire evening. It’s usually the partner that doesn’t know the rest of the group. For example, Johnny brings his new girlfriend to meet his friends at the bar. While everyone else tries to talk about class, politics, last week’s episode of Lost, whatever, Johnny’s girlfriend can only contribute, “So, Johnny and I met at….” “I know Johnny is the one because….” “Did you know that when Johnny was in high school, he…” ETC. She’ll probably also comment on Johnny’s every move, like, “Ohhh, how cute does Johnny look when he orders a beer? Stella is his favorite!” Let people get to know you and your signif for who you are. They can figure it out on their own without a picture being painted for them.

If I sound like a bitter old hag, that was not my intention. I was very happy in my last relationship, which ended quite smoothly. And I’d love to be in another relationship, once I find the right guy. In the meantime, however, I’ve been nixing the dudes who seem like they will either follow the aforementioned patterns, or expect ME to follow them. That’s too bad, because I’m just not that type of girl. Anyone else have any pet peeves from the dating world? We’d love to hear ‘em!

After finishing another long day of classes (a whole 3 hours!), you head home to grab a quick snack and go to the gym. You don’t even let yourself sit down or get comfortable, knowing that getting near that couch – even for a moment – means you would never get up again. You have a ton of reading to do, but you must squeeze in that daily workout.

You throw on a pair of workout pants, squeeze into a sports bra, grab your iPod and a bottle of water and make your way to the gym.

You play your workout mix as you walk, pumping you up for the big workout ahead. It’s gonna be a long run, or maybe 45 minutes on the elliptical.

When you get to the gym you realize that everyone and their mother had the same idea as you; the gym is packed. You make your way to the cardio room and notice a short line has already formed for both the treadmills and the ellipticals.

So you wait.

As you stand there, losing any motivation you may have had for a long, sweaty workout, you look over at the machines to see if anyone is close to finishing. That is when you spot her.

She’s wearing crisp, tight yoga pants and a sports bra. Not under a shirt, but as a shirt. Her hair is perfectly straight and her face is made up for a night at the bars. And she is on the phone. Her feet are barely moving – god forbid she should break a sweat and ruin her eyeliner – as she discusses her evening plans (quite loudly) with whoever is on the other end of the call.

15 minutes go by. The rest of the girls on the ellipticals are still working hard – sweating, breathing heavy, staring at Cell Phone girl. And she continues chatting.

You sigh loudly and obviously, shifting your weight from side to side. Maybe, you think to yourself, this girl doesn’t realize people are waiting to get a real workout.  She looks at you.  And keeps on talking.

All of that energy you had stored up for your workout is surging through you. You want to walk over and ask her nicely (“Bitch, can you get off that machine so someone who wants to actually USE it can get on?!) to get off the machine, but you don’t. Instead, you stand there and stew.

Another 5 minutes go by and, finally, she hangs up the call and stops pedaling. “Thank god,” you think to yourself.  You start walking towards her elliptical when you realize that someone else is already there. And has struck up a conversation with her. She stands on the elliptical – not moving – and chats it up with her muscley friend.

Another elliptical opens up and you finally get your workout started. It is another 20 minutes before Ms. Thang gets up and leaves the gym, not a bead of sweat dripping from her flawless face.

She walks by your machine on the way out. “Yeah, I’m leaving the gym,” she says into her Crackberry. “I’m so tired from my workout!”

Fuming, you pedal faster.

We’ve all been there. And we hate that girl, too.

People tell me all the time that I have a short fuse. There is a very small window between Happy Me and So-Angry-I-Slam-Doors-And-Throw-Things Me. And those who know me know exactly the things that set me off. Like people who drive slowly in the left lane on a highway. Or people who respond to a text with “K,” thus costing me $.10.

Or, my all time favorite, the kid in class who always asks all those questions so you never get to leave early.

And while most people don’t keep stress balls or Dammit Dolls in their purse, school bag, car and bedroom (or have people run away when they see you getting angry) I know that everyone out there has that one pet peeve that puts them over the edge.

This week, the CollegeCandy team shared their biggest pet peeves. So. much. anger.

What are yours?

Brithny – Duke: When people constantly sigh. Just because you don’t have enough Prozac doesn’t mean you need to bring down the happy people around you. The world is not that depressing (just ignore the DOW).

John – UConn: When I watch the UPS truck drive down the street, and then I watch it turn onto my road, and then I watch it turn into my driveway, and then I watch it back up and leave again, because it turns out the UPS truck was just turning around. I hate that so much.

Carrie – Duke: People who walk slowly. Even if you’re not from NYC, where we like to move fast, you can still put one foot in front of the other–and at a pace faster than a turtle on sedatives. I mean… it’s just not that difficult!! Get a move-on!!!

Lauren – University of Michigan: People who make predictions during movies or TV shows. Keep that to yourself and stop ruining everything for me!

Vivian – Undecided: People who say they’ll pick you up in five minutes when they really mean 50 – cause then you’re stuck outside freezing your ass off (in the snow, no less) wondering where the hell they are. True story.

Sara C – Fordham: Sorry if this is TMI, but I can’t stand it when people don’t clean out the drain after they shower. Anyone who’s ever had a roommate with long hair knows what I’m talking about. Ew, ew, ew, ew.

Leah – Ryerson University: People that walk really slow and not in a straight line.  If you’re going to walk slow make sure other people can walk by you!

Marisa – Wesleyan: The abuse of Internet speak. It’s fine when used in moderation and for the purpose of efficiency, but I hate those cryptic, vowel-less texts that I can’t decipher.

Ricki – University of Michigan: People who talk the entire time during a television show. Or people whose phones are going off every 2 seconds during this tv show so you are so distracted.

Michelle – The Claremont Colleges: People shushing me. I am no longer in kindergarten; it doesn’t work!

Julia I: I absolutely can’t stand it when people are late.  Even though I’m pretty much late for class every day…

Sarabeth – University of Texas: People who’ve taken the class you are in before and act like a know-it-all. I want to strangle this girl in my Japanese class for that very reason at the moment.

Alex – Lakehead University: Mean people. Like people who are rude and go out of their way to make someone else miserable. Get a hobbie!

Johnie: I can’t stand it when people wear pajamas to class. What’s so hard about changing into some skinny jeans and a sweater?

Carly – Grinnell: I hate it when people say “on accident” instead of “by accident.”

Liza M. – University of Minnesota: I HATE it when people ask you who you’re texting, look over your shoulder to see who you’re texting, or ask who was on the phone with you the second you get off of it. Obnoxious.

Kelly – UMass: People who clip their nails (and toe nails) in my office. No lie.