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AskMe: How to become an eccentric (or just look like one)

Suggest eccentricities for me to adopt | Ask MetaFilter

From a fun AskMe thread:

In my quest to become more distinctive, I'm looking for suggestions of harmless eccentricities to adopt. Who better than the MeFi hive mind to provide them? Anecdotes of eccentric folk you've known in the past welcome.

This reminds me of that stage where teenage girls randomly start to affect a terrible british accent, or when college freshmen suddenly stop wearing shoes and take up raw foods and the shakuhachi. Of course, this is not to say that I haven't had ideas of my own.

’Fess up: what was your goofiest affectation and what made you stop it?

Clarification (2006-07-15 10:20:20): The "In my quest..." portion above is a quotation from the link that is referenced; it's not actually me asking for help to (God forbid) become more eccentric. This confused some people, and, well, I regret your confusion if you have any and hope this clarification helps. -- The Management

Wayne's picture

Like so many posters I'm...

Like so many posters I'm not sure how many of these are eccentric and how many are just plain weird or geeky.

Watches migrated to my right wrist, then to a carbiner on my belt loop. Now I just use the time on my cell phone (which is deceptive when you live near the edge of a time zone and can see towers in each!).

Currently wear my long hair as something between a top knot and an off duty mohawk. As non-mullet as possible with it long on top and short all the way around. Occasionally braid it, typically too lazy and just loop it and leave a tuft sticking straight up in the back like a squirrel's tail after it chews through the power lines running into your house.

98% of the time I wear my black calf-high boots from Son of Sandlar. 1.8% of the time wear a pair of Hi-Tek combat boots I cut off at the ankle, except the tongue which flops over the laces and whacks my toes.

Occasionally wear a concealled holster (sans gun) instead of a belt.

Speak in Spoonerisms. Favorites include "verse vice-a" and "bass ackwards."

And one that I'm sure is just geeky: I carry my Sharp Zaurus SL-C1000 around with me everywhere. It's nice to be able to whip out your Japanese import gadgets in rural Midwest (USA) and start working on PHP code at the drop of a hat.

Those are the ones off the top of my head that I currently affect. I don't have the time or inclination to expound on the multitude from my youth.

P.S. Just read your top five list and remembered the adulterated gang sign I made up for Midwest. (Think "Westside" and add the other hand upside down.)

 
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