quirk
noun

- an unusual habit or part of someone’s personality, or something that is strange and unexpected

The Cambridge Dictionary

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ORIGIN

First appearance in the 1560s, perhaps connected to the German quer via the notion of twisting and slanting; or alternatively a technical term for a twist or flourish in weaving. The meaning “strange or peculiar” developed in the 17th century.

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LITTLE QUIRKS

Friends of aviation pioneer Howard Hughes reported that he was obsessed with the size of peas, one of his favorite foods, and used a special fork to sort them by size. He also insisted on using tissues to pick up objects, so that he could insulate himself from germs.

Serbian physicist Nikola Tesla, inventor of the AC generator, had a germ phobia like Howard Hughes but was also afraid of women with earrings.

Country comedian Minnie Pearl was known for her quirk of wearing a $1.98 price tag dangling from her hat.

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SYNONYMS

bizarre, eccentric, flaky, kinky, off-the-wall, peculiar, queer, strange, unconventional

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ON QUIRKINESS

“All the world is queer save thee and me, and even thou art a little queer”

Robert Owen (social reformer, factory owner, inventor) formulated the goal of an eight-hour working day with the slogan “eight hours labour, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest” in 1817.

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SYNONYMS

aberration, eccentricity, equivocation, fetish, idiosyncracy, idée fixe, kink, knack, mannerism, oddity, peculiarity, singularity

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GOOD READS

Daily Rituals
How Great Minds Make Time, Find Inspiration, and Get to Work
- Mason Currey

Musenküsse
Die täglichen Rituale berühmter Künstler
- Mason Currey / Anna-Christin Kramer


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Paul Smith