Groovy gossip guage: Are you spreading rumors like wildfire? Or do you prefer to stamp out gossip before it sparks up? Take our quiz to gauge your gossip groove

Girls' Life, Feb-March, 2002 by Lisa Mulcahy

If you've never heard a juicy tidbit you weren't dying to dish, take a gander at your gossip groove. Sure, you follow every detail of Britney and Justin. You know what everyone in your grade got on their mid-terms, and you're the first to break the news about a breakup. But that doesn't make you a gossip...does it?

Gossip is pretty impossible to avoid. Stand in line at the checkout of any grocery store, and what do you see? Gossip mags-everywhere! Sit at the lunch table with your buds, and chances are most of the caf chat is gossip. Gossiping is a natural way of communicating with your peers and, in most cases, is harmless.

But, it's crucial to realize constant gabbing and spreading false rumors can backfire. People can get hurt, friends can become enemies and reps can be tarnished by bogus gossip. Nobody says you've gotta keep your lips totally zipped. But could your motor mouth be running on overdrive? Or, perhaps worse, totally kaput!

1 You overhear Hannah from homeroom tell the guidance counselor about her folks fighting. She's way upset. Would you tell your buds? (a) No. You don't really know Hannah, and it'd be creepy to spread her bad news. (b) Well...maybe you'd tell your closest girls and swear them to secrecy. (C) Sure. Good dirt is good dirt. (d) Why would you be even remotely interested in invading Hannah's privacy?

2 Your locker is next to the teachers' lounge. You're stashing a book when you overhear your cruel troll of a math teacher bragging that he's springing a killer pop quiz on your class tomorrow. You: (a) Make sure to put your math notes in your backpack--you'll need to study hard tonight. (b) Pass the word along to your best buds only, so they'll have an edge. (c) Freak out and then run through the halls warning every classmate you see. (d) Resolve to do your best on the quiz. You're not going to cram, and you're not going to tell anyone either. It would defeat the point of a pop quiz.

3 How much do you know about the crucial topic of Gwyneth Paltrow's boyfriend roster? (a) A little. She dated Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck, but that's about it. (b) Pretty much. You knew she was dating Drew Barrymore's ex before your crew did. (c) A ton. You scan the tabloids every time you hit the supermarket checkout, not just for Gwyneth dirt but for the latest on every other star too. (d) Gwyneth who?

4 Your girl Maria is totally happy with her BF Adam. One afternoon, you're picking up some shampoo at the drug store. You spy Adam near the magazine racks, holding hands with a girl who is definitely not Maria! Do you tell anyone? (a) Not a chance. You don't want to be involved in anyone's breakup. (b) You might tell Maria privately. You're not sure how she will react, but her feelings count the most. (c) Of course, you tell Maria in front of the crew. She and everyone else need to know Adam's a loser! (d) No way. You wouldn't touch such a tawdry situation with a 10-foot pole.

5 Psst...can you be trusted with a secret? (a) You're so not into secrets. You'd rather not even hear them in the first place. (b) Sometimes. If it's a really close bud's secret, you can keep it totally to yourself (c) No. You've tried, but you just can't keep your big mouth shut. (d) You bet. You pride yourself on keeping all secrets securely under your cap.

6 You're home alone when the phone rings. The machine picks up before you can get to it. It's your parents' accountant, talking about their finances. You and your sister have always wondered how much money your dad makes. Do you listen to the call? (a) Nope. Your 'rents wouldn't want you to have that info in a zillion years, so you zap down the volume. (b) Yeah. But you keep the info to yourself and don't share with your sis. Besides, it's your folks' fault for not springing for voicemail. (c) Of course. How else will you and the sis know how much money you have to split for college? (d) Definitely not. It's not your cash, nor your biz.

7 You totally dig hanging with your bud Samantha, but she doesn't get why none of the boys like her as more than a friend. You might have a clue--you've heard some guys ragging on Sam's baggy jeans, stringy hair and glossless lips. Shades of Cher from Clueless, how do you approach Sam about a makeover? (a) At the mall, you casually ask her to hit Wet Seal with you instead of the food court. (b) When checking the shine on your nose, you playfully powder some makeup on her forehead to see how she reacts. (c) You tell her straight up, "You need an overhaul if you ever want a date, so sit still while I dump henna on your head." (d) You say nothing. Sam should be allowed to dress any old way she wants.

8 You receive a nasty e-mail chain letter with mean stuff about some popular girls you don't like. What do you do? (a) Read it once, feel kinda yucky and delete it. (b) Read it and send it to your BFF only. (c) Read it over and over, laughing like crazy, and forward it to your entire address book. (d) Stop reading it after the second sentence and trash it.

9 Today, your gym teacher made everyone run an obstacle course. This geek Conrad got his foot caught in a tire and, when he tried to shake loose, he fell flat on his face. The class burst out laughing. Would you tell the kids on your bus what happened? (a) Why? Word has spread so fast already, kids three towns over know about it. (b) No, but you might chime in if it comes up. (c) Why not? It was only the funniest thing you've ever seen. (d) Are you kidding? That would be cruel.