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.

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.

10 Your crush Matt invites you over for pizza and b-ball on the tube. His big sis Pam is the Cameron Diaz of your school--funny, beautiful, sweet and all-around perfect. As you all watch Michael Jordan slam-dunk, Pam scribbles in her diary. Then Matt's mom yells that Pam has a phone call, while Matt excuses himself for soda refills. You're alone with Pam's open diary! Do you sneak a peek? (a) Nope. Pam is so intimidating you can hardly look at her, let alone her diary. (b) No, because Matt might catch you. (c) Oh, yeah. You grab it and read--fast! (d) No. That'd be a total invasion of privacy.

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ZIPPED LIPS MOSTLY A's

Gossip just isn't your bag. Frankly, you might not be all that into the whole social scene thing altogether. Let's just say you're not exactly what would be referred to as a people person. It's not like you're a freaky hermit who's isolated herself from the whole world or anything. You're just hyper-focused on the things that matter in your life, like maintaining your straight-A average, acing piano or training for cross-country. Why worry about what's going on in everybody else's world? Well...

Conversations in which you can hear other people's thoughts and opinions, plus express your own, can be really fun and help you learn and grow as a person. Positive chitchat is good for the soul--and makes you friends in a flash! It's great to be into your own thing, but are you shortchanging yourself? Perhaps it's time to think about what makes you bow out of pow-wows with the posse.

Maybe you keep to yourself because you're a little shy. Or are you holding back from gossip because you've been. burned by nasty rumors in recent history? Could be, too, that you once accidentally spilled the beans on a bud's secret, so now you're super-duper cautious to never put yourself in that sort of situation again. Whatever it is that's got your tongue all tied up in knots, it's time to let the lips cut loose--just a little.

As long as the gabbing doesn't get ugly, it's fun to spill about such-and-such's new-and-improved makeover or listen to the nitty-gritty details of last night's double date. Don't let your reclusive tendencies shut you out of the loop entirely. You could be losing out on a lot of major girl-bonding time. Sometimes, it's good to be in the know rather than Little Miss Solo.

RUMOR REALIST MOSTLY B's

OK, you're the first to admit it--when it comes to dish,' you're only human. So sure, your ears perk up when you catch wind of a meaty morsel of information. You've been known' to publicly vocalize your thoughts on Christina Aguilera's ever-changing 'dos--what was she thinking with that giant 'fro? Pretty harmless since it's highly unlikely you'll hurt Christina's feelings by hashing out her hair with your homegirls. It's not like you've ever actually met her.

The cool thing about you is that you're sympathetic when it comes to gossip. You wouldn't rip on the girl who sits behind you in homeroom if she came in one morning with a bad perm. Causing real pain for another person is the last thing you want to do.

But do you always know the big diff between destructive gossip and dirt that won't hurt? Make sure you've got good gossip etiquette. Say your girls are discussing the fact that Amy from gymnastics fell off the balance beam twice during last week's meet, which obviously makes her your team's weakest link. Put yourself in Amy's leotard. Would you feel stung if the chatter were about you? If so, don't partake in the dirt-test. Walk away, and think about Amy's good qualities. She may not be Dominique Dawes, but she's always trying to improve her skills--and that is very cool.

We know how tempting it can be to indulge in listening to or passing along a juicy rumor. But being a rumor realist means you totally understand why gossip can be so irresistible at times. It also means you're truthful about the consequences harsh gossip can bring and that you respect other people's feelings. Your empathy is admirable, so remember to zip the lip when necessary.

Scoring

BIG-TIME BUSYBODY 

MOSTLY C's

Oh, man. Are you ever up in other people's business! You love talking trash--who dumped whom...who failed what...who is wearing the worst outfit ever! If it's goin' on, you're on it! You've been caught passing off your wild assumptions as cold, hard facts. Check the source? Who has time? If you don't spread the word, the news could be cold by Tuesday--and a girl's got to stay on top of things. Though you'd probably be a fantastic asset to the National Enquirer's editorial staff, you need to downshift that motor mouth.

A little gossip is OK. And everyone has blabbed a rumor or two. But your obsession with gossip is trouble. You need to consider some pretty tricky stuff about yourself before your secret-spilling gets you in major hot water. Maybe you feel left out or ignored by friends or family. You love attention, and people listen when you've got something to say about someone else, even if it isn't so savory (or even true).

Problem is, it's bound to backfire. Friends see that you can't keep a secret to save your life, so they don't confide in you. You also run the risk of contracting Town Crier Syndrome. People might avoid you for fear that you'll twist everything they do or say into your own version of events. Then there's the Cry Wolf Syndrome. Since people know not to trust a word of your yap, they don't believe you when you actually do have something valid to say. Or you'll fall into the Two Face Syndrome trap. If you're constantly jabbing at people, friends will wonder if you're also ripping them apart the minute they walk away.

Not only will people not trust you, confide in you or believe you-- they might ditch you. Instead of searching for attention by exploiting people or putting them down to elevate your esteem, a far better way to feel good about yourself is to get involved in your own thing. Since you love the spotlight, why not audition for the school play instead of mocking the girls on your soccer team? From now on, vow to spread only good news. Lynn from music class made state chorus? Tell five people how happy you are for her. Lynn oughta be flattered, and you might just be able to jump off the nasty gossip train.

MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY 

MOSTLY D's

You consider yourself to be on higher ground--miles above petty rumors. Your desire to avoid hurtful gab is admirable. Just make sure you don't come across with a 'tude, like you're superior to other people because you don't partake in gossip sessions or approve of the discussion. Nobody appreciates a moral lashing from a pal, especially if it's over insignificant Hollywood rumors or other trite stuff.

Maybe you don't always agree with the fodder your buds are flapping their lips over, but steer clear of the moral high road. It's not your place to be the convo cop, even if your initial reaction is tsk-tsk,

Also, remember harmless gossip can be fun. So keep those ears perked, and feel free to let a juicy little morsel roll off the tip of your tongue. You can learn to love the power of positive dish! As long as you're not spreading false rumors, lying or spilling personal stuff, it's OK. The great thing about you is you don't need to rip on some poor popstar's pink-feathered tutu to feel good about yourself. So...a little feel-good gossip might make your day! It's the gift of gab.

WHEN SHOULD YOU LISTEN TO GOSSIP?

Sometimes, you should repeat tile not-so-good news....

Let's say you hear the captain of the soccer team was smoking after practice. Even though smoking is totally unhealthy and against the teams honor code, you're really in no position to play tobacco police. So, minding your own beeswax is best. Don't tell your friends, don't rat her out, and don't give her a lecture on the dangers of nicotine. However, if you hear a friend is being physically bullied by a group of kids or that someone you know is threatening to kill herself, then you've got to do something about it. Don't tell yourself the chances of something terrible really happening are probably low. You're not a psychic. Tell a trusted adult who can decide what action needs to be taken. Being a real friend means puffing safety before silence. Don't second-guess your gut instinct to tell. One good outcome of all the scary stories of teen violence is that many schools now have policies to help students inform teachers about threats or concerns and prevent a tragedy before it happens. Find out if your school accepts anonymous tips as part of a prevention program. Or just write to a teacher, counselor or principal without revealing your identity, telling everything you've heard so the appropriate safety measures can be put into place.