THERE'S research by some psychologist that we automatically hate the person in front of us in the supermarket check-out queue.

Presumably, this is because we have to wait until they have unloaded their trolley before we can unload ours. And if they have a full trolley, everything takes ages.

This is probably quite accurate because, I believe, we run through the whole gamut of our emotions in supermarkets. There's everything from outright lust (usually around the confectionery area, the delicatessen, the cream cakes section or that muscly guy serving on the fish counter) to steaming anger (check-out again, someone with 10 items in the 5 items or less queue, or anyone with no control of their trolley).

Another thing that supermarkets can reveal, however, (and I'm not an expert, as they say in the chewing gum adverts) is how you stack your trolley shows your personality.

And shoppers do fall into particular categories here:

THE FUSSPOT -- puts every item in just so, very neatly, facing the right way, close but no bunching. That's how they live their life: carefully, never taking a risk, trying not to do anything too new just in case it doesn't work out as they want it to. They make difficult partners, but the house is always tidy and they're probably very good cooks who put everything away afterwards.

THE LOGICIAN -- makes a sort of trusty foundation of items like tins, heavy packets, soap-powder cartons on the bottom layer, then solid but squashy things like meat, packs of sugar and butter, next, then packets of salad, tomatoes, crisps and biscuits go on top. They never make a decision in life without thinking it through fully first, working out the most practical way to handle any "task," from romance to raising children. They make brilliant if predictable partners, but if you're scatty, beware!

THE FLINGER --he or she will chuck everything into the trolley, scarcely sparing a glance at where it lands, or on what. The bread may get squashed, the yoghurt dented, but so what? The object is to get round as quickly as possible and get out, with whatever you need (in whatever state) in the trolley, and paid for. Life will never be boring with the Flinger, if extremely haphazard. Bills may remain unpaid, lights left on, and tasks never tackled ... but there will be plenty of spontaneous, wonderful moments -- if you can stand the strain!