So at a gathering I would let silences fall, wait a few seconds for anyone else to say anything, start to speak, and 100% of the time the friend would begin to say something else.

I had an acquaintance like that. It got the to point where I would wait until he'd finished and say "you done? because I don't want to talk over you. it's rude" when I started to do that, the guys started noticing and would shush him so the women could finish their goddamned sentence.

making everything sound like a question (probably much the same as the nervous laugh).

or they are Canadian!

Some of my pet peeves that both peeve me incredibly but also make me laugh at myself because, really, they have little to no impact on me personally (unlike, say, a conversation partner's verbal tics) include: people backing into parking spaces, women with freakishly long hair, socks and sandals, people who ride their bikes with the seats too low.

people backing into parking spaces

But...but...that's the best way to park! That way you can just pull straight out when you make your getaway!

I'm afraid I am one of those people who has to fill in silence.

huh ... there's one section of town near me where you're required to back into the spaces (angle parking on a busy street).

Another verbal habit, which seems to be mostly from women, is making everything sound like a question (probably much the same as the nervous laugh).

I know I fall into that trap, but try not to.

Yep, the uptalking. I hate it when I do it.

But...but...that's the best way to park!

Oh, yes, if you are an ANNOYER!

there's one section of town near me where you're required to back into the spaces (angle parking on a busy street).

The business district in my neighborhood just got a bunch of angled, back-in parking spots last year. The angled parking I am totally down with! It makes for a ton more spots. The back in is stupid to me. Most people are bad at it & the traffic gets all jammed up while everyone waits for someone to back in. Ostensibly it is "safer" but you can't actually see the road any better when you are fronting out unless the cars on either side of you are shorter than yours!

Maybe excessive lol-ism is the textual equivalent of the people who have the unfortunate nervous habit of laughing after everything they say, no matter what it is. I know a LOT of people (mostly women, sadly) who do this. The laugh isn't because they consider themselves such wags, but because it's a nervous habit, or possibly ingrained self-denigration.

Sometimes it seems like the typed version of "like".

So, like, we went to the mall and we were totally, like, "lets get cinnabon" and we, like, did.

unless the cars on either side of you are shorter than yours!

Humongous long SUVs! My normal sedan! We hates them!

But...but...that's the best way to park!

Oh, yes, if you are an ANNOYER!

::does backwards-parking dance of annoyance::