Have you ever been single? Have you ever been stuck in the presence of two romantically involved individuals? Did this situation make you feel uncomfortable or slightly awkward? Do you enjoy answering rhetorical questions? If you answered yes to the first three, you’ve been what’s colloquially known as a third wheel.

The process leading up to the position of “third wheel” usually goes something like this: you’re invited to restaurant or movie with a group of friends, which initially sounds like a lot of fun—however, due to unforeseen circumstances, everyone else drops out until it’s just you and  a couple. In theory, this wouldn’t be so bad, assuming you know the other two people relatively well. I mean, you’re all friends, right? Wrong. You quickly realize that your fellow lovebirds are in closer proximity than they really need to be, use unnecessary terms of endearment and bring up conversational topics that have no relevance to you. The worst part is that the twosome is often oblivious to your feelings of discomfort. In the end, what was supposed to be a social event has turned into an intimate romantic evening—plus you, the third