Ted Mosby is the lead character of How I Met Your Mother, yet he is also the most underrated. Many fans feel as though he's outshined by Neil Patrick Harrison's Barney Stinson, but Ted is also funny in his own way. His humor is more subtle, which is what makes Ted so unique.
His interests and hobbies are just a few of the things that make him such a fun character. His favorite actives aren't something his friends enjoy doing with him, but it doesn't make them any less intriguing. In fact, Ted has several great quirks that viewers often ignore.
Telling Fun Facts About Architecture
Ted has one of the strongest work ethics of the main characters in How I Met Your Mother, which is shown by how passionate he is about his job. Architecture isn't just something he does to get by—it's something he genuinely enjoys.
Learning about old buildings and retelling architectural facts to his friends is one of Ted's favorite things. In fact, he loves it so much, that he makes a bet with Barney in which he gets to give him a six-hour study on American architecture from the early 20th century if he wins.
Typography
On occasion, Ted has displayed that he enjoys differentiating fonts. It's not brought up too often, but many of Ted's quirks are only mentioned during the moment it's relevant. When he's unsure what to say on a date, Ted makes small talk by discussing the font printed on their menus. He mentions that while many mistake the font for Helvetica, it's actually Helvetica Bold.
Typography is a type of art many enjoy, but the funny part is that Ted was lying to sound more interesting. He later admits that it's just plain old Times New Roman. To be fair, the basic school essay font isn't as fun as Helvetica.
Making Informative Binders For Road Trips
Unless it's an intentional part of the road trip, the majority of people stop as little as possible in order to get to their destination. Sitting in the car for hours on end isn't the most enjoyable thing in the world, but Ted still finds a way to have fun. He makes a binder for his and Lily's trip to the wedding, called "Manhattan To Farhampton: Lil' & Ted's Excellent Adventure."
It's stuffed full of facts about the places they'll be passing, and while Lily has no interest in the binder, it's great for people who enjoy architecture and landmarks as much as Ted does. Ted might have been purposely overbearing to get Lily out of the car, but the binder is still a fun idea and there's no doubt it wasn't the first one Ted made.
Wearing His Red Cowboy Boots
Ted's red cowboy boots are one of the funniest running gags in How I Met Your Mother. The boots clash a lot with his clothes, but he's convinced that they enhance every outfit. Whenever the gang makes a comment about them he yells, "I pull these off!"
Ted can wear whatever he wants, but it is comedic how he treats the boots he bought to impress a saleswoman like they're one of his most prized possessions. He refused to help Robin sneak out of Barney's house until she sent a picture of herself holding a pocket knife to them like they're being held hostage.
The Way He Pronounces Words
Everyone has their own ways of pronouncing certain words and Ted's are especially intriguing. He pronounces "Renaissance" like Ree-neigh-sance, but the best one is how he says "chameleon."
Ted had never heard the word out loud and had only read it, so he says the word incorrectly in front of his students. In Ted's defense, he pronounces it exactly how it looks on paper and his way is much more fun. But Ted still feels the need to end class early out of embarrassment.
Going To The Renaissance Fair
The Renaissance fair is a fun event that all kinds of people enjoy attending. However, within the gang, Ted is the lone wolf. No one shares his particular interests, even though they might like some more than they think if they gave them a chance.
When Ted comes back from the Renaissance fair he's dressed in a medieval outfit and proudly displays the ball and chain he won. The comedic part of the scene comes in when Ted accidentally swings it too hard and leaves a hole in the ceiling.
Wearing Driving Gloves
As Ted said himself, 99.9% of drivers in accidents weren't wearing driving gloves, so this is definitely something not many people do. However, that doesn't mean it's a bad idea.
Although Lily doesn't think they actually make a person drive better, Ted comes up with a notable response. He asks her why they call it the "glove compartment," which is hard to argue with. The best part about it is that Tracy shares the cute quirk and also wears driving gloves. It's just one of many reasons that Ted and Tracy were perfect for each other.
Calligraphy
Ted doesn't just do calligraphy, he excels at it. His handwriting has always been incredible, as his invitations for his high school dance were a hit. But Ted becomes a huge fan of the hobby and even takes lessons.
He was ecstatic when his new ink came in and even has a set of travel quills he brings with him to Barney and Robin's wedding. Barney, who some fans have unpopular opinions about in How I Met Your Mother, forces him to rewrite hundreds of place cards. As tedious as others might find the task, Ted seemed to genuinely enjoy it.
Packing Like A Pro
Ted is a bit of a legend when it comes to packing and even Marshall and Lily know it. However, they didn't buy into the fact that the people in Spain called him "Packer of Great Skill and Merit," because he was able to pack everything he needed for two weeks into a "hands-free belt satchel."
But Ted is the person to call when things need to be boxed up with Tetris-like precision, and he dresses up for the occasion. He puts on a coat and sunglasses and wears packing tape on his belt.
Singing Acapella
Acapella is a beautiful form of music, so it's not surprising that Ted is a fan of it. However, it did come as a shock that he sang it and sang it well. Ted sings with a group of men at a gathering he was able to steal an invitation for, and he finds himself fitting in perfectly.
Ted really is good at acapella and his voice blends in well with the other singers. One of the men tells him how impressive his lyric baritone is and he isn't wrong.