What's the best way to avoid getting angry right away when someone really pisses you off?

You can’t avoid getting angry, but you can avoid acting (including speaking) out of anger.

Walk away.

Say “I want to think about what you said, and I’ll talk to you about it tomorrow morning.

…then take a few deep breaths. Inhale slowly, count to 10, exhale slowly.

A wise man once told me, “Just because someone pushes your button, doesn’t mean you have to go to the floor.”

Skateboarding

Walk away. Say something like @Marina‘s suggestion if you can get it out in a calm voice (you may need to count to ten first), but if you can’t you should still walk away. It is better to look a little rude than to lose your cool.

I’ve been hot on the idea of taking pity on idiots.

Masturbation does it for me.

Try to think of their perspective. You have to decide in your mind that people are not purposely trying to hurt you. Being able to put yourself in the other persons shoes, being empathetic to why they might have been mean, or understanding their intention helps me.

Take a deep breath. Tell yourself this, too, will pass. Make an excuse and walk away.

Examine the reasons you typically get pissed off.

Turn around and walk the other direction. It really does work. I’ve done it.

Take a deep breath, think of a really evil situation that this person deserves to be in, smile, and like every one else remarked, walk away.

my favorite is having them boiled in a high trans fat oil.

Think about what you have to lose with each word that comes out of your mouth or that you’re thinking of letting loose. When another person is talking and it’s heating you up and you don’t want to return fire, yeah, be curt and rude if you have to but get out of there until you are both calmed down to discuss what if any of that was really so important.

Anger is a basic emotion triggered by the unconscious mind. In many cases thinking the following might help: “Poor guy. This guy needs help. What can I do to help? If this guy doesn’t want any help what can I do to protect myself? Maybe ignore the whole thing. Talk to someone else. Get some advice. Find allies. Avoid the guy. Etc.”