diff --git a/test/test_faker_hacker_talk.rb b/test/test_faker_hacker_talk.rb
index 4ae7fc133d..362a7211c0 100644
--- a/test/test_faker_hacker_talk.rb
+++ b/test/test_faker_hacker_talk.rb
@@ -1,37 +1,36 @@
 require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/test_helper.rb')
 
-class TestFakerHacker < Test::Unit::TestCase      
+class TestFakerHacker < Test::Unit::TestCase
   def setup
      @hacker = Faker::Hacker
-     @phrases = @hacker.phrases     
+     @phrases = @hacker.phrases
   end
-  
-  def test_phrases    
-    assert @phrases.size == 8    
+
+  def test_phrases
+    assert @phrases.size == 8
     @phrases.each do |phrase|
-       assert !phrase.nil?
-       assert phrase != ""
-    end        
-  end  
-  
-  def test_noun 
+       refute phrase.to_s.empty?
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_noun
     assert @hacker.noun.match(/\w+/)
   end
-  
+
   def test_abbreviation
     assert @hacker.abbreviation.match(/\w+/)
   end
-  
+
   def test_adjective
     assert @hacker.adjective.match(/\w+/)
   end
-  
+
   def test_verb
     assert @hacker.verb.match(/\w+/)
   end
-  
+
   def test_ingverb
     assert @hacker.ingverb.match(/\w+/)
   end
-  
+
 end
diff --git a/test/test_faker_music.rb b/test/test_faker_music.rb
index 12ab72d7d6..91fd5d94e8 100644
--- a/test/test_faker_music.rb
+++ b/test/test_faker_music.rb
@@ -8,15 +8,14 @@ def setup
   def test_keys
     assert @tester.keys.size == 7
     @tester.keys.each do |key|
-       assert !key.nil?
-       assert key != ""
+       refute key.to_s.empty?
     end
   end
 
   def test_key_variants
     assert @tester.key_variants.size == 3
     @tester.key_variants.each do |key_variant|
-       assert !key_variant.nil?
+       refute key_variant.nil?
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/test/test_faker_name.rb b/test/test_faker_name.rb
index 8e41f874bd..b79aa3fc3b 100644
--- a/test/test_faker_name.rb
+++ b/test/test_faker_name.rb
@@ -5,19 +5,19 @@ class TestFakerName < Test::Unit::TestCase
   def setup
     @tester = Faker::Name
   end
-  
+
   def test_name
     assert @tester.name.match(/(\w+\.? ?){2,3}/)
   end
-  
+
   def test_name_with_middle
     assert @tester.name_with_middle.match(/(\w+\.? ?){3,4}/)
   end
-  
+
   def test_prefix
     assert @tester.prefix.match(/[A-Z][a-z]+\.?/)
   end
-  
+
   def test_suffix
     assert @tester.suffix.match(/[A-Z][a-z]*\.?/)
   end
@@ -25,8 +25,7 @@ def test_suffix
   def test_job_titles
     @job_titles = Faker::Name.job_titles
     @job_titles.each do |title|
-       assert !title.nil?
-       assert title != ""
-    end       
+       refute title.to_s.empty?
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/test_faker_shakespeare.rb b/test/test_faker_shakespeare.rb
index 47a94cce53..b07b0562ce 100644
--- a/test/test_faker_shakespeare.rb
+++ b/test/test_faker_shakespeare.rb
@@ -1,53 +1,49 @@
 require File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/test_helper.rb')
 
-class TestFakerShakespeare < Test::Unit::TestCase      
+class TestFakerShakespeare < Test::Unit::TestCase
   def setup
     @romeo_and_juliet = Faker::Shakespeare.romeo_and_juliet
 	  @king_richard_iii = Faker::Shakespeare.king_richard_iii
 	  @as_you_like_it = Faker::Shakespeare.as_you_like_it
 	  @hamlet = Faker::Shakespeare.hamlet
   end
-  
+
   def test_quotes
-    assert @romeo_and_juliet.size == 11    
-    @romeo_and_juliet.each do |quotes|
-       assert !quotes.nil?
-       assert quotes != ""
-    end    
-
-	assert @king_richard_iii.size == 8    
-    @king_richard_iii.each do |quotes|
-       assert !quotes.nil?
-       assert quotes != ""
-    end   
-
-	assert @as_you_like_it.size == 8   
-    @as_you_like_it.each do |quotes|
-       assert !quotes.nil?
-       assert quotes != ""
-    end   
-
-	assert @hamlet.size == 18    
-    @hamlet.each do |quotes|
-       assert !quotes.nil?
-       assert quotes != ""
-    end       
-  end  
-  
+    assert @romeo_and_juliet.size == 11
+    @romeo_and_juliet.each do |quote|
+       refute quote.to_s.empty?
+    end
+
+	assert @king_richard_iii.size == 8
+    @king_richard_iii.each do |quote|
+       refute quote.to_s.empty?
+    end
+
+	assert @as_you_like_it.size == 8
+    @as_you_like_it.each do |quote|
+       refute quote.to_s.empty?
+    end
+
+	assert @hamlet.size == 18
+    @hamlet.each do |quote|
+       refute quote.to_s.empty?
+    end
+  end
+
   def test_as_you_like_it_quote
     assert Faker::Shakespeare.as_you_like_it_quote.match(/\w+/)
   end
-  
+
   def test_king_richard_iii_quote
     assert Faker::Shakespeare.king_richard_iii_quote.match(/\w+/)
   end
-  
+
   def test_romeo_and_juliet_quote
     assert Faker::Shakespeare.romeo_and_juliet_quote.match(/\w+/)
   end
-  
+
   def test_hamlet_quote
     assert Faker::Shakespeare.hamlet_quote.match(/\w+/)
   end
-  
+
 end
diff --git a/test/test_faker_star_wars.rb b/test/test_faker_star_wars.rb
index d414a7d849..dcb5d64b02 100644
--- a/test/test_faker_star_wars.rb
+++ b/test/test_faker_star_wars.rb
@@ -14,38 +14,32 @@ def setup
   def test_strings
     assert @characters.size == 33
     @characters.each do |character|
-       assert !character.nil?
-       assert character != ""
+       refute character.to_s.empty?
     end
 
   	assert @droids.size == 21
     @droids.each do |droid|
-       assert !droid.nil?
-       assert droid != ""
+       refute droid.to_s.empty?
     end
 
     assert @planets.size == 20
     @planets.each do |planet|
-      assert !planet.nil?
-      assert planet != ""
+      refute planet.to_s.empty?
     end
 
   	assert @quotes.size == 30
     @quotes.each do |quote|
-       assert !quote.nil?
-       assert quote != ""
+       refute quote.to_s.empty?
     end
 
   	assert @species.size == 9
     @species.each do |specie|
-       assert !specie.nil?
-       assert specie != ""
+       refute specie.to_s.empty?
     end
 
     assert @vehicles.size == 21
     @vehicles.each do |vehicle|
-       assert !vehicle.nil?
-       assert vehicle != ""
+       refute vehicle.to_s.empty?
     end
 
     assert @wookie_words.size == 22