Dating someone with commitment issues can be a deeply distressing experience – when you want to settle down but have no idea if they’ll ever change, it can all feel…
Making a good first impression is one of the most important factors in getting someone to like you. So, why do so many men mess it up? If you’ve been using cheesy pick up lines, then this is most likely the source of the problem. So, if you’d like to know which pick up lines you should be avoiding, we’ve put together a list of the worst and included the reasons why they are so bad!
Isn’t it ironic that pick up lines rarely work in picking anyone up? Perhaps they should be renamed sentences to offend the person you would like to talk to. Maybe if this was the term for them, people who think they’re funny would be less inclined to use them. It seems counter-intuitive to walk up to a stranger and make a crude remark in order to get them to like you and yet many men are still using this method when approaching women.
Just plain rude
The absolute worse way to spark up a conversation is by using an overtly sexual and offensive pick-up line:
There’s a party in my pants and you’re invited.
Great legs, when do they open?
Hey nice outfit, but it would look better on my bedroom floor.
Hey I’m looking for treasure, could I look in your chest.
Use one of these and you’re certain to receive at best a cold shoulder and at worst a drink in your face.
READ MORE: What not to do on date – Our members’ dating deal breakers
Punny not funny
Having a good sense of humour is a quality that many women will love about you, but save your jokes and witty anecdotes for once you’ve been introduced and are actually having a conversation with the woman you like.
Your mates might find your cheesy pick up lines funny but it’s unlikely that the woman you’ve had your eye on will think you’re the new Michael McIntyre if you open up the conversation with a pun.
Do you like raisins? How do you feel about a date?
Feel my shirt. Know what it’s made of? Boyfriend material.
You look so familiar… didn’t we take a class together? I could’ve sworn we had chemistry.
I’m not a photographer, but I can picture us together.
Use any of these and any hope that she will appreciate your good humour will be lost, especially as she has most likely heard them all before anyway.
Steer clear of creepiness
It should be rather self-explanatory why you should try not to creep out the woman you’d like to talk too. However, some guys think that a little bit of creepiness will give them an edge. Maybe the woman will think they’re a bad boy, reckless and sexy? Trust me, being a creep does not work.
Can I follow you home? My parents always told me to follow my dreams.
Are you an orphanage? Because I want to give you kids.
My love for you is like diarrhoea, I just can’t hold it in.
Stalking, orphans, diarrhoea. Don’t mention any of the above. Surely, it’s obvious.
READ MORE: Get the lowdown on how to flirt
Don’t be a misogynist
One of the worst things you can do when opening up a conversation with a woman is to belittle her or neg her. If you are unsure of what negging is; it’s a behaviour created by pick up artists where you give a woman a back-handed compliment to damage her self-esteem so she will feel thankful that you are interested in her.
You know, you look just like my little sister.
I like that outfit you’ve got on but your cardigan don’t really match. It would look better in blue.
You shouldn’t wear makeup. It’s messing with perfection!
It’s unlikely that you’ll succeed romantically by negging the woman you like. She will most likely feel hurt by your comment and not want to talk to you. If you would like to compliment her on her appearance, go ahead! But steer clear of mentioning her breasts or bum, she could perceive it as a sexist comment. Say her outfit looks great or that you like her haircut. The best compliments are ones where you have noticed in particular, she’ll appreciate your attention to detail.
Yawn, heard that one before…
One of the worse things you can do when initiating a conversation is to ask a boring question. Especially if you have interrupted the conversation the woman is having with her friends.
Do you come here often?
Where are you from?
In order to draw the attention of the woman you like you should try to come up with something original to say and wait until she is away from her friends. It’s unlikely she’ll respond well to having her interesting conversation interrupted by a mundane question.
READ MORE: How to keep the conversation flowing – First date questions
If you are hoping to make a good impression on the woman you like, avoid using these pick up lines. In fact, avoid using pick-up lines in general if they tend to fall into one of the five categories above. The best way to chat to a woman is to be respectful and to be yourself.