Pick-up lines: do's and don'ts

Do...

• … be original
  Nothing is worse than some generic pick-up line that's used often. 
  
  “I met my fiancé on a train trip from Delhi to Mumbai. Generally I don't talk a lot to people on trains. I like to just enjoy a book or look at the scenery. But this time was different. We were sitting next to each other, and shortly after leaving the station he turned to me and said, 'I saw you at the station earlier and thought you really looked pretty. I was too shy to talk to you, but I guess I am getting a second chance now. I better not blow it!' I usually don't like pick-up lines, but this one was original and didn't feel too cheesy or over-the-top. So we started chatting. And several years down the line, we are still together, planning to get married soon,” says Aarti.
• … use humor
  Getting a laugh from someone you are interested in puts you ahead of the game immediately.
  
  Sanju believes that the best way to start a conversation, and even get a date with somebody you like, is to get them to laugh. Once the other person laughs, he thinks, the deal is pretty much done. Oh, and of course he means laughing with you, not at you. His favorite, and well-tested pickup line, he tells us, has worked many, many times. Sanju says it's really important to deliver it with a smile and maybe even a small wink, so the person you are flirting with knows that you yourself aren't taking the line too seriously.
  
  “This is how you do it,” he says. “With a big smile on your face, you walk up to the other person. If you want to act it out really well, even walk past, but keep eye contact! Then you approach them directly, and you ask: ‘Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk past again?'” Sanju says he has used this many times, and gotten laughs almost every time. And not just laughs, many dates, too!

Don't...

• … be cheesy
  If you don't know the person, pick-up lines can quickly get you the opposite of what you want.
  
  “I think it's really difficult to figure out if a pick-up line will work,” says Madhuri. “When I approach a man, I usually know nothing about him. So it's really a gamble when it comes to choosing a pick-up line. Just the other day, I approached a guy I have been seeing on campus for a while. I found myself alone with him in the library late in the day. I knew even before I started talking that the line might be cute, but too cheesy. But I said it anyway: ‘Hi, I'm Madhuri, nice to meet you! I wanted to ask – I lost my teddy bear and I need someone to cuddle; are you up for it?’ He burst out laughing, shook his head and turned back to his book. I was disappointed but determined not to give up. The next day, I saw him again and asked him if he wanted to get coffee with me. He smiled and said, sure, as long as I wouldn't mention teddy bears! I'm happy that I got a second chance and I learned my lesson about pick-up lines. Sometimes less is definitely more!”
• … be sexual 
  What might sound funny to you could be offensive to others. Rohan learned this the hard way. While dancing with friends at a local club one night, he spotted a girl and was head over heels within seconds. For the next few hours, he kept agonising over how to best approach her, while stealing glances at her from time to time. As the night moved on, Rohan knew that he would need to act soon, or she might disappear from the club without him having made a move. So he took a deep breath and walked over to her. He smiled, leaned forward and whispered something into her ear. Before he knew what was happening to him, the girl had slapped him and stormed off! Rohan returned to his friends, defeated. His friends were clutching their stomachs, they were laughing so hard. “What in the world did you say to her?” his best friend asked. Rohan replied, “My shirt would look really good on your bedroom floor... I thought it was funny!” The girl apparently didn't think so.
   

Do you have some more tips or do’s and don’ts on pick-up lines? Share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment below or starting a discussion on Facebook.