Ways to Respond to Any Pick-Up Line
Rate the pick-up line on a scale of 1 to 10. This is a great response to keep in your back pocket because it can go any number of ways depending on the score you choose to give. It also gives you the perfect opportunity to comment on the person who delivered the line in the first place. Here are some examples: "Oooh. I'll give the line itself 2 out of 10, but you get 3 bonus points for enthusiasm. You're at 5 out of 10, care to give it another shot?" "10 out of 10! Brilliant execution, highly recommended. Come on over, let's tell you what you've won!" "Yeah, no. 1 out of 10 on the line, can't recommend. Maybe just approach me like a normal person next time."
Respond literally to keep the banter going. Most pick-up lines make heavy use of metaphors and puns, which makes them ripe for this kind of humor. Just act as though the person meant every word in the line literally rather than metaphorically and respond accordingly. For example, if they say something about you falling from heaven, you might say, "Oh geez, you must have me confused with someone else! I've certainly never been to heaven, let alone fallen from there. I'd remember something like that!" If they say, "Are you a bank? Because you've got my interest!" You might say, "Yes, and it compounds annually. Make sure your payments are up to date." This kind of response can either be flirty or kind of mean, depending on how you feel about the person who just delivered the pick-up line.
Offer your own pick-up line in response. This can be fun if you feel like memorizing a handful of cheesy pick-up lines so you'll have one on hand to throw out. It really works best, though, if your pick-up line happens to play off theirs. For example, if they used a pickup line about you being a magician, you could respond, "Well, I'm not sure if that was a pick-up line or a magic trick but color me intrigued." Or you might say, "Aw, that was corny but cute. My turn! Can I have directions?" When they ask you where you need directions to, you might say, "Your heart." Feeling creative? You can make up something that sounds like a cheesy pick-up line, even if you've never heard it before. All of these lines started somewhere, right?
Tell them a funny story about pick-up lines. Like a lot of responses, this one can also go either way. The story doesn't even have to be a true story—you can just make something up that fits what you want to say, no big deal! For example, you might say, "If I had a nickel for every time I've heard that line, I could take us both out for sushi—and I can eat a lot of sushi!"
Ask them their success rate with that line. Does this person seem a little too confident and you want to take them down a notch? This is a response you can use no matter what the line and get them thinking about how successful these lines really are. For example, you might say, "Oh, that's a good one. Say, what's your rate of success with that line? I'm guessing..." Then you can fill in the percentage depending on what you want to tell the person. If you think the line was terrible, you might even say 0%! If you feel pretty certain that they've struck out several times already, you might say, "Ooooh! Do I get a prize for being the 10th person you've used that line on tonight?"
Play off of the line with a flirty joke of your own. If you want to come across as quick-witted and playful, a smart comeback is the choice for you. Unfortunately, this is probably the most difficult to pull off if you're not great at coming up with stuff off the top of your head—unless you're great at memorizing a lot of specific responses! Here are a few to get your creative gears moving: If they say, "If beauty were a crime, you'd be serving a life sentence." You could say, "Guilty as charged, but only if you're my accomplice." If they say, "Do you have a Band-Aid? Because I just scraped my knee falling for you." You could say, "I don't, but I could kiss it and make it better." If they say, "Are you a bank loan? Because you've got my interest." You could say, "Well, I hope you consider me a long-term investment. I'm not interested in day traders."
Laugh and ask them for another pick-up line. It's totally possible that the person with the cheesy pick-up line is actually an awesome person who just gets anxious trying to chat up new people. Call out the fact that they used a pick-up line and go kind of meta with it, encouraging them to share other cheesy pick-up lines so the two of you can laugh together. For example, you might say, "Oh wow, it's been a while since I heard a pick-up line quite that silly—I love it! Give me another one!" Your tone is typically going to indicate whether you're open to further interaction with them or you're just trying to let them down easy.
Say something completely random and unrelated. Confusion is the name of the game here. When you respond with something that has nothing to do with the pick-up line they just used, it confuses them and puts them off balance. At that point, they might rethink their strategy and try to introduce themselves more directly (they might also just walk away). For example, if they say, "Are you Wi-Fi? Because I definitely feel a connection!" You might respond, "Tigers are the only species of cat that has striped skin." This is a really great strategy if you're the type of person who always goes out armed with lots of random facts.
Stare at them blankly. You have to be pretty good at maintaining your composure to pull this one off. Basically, when they come up with the line, you just stare them dead in the eye and hold eye contact until they look away. Just like when you had a staring contest as a kid. The key is not to giggle or even smile—keep a completely blank, emotionless expression on your face the whole time. Eventually, they will look away, or say something, or try to get you to something. If the vibes are right, it might end up with both of you collapsing in giggles! This is a lot similar to simply ignoring them, except that with this response, they're 100% sure that you heard them.
Make a dismissive comment and change the subject. When you want them to know that you're onto their game and don't appreciate it, a dismissive comment can do the trick. You can still take a shot at a regular conversation if you feel like that's in the cards. Here are some possibilities: "Compliment accepted, but I'm not interested. Care to chat about the game tomorrow night?" "I don't usually respond to pick-up lines, but thanks for the compliment." "I don't care for pick-up lines, but I appreciate the effort."
Let them down easy with a funny comeback. You're not interested, but you don't want to hurt the person's feelings. Drop a clever comeback and they'll be laughing so hard they won't even think about the fact that you just rejected them. Here are some examples: If they say, "I seem to have lost my phone number. Can I have yours?" You could say, "I just had it disconnected." If they say, "Can I have your name?" You could say, "Why? Have you lost yours?" If they say, "Is it hot in here or is it just you?" You could say, "No, it's you because you just crashed and burned." If they say "Are you Wi-Fi? Because I feel a connection." You could say, "Signal's weak over here. You'll probably do better over there," and point to the other side of the room.
Ask them to repeat themselves. Just pretend like you didn't hear the line and ask them to repeat it—even if you really did hear them. It might force them to think about what they're saying and maybe reconsider their approach. If nothing else, you at least buy yourself some time to come up with something to say.
Play off something in the line to start a legitimate conversation. Research shows that pick-up lines can launch a conversation. If you're actually interested in trying to make a connection with the person, this tactic might work in your favor. Simply take a single word or topic from the pick-up line that you can use to turn the conversation in a different direction. For example, if they use a pickup line that has something to do with magic or magicians, you might ask them when was the last time they went to a magic show. The possibilities are endless here and whatever you say doesn't even really have to be related to the subject of the pick-up line—you're really just spinning off on a kind of tangent. It also allows you to steer the conversation more in a direction that you're comfortable with.
Hold out your hand and introduce yourself. After they deliver the line, just look them in the eye silently for a second. Then, hold out your hand and say, "Hi, my name is..." and start the introduction from there. This might be your best option if you just want to move past the awkward pickup line and pretend it never happened. You can even kind of ham up the formality of a handshake to make it seem a little lighthearted. That will likely make the person feel a little more comfortable and like they can be themselves around you.
Be honest and direct about how you feel. Playful banter can be fun, but if you're not feeling it, just let the person know that directly. You're being mature and showing them respect—even if you feel like the pick-up line was borderline disrespectful. If you're ultimately looking for a relationship and not just a casual fling, directness is definitely the way to go. For example, you might say, "Hey, I'm not really into pick-up lines—they just don't feel genuine. I'd prefer to connect with a real person. What's your name?"
Responding to a Pick-Up Line
Ignore the person if you feel creeped out. There's nothing that says you have to respond to a pick-up line at all! If you think the person is disrespectful or creepy, just turn away from them or move away. Hopefully they'll get the message. If you're in a loud place, you might also be able to get away with pretending you didn't hear them.
Encourage the person to try a more direct approach. This is especially important if you're ultimately looking for a long-term relationship. Let the person know that if the two of you are going to get to know each other, you're going to do so without playing games. Then, invite them to introduce themselves again. For example, you might say, "Hey, I appreciate the effort and you seem nice. You want to try again?" Then you can tell them your name or ask theirs.
Laugh the pickup line off with a joke. Research shows that flippant, flirtatious pick-up lines tend to be more successful with people who are looking for short-term relationships or flings. If that's you, joking right back is an effective way to break the ice and get a conversation going. A joking response tends to indicate that you're not taking the person that seriously—and most of the time, you'll be matching their energy. People don't tend to use these sorts of cringe pick-up lines if they're trying to find a serious long-term partner.
Set boundaries with the person if appropriate. If someone's pushing your boundaries from the moment they first step foot in your life, that's a huge red flag. You can keep things light and still let the person know how you expect to be treated and what you'll do if they don't respect the boundaries you've set. Setting boundaries is even more important if you're actually interested in the person and want to get to know them better. The way you interact with each other now will set the stage for your future conversations.
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