The day of love may have passed, but for all you singletons who continue to look for dates, the language experts at Preply have you covered when it comes to spotting red flags.
Through analyzing and scoring Reddit responses, the team compiled a ‘what you shouldn’t say’ guide when it comes to meeting someone on a date.
The question is, how many of these phrases are you guilty of having said?
1. “What’s taking so long with the food?”
Nothing is more embarrassing than witnessing someone being unnecessarily bad-mannered to a service staff member.
In the context of a date, this doesn’t look good at all, as agreed by many people.
Not only does this inform you of a red flag in their personality, it makes you feel awkward for having to endure it for the date.
2. “Me and my ex used to come here.”
The past is the past for a reason, and so it’s understandable why the infamous ex being unexpectedly being dropped into conversation is a massive turn-off for people.
To the other person, this may show signs that they are not over them, or are willing to take their baggage with them to the grave.
3. “My friend is actually here.”
According to Reddit responses, it seems that a common ick is when they mention that a friend just so happens to be at the place where the two of you are.
Not only does it seem that your date told the friend to keep an eye on them, this makes you feel obliged to invite them over to the table, which is annoying if you just want to get to know the person.
4. “I assume you’ll be having the salad?”
Remember the scene in White Chicks where Latrell assumed that Tiffany Wilson would just opt for the salad? Well, it seems that instances like this happen quite often in the dating world.
On the face of it, your date ordering for you without your approval shows that they are quite stubborn, and are willing to stick to their preconceived (and possibly old-fashioned) notions about the world.
5. “What are your plans for the next five years?”
Even though it is a date and you’re trying to get to know the person, it shouldn’t feel like a job interview.
With this in mind, it’s not surprising why procedural questions such as “what are your plans for the next five years?” can be a turn-off for people.
After all, most of us don’t even know what we’re going to do next year…
