# Quick pick up survey.... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 16, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pick-up-survey/169155 "2003-04-16T20:18:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SwimmingwithChickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@SwimmingwithChickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingwithChickens)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pick-up-survey/169155/1 "2003-04-16T20:18:06Z")
Holding all else equal…. Suppose you are sitting in a food court with a female friend and a man approaches. Which pick up line would get a better result (note: a better result might merely be the lesser of two evils.) 1. “I just wanted to let you know that you have beautiful eyes.” 2. “I just wanted to let you know that you have pretty elbows.” Remember everything else is held constant- appearance, tone of voice, etc…. ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingwithChickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@SwimmingwithChickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingwithChickens)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pick-up-survey/169155/2 "2003-04-16T20:23:36Z")
Oh, by the way, when you answer please specify your sex… ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pick-up-survey/169155/3 "2003-04-16T20:32:04Z")
Who’s delivering the line to whom? ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pick-up-survey/169155/4 "2003-04-16T20:37:40Z")
As far as I’m concerned you can’t do much worse than “You have beautiful eyes”. What am I supposed to say to that “Thanks I made them myself”? Whereas, pretty elbow, I’d probably laugh (and hopefully come back with something like “And I find your earlobes intriging”). And getting a girl to laugh (with you not at you) and giving her an opportunity to flirt back, is half the battle right there. Unless it turns out he wasn’t really trying to be amusing and just has an elbow fetish, then I’m back to not knowing what to say. ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingwithChickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@SwimmingwithChickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingwithChickens)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pick-up-survey/169155/5 "2003-04-16T20:39:25Z")
The man is delivering it to you. Regardless of your sex which pick up line would “get his foot in the door” to a conversation? I phrased the question specifically so that you have a female friend with you so that A: Women, in general, are less likely to try to embarrass their friends. B: The situation is structured so that you are not sitting alone thus you are less approachable. ---
**Author:** ![Fin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fin_man)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pick-up-survey/169155/6 "2003-04-17T11:00:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SwimmingwithChickens \* > \*\*1. “I just wanted to let you know that you have beautiful eyes.” > > 1. “I just wanted to let you know that you have pretty elbows.” > Remember everything else is held constant- appearance, tone of voice, etc…. \*\* **SWC** , where did you come up with the elbows question? While I am a man, I would probably try to use #2 over using #1 - as **betenoir** said “And getting a girl to laugh (with you not at you) and giving her an opportunity to flirt back, is half the battle right there.” ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingwithChickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@SwimmingwithChickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingwithChickens)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pick-up-survey/169155/7 "2003-04-17T11:58:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fin\_man \* > \*\ ***SWC** , where did you come up with the elbows question? > While I am a man, I would probably try to use #2 over using #1 - as **betenoir** said “And getting a girl to laugh (with you not at you) and giving her an opportunity to flirt back, is half the battle right there.” \*\* Some weirdo at my office suggested the elbow proposition is a better opening pickup line…but then again he is a real loser… ---
**Author:** ![Fin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fin_man)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pick-up-survey/169155/8 "2003-04-17T12:00:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SwimmingwithChickens \* > \*\*Some weirdo at my office suggested the elbow proposition is a better opening pickup line…but then again he is a real loser… \*\* If you are calling somebody in your office a “weirdo”, how weird must your office be?? And as far as being a loser, I guess he/she isn’t so much a loser since 100% of the responses regarding the pickup line has sided with him/her. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-pick-up-survey/169155/9 "2003-04-17T13:13:15Z")
1. “I just wanted to let you know that you have beautiful eyes.” 2. “I just wanted to let you know that you have pretty elbows.” Responses to both questions are the same: Me: Thanks. I’m straight. My wife, sitting next to me: laughs her ass off.