# What do guys really look for in a girl??????? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 25, 2000, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526 "2000-09-25T23:49:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![OrcaChow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e47c2d/32.png) [@OrcaChow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OrcaChow)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/21 "2000-09-26T06:14:47Z")
Intestines. Four, five quarts of blood. Pancreas. Liver. Bones. Well, you may see a pattern here. Seriously, what do I look for? Intelligence. Kindness. Enthusiasm. Sense of humor. Respect for others and, just as important, for herself. Doesn’t play dumb so to give the guy an egoboo. Someone who’s as comfortable (if not moreso) in jeans, sneakers and a beat-up sweater than in an evening dress. Someone who’s unafraid to take the initiative sometimes. Someone in halfway decent shape. And whose looks won’t scare a bulldog off a meat wagon. Good looks are _plenty_ welcome, but are icing on the cake. Caution lights: Worried about her makeup while working out. Wearing makeup during workouts. Interest in soap operas. She repeatedly uses the word, “went,” in place of “said.” She smokes. Major warning flags: Addiction to soap operas. She uses the word, “like,” more than three times in a sentence. She smokes cigars. Ultimate Death Blows: Harlequin Romance novels. She recites to coworkers what happened on “Big Brother” the night before. Little yappy dogs with ribbons in their fur. She chews. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/22 "2000-09-26T06:15:30Z")
Fast answer (followed by small hijack): Physically: slender, short hair, good legs, pretty face Personality: Honest, conversational, smart, and good sense of humor… which brings up my minor hijack about women and senses of humor: Everybody, men and women it seems, wants a partner with a “good sense of humor.” Fine. I know lots of women who fit the bill. Guys too. But I also know many guys who are also genuinely, laugh-out-loud funny. And I don’t mean see-me-light-my-cigar-with-a-flaming-fart funny; these guys make very clever, intellegent, witty jokes and observations – not unlike some of the best quipsters on this board. Here’s my question: I know very few women who are as funny as these guys. Yet, I suspect, many men (like me) would find such a gal very, very attractive. Why are they so rare? ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/23 "2000-09-26T06:33:15Z")
Willingness to touch my sexy, sexy body. –Tim ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/24 "2000-09-26T06:34:37Z")
Forgot to say: Stuyguy, why do you think everyone finds Janeane Garafalo SO FUCKING HOT? –Tim ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/25 "2000-09-26T11:58:13Z")
Quote from **BlackKnigh**"The most attractive thing a girl can do is act interested in me!" There ya go! That, a pretty face, and a nice smell, and I’m yours. ---
**Author:** ![dpr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dpr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dpr)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/26 "2000-09-26T12:25:23Z")
Yep… what Tim/Homer said… _sigh_ Janeane Garafalo … ---
**Author:** ![Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/49beb7/32.png) [@Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falcon)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/27 "2000-09-26T13:31:42Z")
_sighs_ Clearly, Tim and dpr…y’all just need to move to Maryland. Lord knows I’m willing. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![barflyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dc4da7/32.png) [@barflyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barflyer)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/28 "2000-09-26T13:52:38Z")
I like a girl who likes to look at me. If I see one take a long glance in a bar or a couple of short ones, I’ll come over and say hi. Same thing at the library and supermarket, but just with a little forced casualness so no one gets spooked. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/29 "2000-09-26T13:57:13Z")
“I can’t define it, but I know it when I see it.” (Maybe not the most appropriate quote, since it was said originally of pornography, but it seemed to capture the spirit.) Like some of the other respondents, I favor intelligent women. But it has to be someone who uses that intelligence in her life, not just a straight-A student who never missed an episode of Melrose Place. Someone well read. I also like a woman who will be fairly straightforward. One of my (female) college friends was married for a few years. She told me that her husband was a lot more passive than she would have liked. A while after that, she asked him for a divorce, which he did not contest. I asked her later if she really would have liked him to put up more of a fight about it, and she admitted that she would have (the one moment of romantic insight I’ve had in my life). As much as I like this friend, I could really sympathesize with the guy. He gave her what she said she wanted. So I would look for someone who will just speak up about things and say what she means. And I admit that my head can be turned by a pretty face. Which is superficial I suppose, but I think it’s redeemed a bit the fact that we’re all attracted to something a little different. I tend to like someone pretty, but still human (models exist to attract attention to their clothes, not themselves), and I have a weakness for women with glasses. And someone who laughs at the René Descartes joke. ---
**Author:** ![Lethal\_Lynx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lethal\_Lynx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lethal_Lynx)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/30 "2000-09-26T14:16:26Z")
Hmmm… there are so many things to consider. 1. She has to be an easy going, open-minded person. I don’t like a prude who gets all worked up over mundane things (like [leaving the toilet seat up](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=39441) 😉 ). Also, if she just open in general. A good communicator that doesn’t play games. 2. It definitly couldn’t hurt if we shared similar values. If I found out that she kicks squirrels for fun, well that’s just a relationship killer. 3. Intelligence makes a good aphrodisiac. Would be nice to be able to talk issues with her. 4. A sweet personality always attracted me. 5. Looks (yes I’ll admit, it’s always a plus if she’s eye candy). She doesn’t have to be cookie cutter beautiful, but I don’t want the female version the Hunch Back of Notre Dame. I’m a sucker for cute. 6. If she makes it obvious that she likes me, that’s always a plus. She wouldn’t mind stroking my ego (without resorting to lying). And I wouldn’t mind returning the favor. Of course this isn’t set in stone. Sometimes I get attracted to a girl I wouldn’t have thought I could get attracted to. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/31 "2000-09-26T14:33:29Z")
Trust? I agree with all of the above statements about personality, intellegence, etc., but the thing that really attracted me to my wife was that I found out early on that I could trust her (with my life, if necessary). If the trust wasn’t there, there would have been no way that I could have stayed with her. ---
**Author:** ![\_Michael\_Hunt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b2d939/32.png) [@\_Michael\_Hunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_Michael_Hunt)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/32 "2000-09-26T14:48:29Z")
What do guys really look for in a girl? Hmm, in short, that would simply be “YOU”, ‘Amber’🙂 The long answer is(and you definitely fit all of these): -Intelligence -Humor -Attractive -Caring -Giving -Financial Common Sense -Common Sense -Goals in life -Respect for others -Doesn’t drink a lot (alcohol, obviously) -Doesn’t get overly obsessed with what others think about her. … I Love you, H.A.T. :-), because of all the above and countless other reasons… mainly because i just do… -Chris ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/33 "2000-09-26T15:03:20Z")
" what do guys actually look for in a girl???" “Girl?” surely I would hope she would be PC & call herself a “woman” first. Mostly I look that she has a ‘liveness’, plenty of ‘life energy’. ---
**Author:** ![Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bottle_of_Smoke)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/34 "2000-09-26T15:09:26Z")
To paraphrase from Animal House: We’re willing to exchange appearance for a certain…morally casual attitude. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/35 "2000-09-26T18:56:22Z")
I think most of the guys on this thread are downplaying the actual role that physical appearance plays in sparking interest. For most guys (and a lot of women), initial attraction is based almost primarily on physical attraction, at which point you try to find out if you like each other for other reasons as well. (Which is where sense of humor, personality, etc. come into play.) Physical attraction is a huge part of what gets the guys, everything else is what keeps the guys. It’s true. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/36 "2000-09-26T19:36:11Z")
Personally speaking, I’ll settle at this point for a woman who isn’t old, obese or ugly, who shows an interest in me (any takers? 😉 ) My _ideal_ woman is one who can get under the influence and discuss the nature of reality while kicking my ass at Scrabble. But I don’t think that’s coming along any time soon. ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/37 "2000-09-26T20:34:10Z")
- - - Guys only want girls who will bring them beer and food while they’re watching sports on TV. Whaddya think they go to Hooters for, anyway? > [@](#): > > Personally speaking, I’ll settle at this point for a woman who isn’t old, obese or ugly, who shows an interest in me (any takers?) - blessedwolf - It’s okay to use the word “fat”. You used the words “old” and “ugly”, you might as well start out honest. - MC ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/38 "2000-09-26T20:55:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MC \* > \*\*It’s okay to use the word “fat”. You used the words “old” and “ugly”, you might as well start out honest. - MC \*\* Actually, obese means “extremely fat; grossly overweight”. Not just fat, _really_ fat. So he may be saying it’s OK to be fat, just not obese. (Or old. Or ugly.) If he had wanted to tiptoe around the issue, he would have said “Reubenesque” or “full-figured”. ---
**Author:** ![absoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@absoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/absoul)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/39 "2000-09-26T21:16:10Z")
I believe that physical beauty can ‘forgive’ many shortcomings in any person. i.e. a fantasic ASS can make up for the fact that she may be as dumb as a box of hair. ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526/40 "2000-09-26T21:40:05Z")
As Mike Myers once put it, “I know most guys say _sense of humor_, but I’m gonna have to go with breast size.” - **So I Married an Axe Murderer** That aside, this is what I look for in a girl: . Maturity: Although girls mature before guys, you’ll be surprised to find the ones who don’t. . Intelligence: It really is important for the girl to be intelligent. I rely heavily on the use of innuendo and historical references for humor. If she doesn’t know what I’m talking about then I really don’t have much to say. . Tough Skin: This might not be the right analogy for what I’m trying to say. It’s something along the lines of a girl not easily being disgusted or offended whenever someone makes a comment with bad taste. . Looks: Hey, if she’s hot, why not? 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-guys-really-look-for-in-a-girl/34526.md?page=3)