Men favour a direct,no-nonsense approach when being chatted up by women,a new study has found. The research suggests that simple lines,such as 'Fancy dinner?' or 'What are you up to tonight? or 'Can I give you my number?' avoid confusion and thus have more success. The researchers,from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania,said that men find it hard to 'read' hints,even if they are accompanied by flirty body language,the Daily Mail reported. The scientists asked a group of women for their top chat-up lines. They took the 50 most common answers and asked 70 men and women how well they thought they would work. Men found a direct approach,such as an invitation to dinner or the cinema,the most appealing. Exchanges of phone numbers scored next best with the male volunteers,followed by indirect invitations,including 'Do you have plans later?' and 'What are you up to tonight?' The women also rated the direct approach the most highly but were also impressed with those lines which were designed to pin down common interests. Supposedly humorous lines,such as 'Your shirt matches my bedspread you belong in my bed',and 'That's dangerous place you're standing because I'm having trouble controlling my urges' fared poorly,the journal Personality and Individual Differences reported. But absolutely bottom of the pack were smiles and openers such as 'You look familiar. Have I met you before?' An earlier study found that the line 'It's hot today,isn't it? It's the best weather when you're training for a marathon',is the perfect way for a man to show off his intelligence and athletic prowess. The worst line for men was 'I was wondering if you had space in your bag for my Mercedes keys?
