dating

10 people share what not to do on a first date. Ever.

First dates: butterflies, last minute outfit changes and a friend on speed dial. We’ve all been there.

There’s a lot of advice out there about first date etiquette, but a community of seasoned daters on Reddit have shared what not to do when meeting someone for the first time.

The Debbie Downer

“Probably the worst real experience I’ve had is people being Debbie downers. They talk about all the depressing moments in their life; how their mum is an alcoholic, their job is just so unfair, how they ‘learned you really can’t trust people’.”

The Photoshop Pro 

“Not looking anything like your profile picture. I once met a girl who used a picture of her brother’s girlfriend. The actual chick I met was just barely in the picture, off to the side.”

(Post continues after gallery.)

The Comparison

“Don’t bloody point out the similarities your ex and I have. It lowers your value and also makes me feel like I’m taking sloppy seconds and that’s gross.”

Screenshot/50 First Dates.

The Pre-Pay

"Discussing who is going to pay before even getting to the restaurant."

The Silence Shooter

"Asking someone why they're being so quiet when they pause in conversation for a minute. It only serves to make things awkward and really, people don't have to be talking constantly just to fill the silence to be having a good time."

The Ex Factor

"Talking about previous relationships."

The Acronyms

One user even shared two handy acronyms to remember what to talk about on a date and what to avoid.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Things to talk about F.O.R.D.

Family

Occupation

Recreation

Dreams (what they want to do with their life).

Things to not talk about. P.E.A.R

Politics

Exes

Abortion

Religion."

Watch as Mamamia takes you through the dating trend of ghosting. Post continues after video.

The Talker

"Talking too much about yourself. Ask question and answer questions. THAT'S IT."

The Diligent Dater

"I did online dating for a while and I was completely blown away by how frequently women talked about other guys they were dating off the site too. Now I understand online dating is a bit of a numbers game and people go out with a lot of different people but talk about making me feel like my name was 'Free Food' or 'Movie Tickets'."

The Movie Move

"Don't go to a movie. A first date is about getting to know each other, so why go somewhere where you don't talk for upwards of two hours?"