If you're single and ?? ??? ??ready to mingle, breaking the ice is essential, if not mildly terrifying.
SEE ALSO: These are the final text messages people sent before being ghostedNowadays, a simple "come here often?" won't suffice. And, don't even think about asking "how r u". To ensnare the attention of fellow online daters, you've gotta be entertaining, engaging and -- most importantly -- original.
Mashable asked some successful online daters which icebreakers never fail to impress prospective partners.
You May Also Like
Via Giphy
Jack Knowles -- founder of dating app Temptr -- says it's important to do your research before approaching your prospective partner.
"It’s not rocket science – just be sure to look at your date's profile and see what he or she likes," Knowles told Mashable.
"If they like a certain band, genre of film or a niche type of cuisine be sure to comment on it and ask questions around that topic," Knowles continued.
'Pineapple on pizza, yay or nay?'
SEO executive Oliver Brett always starts off conversations with the match's name followed by an ellipsis.
"This might look weird but it filters out the 'non-weird' people who don't understand my sense of humour. If they reply with 'Oliver...' I know they share the same sense of humour," Brett told Mashable.
Brett's next line is somewhat unusual -- "Pineapple on pizza, yay or nay?"
"Yup, I only talk to strangers on the internet about pizza. And it works."
"If we share an admiration for pineapple on pizza, then that's a good start. If they reply 'ew, fruit on pizza', I leave the conversation there," says Brett.
Brett's former go-to line was -- funnily enough -- "What's the weirdest opener you've had on here?"
"One girl told me she got 'I want to paint you green and spank you like a naughty avocado' as an opener. Don't do that," Brett continues.
'Cats or dogs?'
Project manager Alex Smilkov has been off Tinder for a year, but his prime go-to opener is "cats or dogs". "The response rate was astonishing, perhaps more than 90 percent," Smilkov told Mashable. "I listed a few things I love in my bio and dogs was one of them. So, if the girl says dogs, I'd say 'Hey, you must've seen my bio -- that's cheating!' If she says cats, I'd say "You haven't seen my bio yet? How rude!'" Smilkov continued.Smilkov says it's essentially "a script" that he went through with each match. "If the girl finds you funny she'll play along and that's when you know she's interested. Despite it being a 'make or break' question, her response doesn't matter at all -- that's just the icebreaker," says Smilkov.
Via GiphySmilkov met his girlfriend on Tinder and, naturally, he used his cherished opener to break the ice.
"She had foolishly said cats! She still denies my opener is effective and thinks I just got lucky," declares Smilkov.
'Your head is beautiful and would look amazing on my wall'
A 27-year-old advertising professional -- who prefers to remain anonymous -- told Mashablethat he uses one line in particular which throws people off guard every single time.
"Hey your head is beautiful and would look amazing on my wall. Drinks at mine next week? Bring a bottle and a hammer..."
But, his lines don't end there, however. He also likes to use "Are you more of a chat person or let's go for a drink kinda person?"; "You look like trouble.."; and "Does this mean we're boyfriend and girlfriend now?"
Netflix and wha?
Account executive Hannah kept things pretty simple, with maximum success.
"My best opening line on a dating website was 'Better discovery: Netflix or avocados?'"
According to Hannah, the line "worked like a treat."
Via Giphy'Life or death decision'
Personal assistant Ele's most effective openers have one thing in common -- peanut butter.
Some of her most successful icebreakers include “Life or death decision: peanut butter or Nutella?”; “Life or death decision: crunchy or smooth peanut butter?”
Ele also uses the line “I like your face, I'm intrigued if your personality is as great”, which usually evokes a good response.
Whether you're a fan of the dramatic one-liners, or you just like talking about cats and dogs -- do what feels right to you. And, if you get a response that piques your interest, even better! Most importantly: be original.