What Are Cheesy Pickup Lines That Still Work?

A cheesy pickup line works when you say it as an obvious joke, with a smile that tells her you know it is corny, and you move into real conversation right after. It fails when you say it straight, expecting the line to do the work. The line is a wink. What matters is what you say next.

So the honest list of cheesy lines that still work is short, and it comes with conditions.

A line sounds the same whoever says it. A woman can hear that a corny sentence was prepared and has nothing to do with her. When it is delivered with a straight face, she has to decide whether you are joking, and that small bit of work usually ends in a polite smile and a quick goodbye.

It also puts a performance between the two of you. You are reciting, she is watching, and a normal conversation has not started.

a dating coach says the same line works or fails on delivery. His phrase is that it is "not a line that you use, it's an attitude that you use." A good line in a boring, logical voice does not work, and it can come across as strange.

Cheesy lines show this more clearly than any other kind. With a grin and a pause, a groan-worthy line becomes a joke you share. With a flat voice, the same sentence becomes a man who thinks it might actually work.

The ones that still work are playful and tied to the moment, not famous pickup lines from the internet:

• At a cafe: "I was going to say something smooth, but then I saw the pastries and lost my train of thought."
• In a bookstore: "I would say I am a big reader, but I mostly just like the smell in here."
• At a bar: "I came over to say hi, and I already used up my best line on the bartender."
• Anywhere: "I had a whole opener planned, and this is it."

Each is mildly corny, and each admits as much. That admission is what makes her smile.

Everyone has heard "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?" and "Is your name Google? Because you have everything I am searching for." Women have heard them too, many times. If you say one, say it as an obvious wink:

• Say it slowly, with a grin.
• Add "I had to" or "I could not help it" so she knows you know.
• Move to a real question right away.

Said that way, it breaks the ice for a second. Said straight, it sounds like you have nothing else.

The cheesy line buys you one smile. Use it:

• "Okay, I had to. I am Sam. What are you reading?"
• "That was my one cheesy line for the day. I am done now. How is your afternoon going?"

Then listen. Pull one detail from her answer, respond to it, and add something of your own. The conversation is what she remembers, not the line.

Skip it when she looks busy, upset or in a hurry, when she has headphones on, or when she is clearly in a group having a private conversation. A joke aimed at a woman who does not want to be bothered will not be funny to her.

Also skip it when you feel yourself hiding behind it. If you use the line because you are afraid to say something real, the line is a shield, and she can feel the distance.

If you want a line that does not need defending, say what is true: "I saw you and wanted to say hello." It does not get a groan, and it does not need a grin to work. Most of the time it is better than the cheesy version, because she can answer it at once.

You can write the funniest line in the world and still lose it to a shaky voice. Delivery is something you learn by doing it in front of a person who can tell you what they saw.

The Cold Approach Bootcamp is in person and in the field, in Miami or New York, with a coach beside you for live feedback on every approach. Group is three consecutive days at three students per coach, and Private is fully 1-on-1 for one, two or three days. No experience is required.

After a few days, you know when a joke fits and when plain is better.