24 Creative Pickup Lines That Make Sending The First Message A Breeze

Pickup lines may not always be your preferred way to start a flirty conversation; it’s hard to tell how using one will land. But when used appropriately, there are plenty of underrated, unique pickup lines that can serve as useful tools in the dating sphere to hook a match and move things forward. Whether you're on your favorite dating app or you're trying to make conversation with your crush, it’s good to try to zero in on unique pickup lines that feel authentic to who you are. Or if you stumble across a creative pickup line that’s hilarious, cheeky, or just plain punny, use that as a conversation starter. It’ll help break the ice, take the pressure off of coming up with the “perfect” message, and will, above all, make your match laugh (or at the very least, smile). What more could you want?

In 2014, Jeremy Nicholson, M.S.W., Ph.D., and social psychologist, wrote in a blog post that he’d found pickup lines can successfully showcase your humor and communication style to a potential match. "Pickup lines serve as an advertisement, filter, and screening device," he wrote in the published piece on Psychology Today. "The type of line a [person] chooses says something about [their] personality and attributes. Similarly, whether [the other person] finds a particular type of line appealing says something about [their] personality and attributes as well."

Damona Hoffman, OkCupid Dating Coach and Host of The Dates & Mates Podcast, has a personal philosophy when it comes to sending a unique first message. She previously shared with Elite Daily that you should send a message that’s “personal yet doesn't require a huge investment of time or energy to craft it.” So if you’re seriously sweating what to say and completely overthinking it, stop. “The common formula I use,” Hoffman added, “is a comment and a question.” Why do both? “The comment acknowledges that you've read their profile and you are reacting to something specific in it and the question is an invitation to explore the connection with you.”

If a double-header comment and question isn’t the kind of mood you’re hoping to strike, Hoffman also shared that going the way of a unique pickup line should be a decision you feel good about making. She noted rare pickup lines “actually can be effective and might even make the recipient laugh, which can lead to a reply.” She does add one further piece of advice if planning to be a little corny in your message. “You have to acknowledge the cheesiness of pickup lines or the fact that you're sending it with a wink and a nod,” she said. Without it, Hoffman warned, you run the risk that it might “never work.”

If any of these creative pickup lines or cute one-liners make you chuckle, chances are, a compatible match will also find them funny. Or, at the very least, they'll be happy you worked up the courage to say something to them. Think of it this way: Once you’ve set the first message, anything can happen. The dating doors will open themselves up to you. A great first date or a casual catchup over drinks or coffee could be next. And then? A lifetime of happiness. But before you get too many steps ahead of yourself, you just have to find the words to get past “hello” and hit send. These ideas should help:

Creative Pickup Lines

• "Can I ask your opinion on something?"
• “Hi. Are you busy? Do you have a few minutes so I can hit on you?”
• “You thought you wouldn’t have a chance with me? You’re completely wrong.”
• “If I were to ask you out on a date, would your answer be the same as the answer to this question?”
• “You don’t know how many times I had to swipe left to find you.”
• “Hey! Sorry, I think I deleted your first message. What did you say?”

Cheesy Pickup Lines

• "Are you French? Because ma-damn, you're fine."
• "Hi, I'm [Name]. Someone said you were looking for me."
• "Besides being gorgeous, what do you do for a living?"
• [Point to your friend] "‘Hey, see my friend down there? [He/She] wants to know if you think I’m cute."
• "You’re so beautiful you made me forget my pickup line.”
• "Do you have any raisins? How about a date?"
• "Hey, are you stairs? Because you take my breath away.”
• "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Because you are hot."
• "Good thing I brought my library card, ‘cause I'm checking you out!"
• "Do you know what my shirt is made of? [Boyfriend/Girlfriend] material."
• "Are you a parking ticket? ‘Cause you’ve got 'fine' written all over you."
• "Can I follow you home? My parents always told me to follow my dreams."
• "Didn’t I see you on the cover of Vogue?"

Unique Pickup Lines

• "I think I dropped my phone. Can you call it?"
• “I know what you’re thinking: ‘Sure, they look nice enough, but can they ride a unicycle?’ And the answer is no, I can’t.”
• “Don’t you just hate it when people try to use pickup lines on you?”
• “I’m not trying to impress you or anything, but… I’m Batman.”
• “Do you know how much a polar bear weighs? Enough to break the ice.”

Even though the stakes can feel impossibly high when approaching someone who's caught your eye, it's important to stay true to who you are. There are plenty of compatible matches out there who will appreciate getting a sneak peek into your personality, so don't be afraid to send a creative pickup line.

Additional reporting by Kylie McConville

Experts:

Damona Hoffman, OkCupid Dating Coach and Host of The Dates & Mates Podcast