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10 Classic Chat Up Lines in English

English Vocabulary-17 words
English Level-Intermediate – Advanced

Download Reading Exercises and Answers Worksheets – HERE

Chat up lines are usually intended for men to start talking to women in bars, although they’re famous for being completely useless. They’ve become more of a joke than a real conversation starter – use them on your friends to make them laugh, but stick to politely introducing yourself to people you want to get to know better.

Let’s take a look at some of the most famous chat up lines. You never know, someone might use one of these on you one day.

Number 1

Guy – Did you hurt yourself when you fell?
Girl – Fell?
Guy – Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?

This one is probably the oldest and most famous. It’s suggesting that the woman must be an angel because she is so beautiful, and that she got from heaven to earth by falling.

Number 2

Line: It’s handy that I have my library card because I’m totally checking you out.

You ‘check out’ a library book when you borrow it from the library, but you ‘check out’ a person when you are looking intently at someone you’re attracted to. So this is a play on words, or a pun.

Number 3

Line: I hope you know CPR, because you take my breath away.

CPR is a type of first aid where you breathe into someone’s mouth to keep them alive until an ambulance arrives. You might think that someone who has their breath taken away would need CPR, but in fact it means that the person can’t breathe because they have seen someone so beautiful.

Number 4

Line: Is your name Wi-Fi? Because we have a connection.

Of course Wi-Fi is a wireless ‘connection’ to the internet, but you can also say you have a ‘connection’ with someone if you get on really well and have a lot of things in common.

Number 5

Line: Is your name Gillette? Because you’re the best a man can get.

Gillette is a brand of razor that used to run an advert with the slogan “Gilette, the best a man can get”; in other words, the woman being complimented is the best a man could possibly hope to meet.

Number 6

Line: Can I borrow a quarter? I want to call my mom and tell her I just met the girl of my dreams.

This classic old American line is actually quite sweet. It’s telling the person you’re talking to that you think she might be the girl of your dreams. (a quarter is 25 cents in the US and you used to need to pay a quarter to use a payphone)

Number 7

Line: You look like a parking ticket – because you’ve got fine written all over you.

‘Fine’ can have two different meanings; it is usually money you have to pay if you park in the wrong place and get a parking ticket. But if you describe a person as ‘fine’, that means they are good-looking and attractive.

Number 8

Line: Is it hot in here or is it just you?

Similar to the one above, it jokes about the two meanings of ‘hot’; the weather can be hot, or someone who looks very handsome or beautiful is hot.

Number 9

Line: If I could rewrite the alphabet I would put ‘U’ and ‘I’ together.

Another really old line! U and I are letters, but this sounds the same as saying ‘You and I’. In other words, you want to get closer to the person you’re speaking to.

Number 10

Line: Did your licence get suspended for driving all these guys crazy?

On its own, ‘drive’ usually refers to driving a car, which is why the joke mentions a license, but to drive someone crazy can mean to make someone madly in love with you.

There you are! Love them or hate them, you have to admit that some of them are quite funny and could make you smile.

Language Focus

English Vocabulary and Expressions

1. Chat up lines – (noun phrase) phrases used to start a conversation with someone that shows you are interested in them romantically.
*to chat up – (phrasal verb) to talk to someone in a flirtatious way because you are interested in them romantically.

Bob uses the same chat up lines on women every time. He’s so unoriginal.

2. to stick to sth- (Phrasal verb) to keep doing one thing without changing

You should stick to talking about music, you know nothing about politics.

3. heaven – (noun) a paradise where some religions believe people go to after they die

Grandma has died and gone to heaven.

4. handy – (adjective) convenient, useful

It was handy that Jane had a spare tyre in her car when she got a puncture.

5. checking you out – (phrasal verb: to check sb out) to look at someone to see how attractive they are
*to check out sth- (phrasal verb) to take something (e.g. books) out of somewhere (e.g. a library) while keeping a record of the item and of who took it out, such as taking books out of a library

John was checking out your sister

6. intently – (adverb) with a lot of attention and focus

Mary stared intently at the screen because the movie was so tense.

7. a play on words / a pun – (noun) a humorous use of language with a double meaning

The name of the hairdressers “Curl up and dye” is a play on words because “dye” sounds like “die”.

8. first aid – (noun) basic medical help given to a sick or injured person before they can be helped by professionals

Mary had to do a first aid course to learn what to do if there was a medical emergency at work.

9. have a lot of things in common – have a lot of similarities or similar interests

Bob and Frank both love football, beer and Italian food. They have a lot of things in common.

10. a brand – (noun) a product with a certain recognisable name made by a company

What is your favourite brand of breakfast cereal?

11. razor – (noun) an instrument with a blade used to remove hair

Frank uses a razor to shave his face every morning.

12. slogan – (noun) a phrase used in advertising that is easy to remember

“I’m lovin’ it” is a famous slogan used by McDonald’s.

13. complimented (verb: to compliment sb) to say something nice or flattering about a person

Bob complimented John on his photography skills.

14. sweet – (adjective) pleasant or agreeable, kind or thoughtful

Jane has a sweet singing voice
It was sweet of you to get me such a nice birthday gift

15. payphone – (noun) a public phone that you have to pay to use

16. parking ticket – (noun) a ticket you get for parking illegally that says you have to pay a fine

Mary got a parking ticket for parking on a double yellow line.

17. good-looking – (adjective) attractive, beautiful, handsome

Bob thought John’s sister was a good-looking girl.

18. licence – (noun) a permit from an authority that gives written permission to do something

When Mary passed her driving test she got her first driving licence.

19. to drive someone crazy – (idiomatic expression) to make someone go insane or mad (used non-literally), to really annoy or irritate someone.

Jane was so beautiful she drove all the guys crazy. (because they were so in love with her)

20. madly in love – (expression) deeply in love or extremely in love

John and Mary were madly in love with each other.

Practice Exercises in English

Complete the sentences: EXERCISES
Complete these sentences with a highlighted word or phrase from the article.

The couple gazed ………….. at each other during their romantic dinner. (with a lot of attention and focus)
The sound of nails on a blackboard …… ….. ……….. (make me insane, really annoys or irritates me)
You won’t lose weight if you don’t …… ….. your exercise plan. (keep doing)
When John fell and broke his leg Frank gave him …… ….. until the ambulance arrived. (first medical attention)
Sarah only wears famous ………… like Chanel. (products with recognisable names)
Bob went to the library and ………. ……… 3 books about butterflies. (took out)
Frank spends his Saturday nights in bars ………. ……… girls. (talking in a flirtatious way)
Frank’s parents were …… …. ……… when they were young. (deeply in love)
It is very …………. to have an extra battery for your phone in case the normal battery dies. (convenient, useful)
Frank ……………. Jane on her new hair style. (say sth good about someone)
Most women think George Clooney is a ……………… guy (handsome, beautiful)
Coca Cola use the …………. “Always Coca Cola” (memorable phrase)