Following on from the 10 things that you should never say to a girl on the first date, we’ve got to fill the ladies in on protecting themselves as far as possible against rejection. Not only do guys have to watch what they say but girls do too. If a guy feels that he’s being insulted on the first date then he isn’t going to want to see you again.

In some ways, guys are more sensitive than girls. Although girls won’t like a guy that waxes lyrical about his ex or his mum, a guy won’t like any phrases that attack his masculinity or looks. Check out the 10 things not to say to a guy on the first date below:

1. For some reason you’re thinner than I remembered you!
2. I like feminine looking guys
3. You call those muscles?
4. Wow, check him out!
5. My ex says…
6. I want to get married in the next year or so.
7. My ex was a bouncer/security guard/professional wrestler/policeman etc
8. I’m very independent and don’t need looking after by anyone, especially a guy.
9. I don’t do sex, not until after I’m married.
10. I can’t wait to settle down and have lots of kids.

Now if you stay away from those phrases on your first date, or variations of them, then you’ll be absolutely fine!

We have all been there and know how it feels – the butterflies in the stomach, the nervous laugh and the hope that it will lead to something more. If you have yet to guess it, the above refers to the first meeting you have with someone you met via online dating. Online dating is much easier in some ways because you already know a person before you meet face to face. However, that does not stop you being nervous and making the same mistakes as you would if you had met someone in a more traditional manner.

The ten short and sweet tips below for a first meeting after online dating should really help you to enjoy yourself and relax so take a look to maximize your chances of success.

1. Start As You Mean To Go On – Greet your online dating date with a big smile and a few words about how great it is to meet them, a bit like you would an old friend. This will put both of you at your ease a little.
2. Meet During The Day – There are more things to do during the day than at night. You can visit places of historical interest or go for a walk around public gardens. Those types of dates are more interesting and give you more to talk about.
3. Keep Busy – Having a bus date is better than having dinner because there is less of a chance that there will be an awkward silence. Those are always best avoided.
4. Go Over Common Ground – If you have been online dating then the likelihood is that you already know a little about each other. This gives you a chance to talk about subjects you already feel safe with.
5. Do Not Try To Be Funny – Rubbish jokes have no place on a first date so leave them at home. Having a laugh is one thing but stunning your date into silence is another.
6. Avoid Talking Too Much – Just think about it this way. When online dating you take turns to talk via instant messages so do not talk over your date when you finally meet up.
7. Go Alone – Taking a friend is not the best way to get online dating in person off to a good start. Do meet in public and tell people where you are for your own safety but taking someone may upset the other person.
8. Stay Away From Personal Details – Do not talk about your home address, where you work or anything else of that nature. This is to protect your safety via online dating. If you avoid these subject you will relax more because there will be no pressure to disclose information.
9. Avoid Debating – Politics, religion, feminism, ethnic issues and so on should all be off the menu so that neither of you get yourself into an awkward position that you cannot recover from. You do not talk about that on online dating so do not do it on a first date.
10. Be Yourself – The golden rule and it speaks for itself.

It’s been an age old problem for people in the UK dating game – should they aim to get someone they think is above them in terms of desirability or below them? It began back in the 18^th and 19^th Centuries when the gentry would gasp if a woman married below her own status and title, but not if a man did the same (because of course men could do what they liked)! It still applies today but is considered in another way – in terms of looks and intelligence.

I see UK dating discussions about this all the time and nothing anyone says will probably ever change the way we view the world because it’s ingrained, but believe me when I say that there’s no such thing as aiming higher or lower today. Love doesn’t discriminate against anyone on the UK dating scene. You can’t help whom you fall in love with. That person may be gorgeous and intelligent, or her/she may be neither. Either way, you’d have a spark.

In truth, we’re all equal and anyone discriminating against another because of looks or intelligence is just plain wrong and nobody should go into the UK dating scene thinking like that. If you do then the likelihood is that you’ll end up completely disappointed. Keep an open mind and you might just meet the man or woman of your dreams.

There seems to be a preconception of the dating world today, by both the old and young alike, that dating is only for those below the age of forty or so. Of course, the figure alters from person to person but you get the idea! Online dating especially is viewed as a young person’s thing, but is it really? Is online dating acceptable for people of any age or is there a point at which old becomes too old?

The short and sweet answer is no. At no age are you too old to date. If you do not want to date when you hit a certain age than that is totally your choice, but you should not let age put you off if you still want to date. Online dating is a wonderful thing in that it has a whole host of benefits for you no matter how old you are. It can open up the whole world to you, literally.

Some of the reasons outlined below draw on the benefits online dating to explain just why you are never too old to date:

• Love can blossom at any age – Love does not discriminate, whether you are old or young. If you meet someone that you have that spark with then age does not matter at all. This is why you are never too old to use online dating. The heart and soul are separate to the head. It does not matter whether you believe that you are too old or not, your heart will contradict your head if you meet that special someone.
• You can meet likeminded people however old you are – Your interests and hobbies can be shared by anyone, and it is this that gives you something to talk about. To date someone successfully, you have to have something to talk about and online dating can help you to sort out the people that you do have things in common with from those you do not. As a result, you can use online dating to save time, which is essential as you get older.
• Dating can also provide companionship and friendship – So maybe you do not want to date. If you were deeply in love and lost that person then this would be understandable, but seniors use online dating services all the time to find friendship and companionship rather than love. You can meet new friends and chat until your heart is content. You can find whatever you want online so make the most of the services at your disposal.
• If you can master technology, you can do anything you like irrespective of age – No further explanation needed! If you can master the Internet, you can do anything you put your mind to, including online dating.

Flicking through the agony aunt and uncle columns both online and in the newspapers can be an enlightening experience. They say that you don’t realise how good you have it until you read of someone else’s problems, whether in the dating arena or in another area of life. I did read an interesting letter in one of those columns last week though and thought I’d touch on it here in a dating capacity.

The letter was from a woman that wanted to know if she should tell her boyfriend she loved him. They’d been together for 6 months and she had the feeling that he might not be receptive. The agony aunt was a little evasive in her answer, saying that she’d know when the time is right. I have to say I agree with her – you do know when the time is right but usually the first weeks of dating or a relationship aren’t it. Another letter below dealt with a girlfriend scarpering because her boyfriend had told her he loved her when drunk after 5 days.

5 days of dating is nowhere near enough to know how you really feel about someone. I’m not saying that love at first sight doesn’t exist because it may well do, but telling someone that you really love him or her after a few days could be a problem. It takes weeks, or even months to get to know someone properly so don’t rush into anything!

There are loads of really nice things to do to keep your man in your life, also to let him know that you still care. Thinking about his hobbies and personalizing your gestures will demonstrate that you do really care about him. You will surprise the man in your life with your thoughtful and tailored gestures. And remember it does not have to cost you money to make him feel special

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We all know that we live in an equal society, or should do at the minute, but when it comes to dating etiquette we still seem to live in the dark ages! Women expect men to pay, men expect women to be shy and wait to be spoken to before they open their mouths. Now, before anyone gets on his or her high horses and starts shouting that it’s wrong, think about it. Some women do like to go Dutch, but it is still etiquette that the man pays. Why? Convention rules that the man takes the lead as well. Although more women are making the first move, it’s accepted that women wait for the man by men and women alike.

In truth, nobody really wears the trousers in the dating world these days. There don’t seem to be many rules that still apply. We abide by the old etiquette but that holds us back and most of us don’t get what, or who, we really want as a result. In other words, don’t worry about the etiquette or what you aren’t supposed to do. None of that matters. If you like someone then go out and get him or her. Time waits for no man, or woman, in the dating world so don’t hold back. The risk might just be worth it.