The Little Book of Dating Rules

Crombie Jardine PUBLISHING LIMITED Office 2 3 Edgar Buildings George Street Bath BA1 2FJ www.crombiejardine.com This edition was first published by Crombie Jardine Publishing Limited in 2007 Copyright © Crombie Jardine Publishing Limited, 2007 All rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. ISBN 978-1-905102-95-2 Typesetting and cover design by Ben Ottridge Printed by William Clowes, Beccles, Suffolk

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Contents Introduction ................................................... 5 Asking Rules ................................................... 7 Location Rules .............................................. 13 Timing Rules ................................................ 17 Hygiene and Grooming Rules .................... 21 Conversation Rules ...................................... 22 10 Things Never To Say On A Date ........... 30 Dress Rules ................................................... 32 Restaurant Rules .......................................... 36 Etiquette Rules ............................................. 38 Drinks Rules ................................................. 46 Body Language Rules ................................... 51 Money Rules ................................................ 58 Kissing Rules ................................................ 61 Escape Rules ................................................. 64 Dating Proverbs ............................................ 68 Sex Rules ....................................................... 70

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THE LITTLE BOOK OF DATING RULES

Blind Date Rules .......................................... 74 Internet Dating Rules .................................. 78 Speed Dating Rules ...................................... 83 Dating Rules from Around the World ........ 92 When Dating Goes Wrong ........................ 101 Rejection Rules .......................................... 108 Are You a Good Dater? .............................. 111

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Introduction Dating can be a scary business, a minefield of potential embarrassment, rejection and humiliation, but you only have to look at the people who have succeeded to see that it’s not impossible. Luckily there are rules to make the game easier to follow and play. Like with the laws of anything from rugby to Scrabble, these were invented to ensure that everyone got a fair chance 5

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THE LITTLE BOOK OF DATING RULES

and, assuming they played the game fairly, could end up with something more than just a wooden spoon and a patronising pat on the head. So whether you’re a boy or a girl, an asker or an askee, a blind-dater, speeddater or just a no-hope-dater, here’s an easy-to-follow guide to the perils of dating.

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Asking Rules It is the woman who chooses the man who will choose her. Anon

Remember that the hardest part of dating is getting the date, and once that’s been successfully negotiated, you’re laughing. So there’s no need to go into a darkened room and play Radiohead just because the boys all ignore you or the girls are all miraculously busy until May 2009. Just follow the rules. 7

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THE LITTLE BOOK OF DATING RULES

For Him As the vast majority of asking is still done by men, here are a couple of important points: