It’s no surprise that most singles — 73 percent of women and 66 percent of men — have somewhere between two and five first date pet peeves, at least according to a 2011 survey from the dating site Zoosk.
The fairer sex may be a bit easier to annoy (or maybe men are just more annoying), as 18 percent admitted to having more than five peeves. Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of men have one or no pet peeves whatsoever.
While you may be thinking, “Who cares?” this is actually a big deal; most women — a whopping 70 percent — have said no to a second date based on their pet peeves. Half of the men have done the same.
5 First Date Pet Peeves
So, when it comes to making a lasting, annoyance-free first impression, here are some of the biggest first date pet peeves based on Zoosk’s survey of more than 1,500 singles.
1. Women’s biggest pet peeves are…
The fairer sex is more sensitive to odor, with 45 percent of ladies saying a smelly date is their biggest pet peeve. Technology-obsessed dudes who can’t keep their hands off their phones are the second biggest annoyance, with 22 percent of the votes.
Timeliness is also key, as 13 percent of women can’t stand when a date is running late. The final two peeves on the list seem somewhat trivial: “When my date talks about himself too much” and “When my date peppers me with questions like a job interview.” Each only garnered five percent of the votes.
Dudes share similar dissent in describing their dating annoyances. For starters, they’d like women to stop tweeting, texting, and updating their Facebook status, with 51 percent of men ranking “Too occupied with a cell phone” as their biggest pet peeve.
Ladies, you’ll also want to remember your deodorant and a fresh spritz of perfume once in a while, as 21 percent of guys find smelly dates annoying. Ten percent of males rank a late date as annoying and seven percent hate being peppered with too many questions.
Finally, ladies, go light on the eyeshadow for your next date; seven percent of men list “When my date is wearing too much makeup” as a big peeve.
3. When talking about sex, gender is the deciding factor.
Once you manage to smell your best and part ways with your cell phone, you’ll want to make sure your chosen conversation topics are in line. Guys, this means steering clear of sexual innuendo, as 53 percent of women can’t stand it when a dude brings unwanted sexy topics into a discussion.
Meanwhile (not surprisingly) only nine percent of men dislike it when a woman makes sexually suggestive comments.
4. And if you have these physical traits, don’t count on a second date.
As much as we’d love a world where we don’t have to shave our legs, men prefer we be smooth to the touch, as 36 percent of them rank “Too much body hair” as their top physical appearance annoyance. Being inappropriately dressed (33 percent) and having crooked teeth (21 percent) followed.
Women are a bit more accepting of body hair (less than a quarter say it’s a big peeve) but rank inappropriate attire at 40 percent and crooked teeth at 28 percent. Really, though, how crooked are we talking?
Via YourTango