When you go on a date for the first time, what things really put you off

[electra]

that you feel you probably couldn't look past?

For me it's bad breath and when someone is waaaaaay too smooth.

Was a bit of a serial internet dater myself...

Anyone who comes across as a 'mummy's boy' particularly if they're knocking-on a bit eeew!

I once met a chap who used to make a 250 mile round trip to cut his mother's lawn on a sunday . I suggested she pay a gardener as she was rather 'well heeled' but he was mortified at the very mention of it.

Oh and the whiff of Lynx - any of the flavours, horrid.

All of the above.

UQD - can you tell me exactly what is wrong with R&B?

I hate when men insist on paying the bill, I'd rather foot it myself. Although that has created a rather irritating precedent.
Expecting a shag (or anything similar).
Bad table manners.
Slagging off / praising ex.

Finding out they smoke . I could never date a smoker.

The first time I met my now DP he turned up at a party with cans of cider, which made the 'underage drinker!!' alarm go off (although he clearly wasn't underage). Turns out he doesn't really drink it through choice. He's coeliac so can't drink beer, so has cider instead. Phew!

Unquietdad I think I like you. I hate R'n'B BTW - it's so girly and lacklustre. Although I suspect I might fail on the being a bit neurotic and talking too mucn.

And as for token resistence, it's my speciality.

Oh. Were we talking about paying?

Anyway, my big no-nos are dirty/long fingernails, scuzzy teeth, and bad table manners/noisy eating.

And men who just try tooooo hard. I know it's wrong to dismiss someone for being nice, but sometimes 'nice' is just drippy. And there is a fine line between being chatty and interesting and entertaining and NEVER SHUTTING THE FUCK UP.

I sat behind a couple on a first date in Cafe Rouge recently, (listening in? You betcha ) and I had to physically restrain myself from dragging the man outside to give him a talking to about everything he was doing wrong.

I don't really date but..
Being smelly and dirty ie turning up in work clothes with food stains on. I will leap out of a window even faster if the date tells me it's because he's above boring convention and is into saving the environment and Western urban people wash too often...
Declaration of religious belief (we're just not going to get on).
Demonstration of belief in woo of any kind (unthinking acceptance of religious belief you were raised with is one matter, trying to tell me there really is Something In homeopathy/spiritualism/the fact that the Government is covering up the 10 tall illumnati lizards who rule the world, well, that's another.)
Blowing his nose and then looking in his hanky.

Oh, and in a vague attempt to join the thread, what UQD said.

Someone who wanted to use me as a counsellor/shoulder to cry on over his last significant other. Not sexy.

Being 'man handled'-him taking me by the arm/hand and leading me as if I were either blind or a toddler or a dog.

And all of the above, especially a recital of all his past gfs.

Thankfully First Date Free since 1989.

Agree. Smoking is GOPPING

oversized ears
playing the bagpipes while i am eating
unhealthy interest in public transport
names with more than 3 syllables

mentioning golf - even in passing
wearing synthetic knitted pullovers
any resemblance to noel edmonds

casual racism no matter how "mild" or vaguely expressed

being pawed at

any hint of finikityness about food

All of the above along with farting and burping

i have never really been on dates - not like on the telly. all brightly lit restaurants and me wearing silk and earings, him in a suit making faces at teh wine menu.

even when dh asked me out i thought i was a group excursion and was mildly alarmed when only he turned up.

Agree. Smoking is GOPPING

R&B - girlie?? Never heard it called that before.

lacklustre - even more

Lord of the Rings Tshirt

Scabies