Dating etiquette - do manners really matter?

Bad breath is a guaranteed date turn-off for 97% of Australian men and women, according to a recent A Rendezvous for Singles survey. So, i was wondering is it really that high?

A first date may not go on for hours, but you need to get past the first five minutes. So clean, floss, mouthwash before the date. If your date is in the evening, and the last time you and your toothbrush spent some time together was in the morning, use that toothbrush and toothpaste sitting in your office drawer or make a pit stop at the chemist on the way for a cheap travel kit you can use once and throw away. The three minute investment could be the difference between a second date and none at all.


In the line-up of date turn-offs, overall bad manners came in first and bad breath a close second in the Australian A Rendezvous’ survey of over 500 men and women. Ladies be warned, men rated bad breath as their number one date turn off. And when it comes to etiquette, 76.8% of the ladies we surveyed revealed that bad manners could be a bloke’s biggest blunder. There are also easy wins – a man who holds the door open for his date (when it’s practical) will win brownie points. Extended visits to the bathroom can be seen as bad manners, as it may mean leaving your date sitting alone for some time. Texting or calling someone else while already on a date is the ultimate in bad manners, as is checking out other people (52.8% of women surveyed by a rendezvous rated this as the third biggest turn off). Remember that your date is looking for clues about who you are, so don’t let nerves get in the way of your best behaviour. Almost three quarters of the men we surveyed (69.7% in fact) told us that this was their second biggest turn off, only second to bad breath. If you’re out for dinner, or a drink, being rude to waiters, bartenders or anyone else in the room will be picked up by your date as potentially how you may treat them.

First dates can be a lot of fun. They’re a chance to have a more in-depth conversation with someone who has taken your fancy. Best case scenario is that the initial eye contact turns into flirting and another date. Or that you’ve met someone new who can open up new opportunities. But when you’re treading the same path between work, family, friends and home each day, it’s not always easy to meet new people, especially those with whom you may want to spend more time.

Dates can also be a minefield, and sometimes one-on-one first dates can feel more like business than pleasure. A Rendezvous dinners are an easy way to avoid some of the date turn offs. They often feel more like dinner with friends, and don’t have the pressure of a dating set-up. With you in soft focus, there’s little danger you’ll talk too much (23.7% of blokes told us they don’t like this). You’ll have a greater chance of surreptitiously checking out everyone at the table without a single individual being put off. A Rendezvous dinners can be a way to meet a group of people, not just one other, who are also single. They know how it can be to want to get out and have fun but are surrounded by friends who have all married or paired up.

It irks 18.4% of men when a woman doesn’t offer to pay, and vice versa for 17% of women who prefer a man to offer to pay – so with the issue of paying the bill already taken care of with A Rendezvous dinners, all you need to do is remember your manners . . . and your toothbrush!