17 Habits That Could Completely Ruin A First Date

These odd answers will make you shiver.

First-date jitters. They're real. You're having a good time, but then...it all goes wrong.

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When Reddit user u/h8raide88 posed the question, "What habit or personality trait is a dating dealbreaker for you?" the answers came pouring in.

Here's what they said.

1. If they interrupt you while you're talking.

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"Repeatedly interrupting me when I’m talking, especially when I’m answering a question they asked. It tells me they’re not actually engaged in what I’m saying." —u/kittenmittens4865

2. When they're on their phone the entire time.

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"On their phone the whole time. If you can't disconnect for an hour or so to engage with me, then it's not going to work." —u/WolfsLairAbyss

3. If they're a know-it-all.

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"I had lunch with someone who called the table salt 'sodium chloride' and used the bread as a way to tell me everything he knew about complex carbohydrates (some of which wasn’t even correct) and their connections to evolutionary theory. Just felt like he was compensating for something." —u/useless_grape

4. If they get excessively drunk.

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"Getting so drunk on the first date that you can't figure out Uber and I have to drive you home. No, you can't stay on my couch — I don't know you." —u/greenflowers88

5. If they start a distasteful discussion about money.

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"Not a date, but first time meeting my current GF's friends. The one's first question to me was, "So what do you do for a living? How much do you make?" I've never forgotten it and haven't cared for her since that moment." —u/magneticgumby

6. If they're on their phones the entire time and then conveniently "forget their wallet"...

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"How about when I was invited out with a guy I met online to a nearby sushi place. We texted and chatted for about a week 'til I finally felt comfortable meeting him. Date picked me up. The conversation on the drive there was great. Seemed like we were connecting.

However, while at the restaurant, he proceeded to order about $100 worth of sushi, while I ordered maybe a roll and some appetizers. My total would have been about $30, at most. I tried to engage him, but quickly realized the conversation was lacking, because he was...uh. busy.

He proceeded to text on his phone the entire time at dinner, ignored me, and took pics of his food, posted that the place we were at was amazing. He. Ate. Everything. In. Front. Of. Him. OK. Gotcha.

At this point, I knew what was going on.

And...when the bill came, he was still on his phone, posting, texting, laughing at the response to his posts. He ignored the waiter, plus the bill. The waiter politely left it on the table. I looked at my date, then the waiter. Date never looked up from his phone.

I then quietly, and politely asked the waiter to split our bill (since date was so consumed with his phone, he didn't notice). Waiter retrieved the bill, adjusted it, then came back. With separate bills this time.

The look on my date's face when he was handed a $100 bill for his food was priceless. I paid mine with my card, plus a hefty tip. Date asked me, 'Uh, oh crap, I forgot my wallet! Can you spot me?'

I just pretended I was on my phone and left him there, and walked out the door. I'd already ordered an Uber at this point (since he drove us there). And yes, don't worry, the waiter got a massive tip, about the amount of my bill — it wasn't his fault that the date was an asshat." —u/justanaccount80

7. If they spend the entire date offering advice you didn't ask for.

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"They talk over me and spend the conversation giving me unsolicited advice about how to live my life. I feel like I need to specify that I was thinking of one specific first date that did not become a second date when I answered this, lol. The guy didn't like that I had dyed my hair blonde at the bottom and spent a lot of the date telling me about the dangers of bleaching your hair and how I should learn to make better choices. I just wanted to have a good dinner, man." —u/SuddenlyTerrible_Haiku

8. If they smoke.

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"Smoking is my number-one dealbreaker. I hate kissing a smoker, and it immediately kills the mood for me." —u/archiotterpup 

9. If being rude is their way of flirting.

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"One guy I matched with on Tinder asked me for my Snapchat, and when I gave it to him he said, 'Oh, I don’t want it; I’m not attracted. Wouldn’t want to go on a date or anything disgusting like that.' He was trying to flirt, but it was an instant turnoff. I’m not here to be insulted or put down, and being rude isn’t cute." —[deleted]

10. If you send a questionnaire before you meet.

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"I was once set up to go on a blind date with this girl. We were given each other's email addresses and so I hit her up, we exchanged a few pleasantries, then set up a date/time to finally meet. The day of, I get an email from her in the morning with an attachment. I open up the attachment, and there is a questionnaire with like 25–30 questions on it. She requested I kindly fill out the questionnaire before we meet. I quickly reviewed the questions before sending her a reply saying that it's probably best we don't meet. I don't know what characteristic she embodied, but I'd say that was a dealbreaker." —u/orange_cuse

11. If they make you read their bad poetry.

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"Someone who makes me read their bad poetry. This has happened to me more than once... I don’t hate poetry; I very much like it. Especially Vogon poetry. However, on a first date, there is a HUGE difference between, 'Have you read this poem by x? What do you think of this bit...' and, 'Here is my notebook. Read it all and tell me what you think.'

The first time this happened, I was 18, and we met through mutual friends. While it wasn’t great, it wasn’t emo-angsty levels of bad. Unfortunately, he then started sending me poetry he had written about me and calling me his muse. This after having met once. He then went full stalker. So yeah...nope.

Second time was some years later. It was bad, but I was not mean about it. We continued chatting, then said goodnight politely and parted. The next day he went from 'I had a really nice time; give me a call,' to, 'I am sure you are busy, but please reply,' to, 'Clearly you are ignoring me, so let’s never speak again' in the space of a three-hour barrage of text messages. I was at work, so I didn’t see the messages till lunchtime." —u/Hydrophobic_Dolphin

12. If they order shots at brunch.

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"I always do brunch as a first date because it places zero expectation on what happens after. So, if you order fucking shots at 11:30 a.m. on a Saturday, we probably aren’t going to work out." —[deleted]

13. If they only talk about their life and never ask about you.

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"I once had a two-hour blind date. By the end, I knew everything about this girl. I knew all of her cats by name, and what their favorite movies were.
She asked me literally nothing, and just kept jumping from topic to topic. At the end of the date, she wanted to trade numbers, and I couldn't help but ask, 'What's my name?' and she didn't know. So I just paid for my meal and left." —u/Luckboy28

14. If they pressure you to drink or insist on you going to their place.

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"Their drinking manners. if they insist I drink, or suggest drinks/shots after I've declined multiple times, I'll either think you have a problem, or you're trying to get me drunk — both of which I don't want.

Men who insist you come over, or they come over. I'm all about prolonging a good date and would love to go to another spot, but I really hate when men invite me over to their place or suggest coming to mine at the end of the night. Even worse when they get super pouty when I decline." —u/jinblossomz

15. If they litter.

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"I was with a guy in his vehicle on our way to my place. My intention was to have him come in and watch a movie, but that changed when he tried to throw a ton of garbage out of his window. I said "No, just keep it in here, and when we get to my place I’ll dispose of it." Can you believe he actually got mad at me for asking him not to litter? WTF. I ended up finding out a few weeks later he had a boyfriend at the time and KNEW who I was before we met because he happened to be the guy my ex cheated on me with. What a mess." —u/ThePeaceVibe

16. If they try to one-up you.

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"When I lived in the Midwest it was literally just part of the culture. Telling stories and being one-upped was something you were desensitized to. I ran into a wall once I moved West, where people pointed out that I did it, so I stopped. Now when I go on dates, I usually get into things people are passionate about. If it’s all about one-upping experiences, then its goals and meaning based on other people. Big turnoff. There are a lot of people my age that are essentially living at a speed like Justin from Parks and Rec, and it’s a shame. I learned and appreciated so much more slowing down and being present for things alone. The Midwest is also rampant with superlatives.

Don’t one-up on dates. Hearing how your trip to Cali for Coachella was the best experience of your life and how Diplo was the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen is not what I want to hear when I ask about your future at Purdue studying liberal arts." —u/PM_ME_UR_HIP_DIMPLES

17. And finally, if they try to get you involved in their pyramid scheme.

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"Went on a Tinder date where she tried to sell me on her pyramid scheme. Didn’t know that was a dealbreaker until it happened." —u/twihard97

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.