Scientists reveal the most bizarre pick up lines guaranteed to get you a date

More crass pick-up lines such as "those clothes would look great in a crumpled heap on my bedroom floor" won't get you anywhere, research suggests. Photo / 123RF

In an age where people can swipe through dozens of matches a day on dating apps, getting someone's attention is harder than ever.

Researchers from China have revealed that subtlety and creativity are the secrets to a successful pick-up line.

"Your eyes are like morning dew" and "your garden is a sea of flowers" are apparently the way to a woman's heart.

More crass pick-up lines such as "those clothes would look great in a crumpled heap on my bedroom floor" won't get you anywhere, research suggests.

Scientists from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China have published a new study called: Women prefer men who use metaphorical language when paying compliments in a romantic context".

The study showed "your roof is a lover's shoulder" or "your smile is a naughty goblin" are more effective than direct chat-ups such as "your lips are so sexy".

"The findings confirm our hypotheses that in a courtship situation where compliments serve as a sexual display of mate quality, women show a preference for metaphors, particularly novel ones, in verbal structure," researchers wrote in the paper which is published in Nature.

The study was carried out on 124 Chinese women so may be specific to that culture.

"Male faces paired with novel metaphorical compliments were rated as more attractive by women than those paired with literal ones", researchers said.

"Overall this study provides the first evidence that women find men who typically use novel metaphorical language to compliment appearance more attractive than those using prosaic language or complimenting possessions", they said.

The research suggests that language, music, humour and art are not simply side-effects of biological adaptations but evolved through sexual selection pressure.

This suggests men have evolved flirting as a way to show hidden intelligence and creativity.

"Indeed, studies have consistently demonstrated that intelligence or creativity attributes are preferred by women", researchers said.

"Several studies have reported that men who use the most complex and creative language either as poets, or prose writers, have the most female partners", they said.