Pick Me Up

Breaking the ice isn’t easy. A pick-up line should be casual but not passive, memorable but not cliché, confident but not desperate, suggestive but not creepy. But who can really deliver a come-on like “I’m wasted, but this condom in my pocket doesn’t have to be,” or “What does a guy have to do to get a foot in the door with you—and by a foot, I mean 12 inches,” or “What luck: You look like you don’t have much body hair, and I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t like to beat around the bush.” So most guys just fall back on innocuous openers like “Are you from around here?” (instead of “Your legs must be tired because you’ve been running through my mind all night”), “So what are you up to tonight?” (instead of “My name is Marcus—remember that, because you’ll be screaming it later”) or “You have the most amazing eyes” (instead of “I’m gonna call you piñata, because I gotta hit that”).

Some of the most memorable pick-up lines originated in Hollywood, like the classic “Is that a pistol in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?,” attributed to iconic actress/sex symbol Mae West—though not from one of her films, as is often mistaken.

Sadly, though, it seems the golden age of pick-up lines is dead. After all, nowadays, the most creative pick-up line guys can come up with—and by far the most popular cyber-age ice-breaker out there—is “Wassup?” But in case you aspire to pick-up line greatness, see if you can correctly match the following cinematic pick-up lines with the corresponding actor/movie. You’ll be all the more suave for it.

Film Characters