Dallas is quick to hop in the sack while Houston would rather woo, according to a recent study by dating website HowAboutWe.com.
Unlike other popular sites E-Harmony, Match and OK Cupid, HowAboutWe.com keeps it simple: Rather than filling out a lengthy profile, participants suggest their perfect first date. Once they've entered an activity other singles can scan through them like a Twitter feed and respond to any that look interesting. Dallas' men and women stand out in their dating wishes by following a unique pattern of requests.
Spoiler alert: Dallas, you're kinda trashy.
We like to get right down to business, it would seem. A keyword search of suggested dates revealed these to be the most popular words and phrases: "hot tub," "get to know each other," "staying in" and "sunset."
That's right girl, go 'head, git down.
I asked Howaboutwe.com's publicist Elissa Buchter if that meant Dallas' dating pool was trampy. She preferred the terms "progressive" and "fun-spirited."
What we've learned for certain is that next time you try to pick someone up in the Big D, use the phrase every girl has waited her whole life to hear: "Wanna stay in a hot tub and get to know each other at sunset?"
That's not the case in Houston, however. Our more reserved neighbors to the south would still prefer a nice dinner and some old fashioned romance. They probably still think candles are sexy and want to know how many siblings you have and find the origin of that crazy scar on your arm. Their most common keywords were "coffee dates" and "sushi," with dinner, in general being a common theme.
But in Dallas, supper isn't on the table. "Lunch came up fairly often," said Buchter, "but dinner was rarely mentioned."
Sure, at first blush it seems that regionally we're steering clear of romance, but maybe we're just sensible? If you're currently single, then you've never had a first date that lead to forever; that's just the nuts and bolts of it. So why take it so seriously with awkward dinners and roses, especially when a hot tub beckons? Besides, you don't have to wait for a server to bring the check in a hot tub -- you can leave whenever you like.
Another funny thing about the dating site's study is how direct Dallas' singles are: It seems that we know what we like and can express it with more brevity than any other city in the country. Our dating requests used 10 percent fewer words than the rest of the nation. Sure, that could mean we don't have much to say, that we are stoic in that proud, Southern way, but most likely Dallas singles know what they want and are willing to ask for it, directly.
And the next time somebody calls you a tramp, a player, or a dog, just remember that they are probably uptight and from Houston. Use your brevity to kindly correct them. Let them know that you're none of those things. You're simply "progressive" and "fun-spirited."
