Posted on 01/23/2008 11:15:11 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Romance, European-style
British men are shyest when it comes to asking for a date and Spanish women won't go out with bald guys
PHILIP JACKMAN
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
January 22, 2008 at 4:03 AM EST
Think that the traditional British reserve is a tired old cliché, a long-dead remnant of chilly Victorian custom? Turns out it's far from outdated when it comes to dating.
According to a new survey, British single men were the least confident in Europe when it comes to asking women out on a date, 47 per cent claiming that this is why they're still solo, followed by the Swiss at 44 per cent.
This is one reason that British singles are the most dissatisfied, unconfident and serially unattached in Europe, with 35 per cent saying they are unhappy with their status. By comparison, only 17 per cent of Dutch singles are unhappy, according to a survey of 13,000 people across western Europe between the ages of 19 and 59 by the online matchmaking service Parship.
Adding to the comparative plight of single Brits when it comes to relationships is that they are far greater believers in marriage over a long-term commitment than are their European cousins.
Twenty-nine per cent of Britain's 15 million singles would prefer a wedding contract to simple cohabitation. But only 16 per cent of mainland European singles preferred the idea of marriage. In Austria, just 8 per cent of singles were looking for a commitment leading to the altar.
The survey also revealed some interesting dating differences among Europeans:
The Dutch are the most tight-fisted when it comes to dates. They spend just $50 per date, compared with the Irish, who spend $135.
Spanish women don't like baldness. A mere 6 per cent would date a man going thin on top - the lowest percentage in Europe.
French singles place the highest importance on looks (65 per cent).
Italian singles don't see smoking as a deal-breaker. Only 32 per cent said they wouldn't date a smoker.
Eighty per cent of Irish singles say that a lack of a sense of humour is the biggest turn off - worse than someone being married (72 per cent).
Forty-two per cent of Norwegian women find men with a hairy back a turn-on, compared with just 3 per cent of Spanish women. And Norwegian men are the least fussy when it comes to women; just 24 per cent admitted to being a bit picky.
Among Swedes, 57 per cent like the idea of meeting someone when they're out shopping, compared with just 22 per cent of Italians.
The survey also dispels the myth that the French have all the fun when it comes to romance. French singles average only about four romantic rendezvous a year, roughly the same number as Britons, Swedes, Danes and Norwegians.
Italians and Austrians clocked up 50 per cent more dates, or 6.3 annually.
Meanwhile, single women in Britain - and Europe in general - were happier than single men.
"Single women in the U.K. are more likely to be happy with their single status in comparison to men," said Victoria Lukats, a psychiatrist associated with the study. "These figures may be something of a surprise, as single women are sometimes stereotyped as desperate to hook their man while they hear their biological clock ticking. However, the single woman enjoying her independence and single status is ... a trend seen in all European countries."
She said it was also interesting to note that "across the European countries, women have higher levels of reported self-confidence than men, and also higher expectations of the attributes they are looking for in a potential partner."
Poor British men — shy, bad teeth, sound effeminate, low quality sperm...no wonder they are so violent at soccer games.
The ladies of Spain have no idea what they are missing.
everyone is violent during soccer games.
In Norway, a hairy back keeps you warm. In Spain, it just interferes with tanning.
Just passing on a small life-lesson here...
;^)
And they are probably all Muslims! Explains why Europe is going away!
:-)
A woman who both can cook and looks like her............
Yeah looks like my humping trip to Spain is off. On the upside though a shopping trip to Sweden looks good.
The Irish spend $130 of their $135 dollars on Guiness so they might not be tight fisted but they are tight!
CHeers
Mel
Both she & her husband are from Cyprus...and YES!...She sure can cook!
*********************
A sure deal breaker in my book.
When I was planning a trip to Spain a friend told me NOT to take my girlfriend.
I soon found out why. The spanish-eyed teeny-bopper babes were agressive, but the local men would not leave my blonde/blue German girlfriend alone. What a weird country.
To be sure. I didn’t say that no man in that island could cook, just the vast majority.
Sadly, only one of gran's daughters learned to cook well...and she wasn't my mum.
LOL!
I love watching Ramsey—— sometimes there’s no dialogue, just a constant string of BEEPS. :)
Throw away your country, and thats what you get.
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