18 Extremely Stupid Pickup Lines From The 19th Century

For nostalgic idealists, daydreams of dating in the 19th century can offer a welcome escape from the modern-day Tinder horror stories to an elegant age of gentility and romance. The thought of lounging in an ornate parlor and hiding your blush with a lace fan as a dashing stranger hands you an invitation card (with a chaperone present of course) can be intoxicating. As National Geographic points out, “invitation” or “escort” cards were the old pickup lines of yore – a way for men to formally “swipe left” before such technology existed. The woman of his affection would regard the card and return it or keep it based on how much her fancy was tickled. 

Would it be a match? The anticipation was overwhelming, nevermind that you'd probably eventually succumb to arsenic poisoning or suffer a bizarre 19th century death! At first glance, these old pickup lines lifted from actual escort cards may seem more artful and romantic than the preferred pickup line of the current zeitgeist: “You up? ;)” Vote up the historical pickup lines that make you want to time travel just for the nookie.