The women of Sex and the City definitely know how to pick up men – especially Samantha Jones. In a pre-Tinder New York, Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte always seem to be able to find dates, boyfriends, and one night stands (depending on what they want). Of course, being stunningly attractive, always out on the town,  fabulously dressed, and blessed with an insane amount of free time doesn’t hurt… but what’s their secret?

For Samantha, it may simply be her blazing confidence and willingness to hit on anyway – but she’s also got a few pick up lines that might well do the trick… and a few ways of approaching men that should never have worked!

10 Wouldn’t Work: Hello 911? I’m On Fire

This particular line is inspired by a Fireman/Stripper, and while every fan remembers Samantha’s adventures with fireman (and her disappointment with dating one), this line is just terrible. It’s cheesy, a little bit creepy, and lacks any real spark or subtlety. And sure, Samantha isn’t exactly a woman known for her subtlety overall, but ‘I’m on fire’ (and any follow up puns involving someone’s ‘hose’) is just plain tacky.

9 Might Work: Hello My Name Is Fabulous

Samantha has no shortage of confidence, and this shows up time and time again in the series. This particular quote might not be aimed at a man in the scene, but you just know that Samantha has probably used it as a line in the past. And while some might think that this is taking confidence to cocky, there’s nothing wrong with knowing your worth and putting it out there with a smile – channel that Samantha energy and see what happens.

8 Wouldn’t Work: The bad news is, you’re fired. The good news is, now I can f*ck you.

Yikes. This particular line happened when Samantha was attracted to her subordinate, who was terrible at his job. So of course, she fired him (as most people do to terrible employees)… and then hit on him. Not only is this skirting the line of legality (and could definitely not go down well if the ex-employee reported it as part of the reason for termination), but outside of sexy sitcoms, most people don’t want to jump into bed with the person who just sacked them.

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7 Might Work: First Time In New York?

When Samantha met Caleb, a particularly hunky Scottish groomsman at Charlotte’s wedding, she opened with something so straightforward that it barely feels like a Samantha moment: asking if it was his first time in the Big Apple.

Of course, it landed Samantha the man (even though she couldn’t understand a word he was saying to her), but in general, just striking up a conversation is a great way to get a conversation started. Just hope for a slightly less thick accent!

6 Wouldn’t Work: That’s Quite A Package

Ah, the package express guy – an encounter that led to a much more memorable line between Samantha and Carrie, as she defended her right to give a stranger oral sex in her office whenever she wanted, thank you very much! However, it all started when Samantha complimented her delivery man on the ‘package’ he had for her (wink wink nudge nudge). Not only is this line far too cheesy to elicit any response but incredulous laughter, but it’s just inappropriate to start hitting on a service professional who is just doing their job.

5 Might Work: I Have A Bone To Pick With You

Believe it or not, this isn’t about a dick joke – she is meeting an artist and jokingly complaining that she can’t buy anything because all of the paintings have already sold. This marks the start of Samantha’s relationship with Maria, and while it doesn’t end well, this is a great start. A gentle compliment and a joke, without any cheesy, overly sexual references? That’s great work, for Samantha… although she may have pulled out a much more innuendo-laden line if she realized at the start that Maria was a romantic prospect.

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4 Wouldn’t Work: Stalking Them At Work

Samantha managed to start dating Smith Jared because she basically hung out at the restaurant where he worked until he caved to her persistence – which isn’t a line so much as a technique, and a terrible one at that.

We’ve already covered not hitting on service professionals, but Samantha definitely didn’t get that memo. Lurking somewhere that a crush works and winking lasciviously at them all night isn’t likely to get anyone a date, but a ban from the restaurant for being obviously creepy.

3 Might Work: My Dog Ran Up On Your D*ck

This line is from the movie, after Samantha gets a little dog that runs onto her neighbor’s deck. Of course, the neighbor is gorgeous, constantly having sex in front of his own windows, and showering on the deck naked at the time, so Samantha makes a Freudian slip and apologizes for the dog running onto his d*ck, instead. This may seem like a terrible way to pick someone up (and requires a deck and a dog to work), but an honest slip up to laugh at and a reason to say hello is actually probably a reasonable approach.

2 Wouldn’t Work: I Hope You Enjoy The Ride

This is definitely a double entendre, but an unintentional one (at first) when Samantha is furious about a man stealing her cab. She leaps in and takes over, refusing to take no for an answer, which is when this particular gem gets dropped. However, arguing over a cab is not the way to get the guy. Just let it go, and get the next one. Worst case scenario, you are stuck in a cab with a horrible stranger, and best case scenario, you are taking a horrible stranger home.

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1 Might Work: Promise Never To Use A Lame Line Like That Again

One of Samantha’s memorable dates was with a very, very short man – who approached her using the kind of cheesy line that she might be accused of. (Hey pink lady, can I buy you that drink?) She responds by telling him that maybe he could buy her a drink… if he never uses a cheesy line like that again. Which isn’t a bad way to start, because after all… cheesy pick up lines are so ’90s, and it’s really better not to bother with them at all!

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About The Author


Rose Graceling-Moore
(1516 Articles Published)

Rose Graceling-Moore has been writing about film, TV and comics since 2013, when she began writing for a local print magazine in Vancouver, BC. Since then, Rose has written for Horror Honeys, Moviepilot and Quirkbooks as well as Screenrant, increasingly focusing on comic books and live-action comic adaptations, as well as diversity and representation on screen. Rose also co-hosted the DC Movies Podcast, and has guested on other nerd and entertainment podcasts over the past five years.

Rose’s love of comics began all the way back in the early ‘90s, when she discovered the X-Men while living in Africa (where there wasn’t a whole lot to do but read!), and since then has had an on-again, off-again love affair with not just Marvel, but DC and indie comics as well. You can follow her on Twitter: RoseMooreWrites for tweets about comics, movies, and more.

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