By Rachael Lloyd

Relationships on Female First

Relationships on Female First

What’s the difference between a calendar and me? A calendar has dates. Get it!? All right, so maybe I need to go back comedy school. It could certainly bode well for my love life, because it transpires that being funny is quite the aphrodisiac. 

In fact, one in five Brits has been laughed into bed before and it’s the third most important trait for those seeking love. But, how just how do you go about tickling someone’s funny bones? 

Well, according to our study of 1,500 eharmony singles it’s all about having a compatible sense of humour.  In other words, while one person may find repeats of nineties sitcom Friends hilarious, another might find the show has them snoring into the sofa cushions. 

Equally, while I might weep with laughter over Jack Whitehall and dad on their hols together or Fleabag, my partner might prefer to dust off a copy of bawdy sixties flick, Carry on Camping.

eharmony data scientists have, in fact, determined that there are six different types of humour. These include: self-deprecating, dark, surreal, bodily and physical (slapstick) humour plus witty wordplay. 

Brits with wordplay skills are most attractive to a partner suggesting we’re a pretty sophisticated bunch; while four in 10 people say they would be distinctly turned off if a new date made a crude joke (don’t even vaguely reference flatulence, peeps). 

In addition, nine out of ten romantically-inclined people would prefer to see toilet humour go down the pan. (Yep, that there’s a rock-bottom pun!)

Physical humour, which includes pranks or making someone jump is the least likely to stoke desire. I can testify to this after an office colleague took to creeping up behind me at cashpoints, yelling: ‘Gotcha luv!’.  He has since recovered from his injuries. 

However, what people mean when they say they would like to find a partner with a ‘good sense of humour’ is that they want someone with the same sense of humour they have.

Furthermore, 60 per cent of those in the first few years of a relationship are likely to appreciate their other half’s humour, but this falls to 40 per cent for married couples. 

However, on a brighter note, humour was ranked overall as the third most desirable trait, with honesty and kindness coming top – way above beauty and height. 

So, brush up on your comedy skills if you really want to impress a date, and stop buying those over-priced trainers. 

Table 1: Top 10 traits ranked by importance

Honesty

59%

Kindness

51%

Sense of humour

41%

Respectfulness

38%

Being fun

24%

Being clever

17%

Being good looking

17%

Being good in bed

9%

Being physically fit

8%

Being tall 

3%


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