A young woman says she recently received a high-quality pickup line from an unexpected source: a 70-something Boomer.
Now she’s calling on men in her age bracket to take a page from his playbook.
Over the weekend, TikToker Taylor Huscher (@taylor.huscher) posted about the experience. In a TikTok that has 140,400 views as of Monday morning, Huscher says she was at work when a man roughly 70 to 75 years old approached her looking a bit “frantic,” like he may have been “looking for something.”
The something he was looking for wasn’t his wallet, keys, or phone, however.
“He’s like, ‘Hey, excuse me, did I miss it?’” she says. “And I was like, ‘Did you miss what, sir?’”
His next line left Huscher nearly stunned speechless.
“He goes, ‘Did I miss the beauty competition or do I just get to look at the winner?’” she says.
“When I tell you my mouth dropped. All I could say was, ‘Thank you.’ The delivery of it, the confidence of it, perfection. Perfection,” Huscher says.
Alas, a love match was not to be.
“The only thing wrong was he was 50 years older than me,” says Huscher, whose bio says she’s 23.
She wishes that younger men would follow suit.
“I really need men my age to start flirting with me the way these 70-year-old men do,” Huscher laments.
‘Pickup line’ in history
According to Dictionary.com, referring to romantic rendezvous as picking someone up has been part of the English-speaking lexicon since at least the 1600s. In those days, it purportedly referred to casual sexual encounters.
The modern use of the phrase “pickup line” reportedly dates back to at least 1969, when it was used to describe a line from the movie Midnight Cowboy starring Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight.
In the movie, Voight’s character says to a rich woman, “Beg pardon, ma’am, I’m new here in town, just in from Houston, Texas, and looking for the Statue of Liberty.”
Use of the phrase spread over the ensuing decades. Today, it typically refers to a person (usually a man) asking a question to another person (usually a woman) that has a punchline meant to flatter or entice. Pickup lines can range from crude to complimentary to romantic.
A common version goes: “Did it hurt?” When the recipient asks what hurt or gives a quizzical look in response, the would-be Casanova responds, “Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?”
A more suggestive example goes, “If I told you you have a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?”
In Huscher’s view, her septuagenarian suitor’s pickup line is far superior to the ones she hears from men in their 20s.
No May for this December
Relationships with large age gaps are often referred to as May/December romances.
Usually, the age gap isn’t as large as half a century, though there are exceptions. Bill Belichick is 49 years older than his current girlfriend, for example. Then there’s the 1971 cult classic Harold and Maude, which follows the relationship of a couple with a 60-year age gap.
These relationships are rare because dating someone significantly older or younger than oneself presents unique challenges. They’re at different phases of life; hence, they typically have different priorities. Someone in their 20s isn’t likely to be planning for their upcoming retirement or contemplating their own funeral arrangements. Similarly, someone in their 70s probably isn’t focused on building their career or starting a family.
While the Boomer succeeded in flattering Huscher, he did not get a date—if that was his intention in the first place. He may have simply wanted to pay her a compliment.
Nevertheless, people are impressed with his game.
“That’s why it works for those guys because they don’t have to worry about rejection. He just gets to say whatever and keep living his best life,” TikTok user Troy H. said.
“Unc broke out one of his classic lines,” Dylan James said.
Another person noted that “it worked for Bill Belichick.”
(It’s worth pointing out that the former New England Patriots coach’s fame and estimated $70 million net worth, per Sports Illustrated, arguably also have something to do with him landing a girlfriend in her early 20s.)
Many people feel that the elderly gentleman’s age has something to do with the quality of his game.
“He’s had a long time to perfect his craft. Youngsters just can’t compete,” wrote one.
@taylor.huscher Appreciate the compliments tho lol #flirty #phoenixaz ♬ original sound – Taylor huscher
Huscher didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry sent via TikTok direct message.
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