I have never relied on canned lines, and I've always preferred to try to think of something clever that is relevant to the situation at hand, like a funny observation about our shared environment, or about the woman I'm talking to.

But, even though people have described me as "witty," no matter how clever one is, nobody can think of the perfect line every single time. Sometimes, there is just no material to work with. Sometimes, the perfect like doesn't come until later that day, when it is no longer of use to you. And often, racking your brain to think of something witty just prevents you from talking to the woman sooner.

I've skimmed a little bit of The Game, and I've noticed that the PUAs being chronicled all seem to have their schticks and routines. Magic tricks, mentalism, Cosmo-like personality quizzes, etc. It kind of comes across as gimmicky and as playing a cartoon character, and really does seem characteristic of those late-'90s PUAs with the eyeliner, leopard-print vests, and silly top hats. They also seem to keep reliable lines in their back pocket, like "hands off the merchandise!" and "if I weren't gay, you would be so mine."

It all seems very cheesy and contrary to my wish to be original, authentic, and think on my feet, but I'm wondering: is it useful? Because trying to play Whose Line is it Anyway? every single approach and coming up with something good on the spot gets exhausting. And when I can't think of anything, I end up just having a boring conversation asking her about her job and schooling, don't get to display any of my humour in the five minutes I have to chat with her, and whether she wants to go out with me after such a bland conversation ends up having more to do with the luck of whether I happened to hit on somebody who was already open to meeting somebody new than anything I could actually influence with my presentation and personality. Sometimes, I have an "on" day, or the stars aligned to provide me with useful material, and putting out zinger after zinger and making her laugh. Other days, it feels like a job interview.

Do you guys use canned lines and routines to not have to rely on having the perfect line come to you?