Nearly half of Brits (48%) have fears about going on a first date, including not having anything to talk about, whether they should split the bill – and when to lean in for a kiss.
Four in five Brits (89%) have experienced jitters before a first date, according to a poll of 2,000 adults – including their date being boring, or not understanding each other's sense of humour.
And when it comes to the first meeting, seven in ten get nervous about how to greet their date – with 34% stuck over whether to go in for a hug, a kiss on the cheek, or even a formal handshake.
Four in ten (39%) even admit to having an alcoholic drink before the date to try and calm the jitters.
And 46% get a similar sense of dread when meeting the in-laws for the first time.
But it appears that first date fears are not always unfounded – as a third (34%) struggled to find anything to talk about, and 14% have even been stood up.
One in five have sat through a boring date, while 10% have forgotten their date's name, and 8% have spilt food down their clothing.
And 48% have also felt nervous about their first kiss – with this being an extra concern for glasses-wearers, as 38% find the eyewear annoying while kissing.
One in five have experienced “kiss-clash” – where two pairs of glasses collide while going in for a kiss.
And more than a third (36%) have had their glasses fog up when kissing, while 24% have had hair get tangled in them.
Others said their glasses get in the way when they are exercising (26%), doing make-up (22%), and cooking (20%).
The research was carried out by Specsavers, which is offering a one month free contact lens trial to help people avoid kiss-clash.
It also found that of those with a sight prescription, 17% are scared of trying contact lenses for the first time – with eight in ten more nervous about this than they are about having a first kiss.
Nearly six in ten (57%) are worried the lenses will get stuck in their eye, while 51% fear it will hurt, and 50% think they will poke themselves in the eye.
And 41% are also worried about losing their contact lenses in their eyes, according to the study carried out via OnePoll.
Alexandra Green, head of contact lenses for Specsavers, said: “It’s interesting to hear so many people are more scared about trying contact lenses for the first time than they are about having their first kiss – and we don’t want this to be the case.
“We love glasses, but we know that sometimes they can get in the way – kissing being a prime example. That’s why we’re offering a free month’s contact lenses trial, so everyone can have a kiss-clash free Valentine’s Day.”
TOP 10 FIRST DATE FEARS:
- Not having anything to talk about
- Loads of awkward silences
- They might be boring
- You might be stood up
- They won't get your sense of humour
- They won't match their online profile
- Whether you should suggest splitting the bill
- You won't get their sense of humour
- Spilling food down yourself
- Whether you should lean in for a kiss
