7 Tips on how to cut a bad date short: the best & lamest excuses

Published by Emily Scott August 16, 2020 Categorie(s): Dating Tips Tags: bad date, relationship, sex life No Comments

First impressions are difficult to overcome, especially when it’s someone you’re thinking of being in a relationship with. When you realize you’re not a good match for them you want to end things quickly and without hurting their feelings so you need to come up with an excuse that lets you leave the bad date on good terms. There are some excuses that are popular but those can come across as lame if you don’t spin it the right way. When you’re in this situation you need to know the best and the lamest excuses so you can say the right thing don’t make the bad date worse.

1) “I’m feeling a bit sick.”

Telling them you’re feeling sick and need to leave is a common excuse to cut a bad date short but there’s a good way and lame way to do this. The best way to fake being sick is to gradually build up to leaving by casually mentioning getting a headache or feeling nauseous. After awhile you can start acting tired or asking for water to show that you’re not getting better than either wait for them to ask if they can take you home or tell them that you had a great time but you think you might be coming down with something and it’s best that you go home. This makes your excuse seem genuine because if you abruptly tell them you’re feeling sick and want to go home then they’re going to know it’s because you think you’re on a bad date.

2) “I’m meeting friends later.”

Saying that you’re meeting friends later is an excuse you can use at the beginning of the evening or wait until they ask if you have any exciting plans coming up as a way to get out of a bad date. They’re probably going to be too polite to invite themselves along since it’s a personal relationship to you and they’re a stranger plus it’s normal for people to not jump into a sex life after a first date so they’re expecting you to not go home with them. You need to keep your tone upbeat and excited when you say this so they won’t try to get you to cancel your plans and have a story ready, like going for drinks or hanging out at their place to watch a movie, when they ask what you’re going to do with them.

3) “I’m worried about my dog.”

Most people care about animals even if they don’t have any pets so using your dog, even an imaginary one, can be a good way to quickly end a bad date. This is another excuse that needs to be done subtly so that you don’t make it obvious that you’re not interested in having a relationship with them. When you’re making small talk you can mention being worried about your dog because he’s sick and you need to take him to the vet tomorrow. This lets them know it’s serious and important to you so it won’t be surprising when you say that you’d like to end the date early so you can go home and check on them.

4) “I’ve just spotted my ex.”

It’s good etiquette not to mention your ex when you’re meeting someone new but it’s a good way to end a bad date because it’s going to make things uncomfortable. If you’re meeting in a public place like a bar or a restaurant you can pretend to spot your ex and be worried about them seeing you. Tell your date that your ex is here too and start talking about how crazy they are and why the two of you broke up. Your current date isn’t going to be interested in a sex life with you because they don’t want any drama and they’ll be the one to suggest you leave which takes the pressure off of you.

5) “I have a family emergency.”

Having a family emergency is an excuse lots of people use during a bad date which is why it’s one of the lamest things you can say. This is going to hurt their feelings because they know what you really mean when you say that and you couldn’t even be bothered to make up a more believable lie. If you really want your friend to phone you as a way of ending a bad date then the emergency needs to be something else, like your friend being drunk and needing a ride home or your child causing trouble and the babysitter getting annoyed. They’re going to have doubts about it being real but will tell themselves you wouldn’t lie about a thing like that.

6) “I have to get up early.”

This is another lame excuse people use to get out of a bad date but it’s seen as a good one because people do need to get up early for work or to get their children ready for school. Even though it’s realistic it’s used too often and your date is going to see it as your way of saying they have no chance of a relationship with you. It’s even worse if you wait until later on in the date to say this because they’ve probably spent some time thinking about how great of a sex life they’d have with you if they can get you back to their place and you’ve just killed their fantasy. If you want an out in case it is a bad date you can mention having a busy day tomorrow at the beginning of the date then later on say it’s getting late and you should be going home.

7) “You remind me of my ex.”

If you want to make it clear that it’s a bad date and you’re not going to take things further with them then you can say that they remind you of your ex. Say that they look or sound like your ex then move on, acting like you’re trying to not make it a big deal while using body language such as frowning or looking away to show that it does bother you. This isn’t going to be flattering to them but they know the comparison is making you uncomfortable so they’re not going to pressure you for a second date.