“92% of singles get the ick from fish pics”
Actually from: A Tinder Australia April Fools’ press release that says the stat is fake. Tinder Australia
Say this instead: The most famous anti-fish stat is itself a fish story.
Field Notes
We fact-check our jokes
Every stat on this site has a source, a year and a link you can click. Here’s the research behind the roasting, plus the internet’s favourite dating “facts” that turned out to be fish stories.
Game · 10 cards
Real or Fish Story?
Ten famous dating “facts.” Some are real. Some came from an April Fools’ press release. Call it, then flip the card.
Card 1 of 10Score: 0
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Card 1
“92% of singles get the ick from fish pics.”
Fish story
“92% of singles get the ick from fish pics.”
It’s from a Tinder Australia April Fools’ press release that literally says the stat is fake.
Source: Tinder Australia
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Card 2
“Bathroom selfies get 90% fewer likes.”
Real (but old)
“Bathroom selfies get 90% fewer likes.”
Hinge’s own data, 2017. Old, but nobody has shown the toilet got more attractive since.
Source: Hinge 2017
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Card 3
“80% of women chase the top 20% of men.”
Mostly fish
“80% of women chase the top 20% of men.”
It traces to a 2015 Tumblr post based on 27 women. Hinge’s real figure (2017): half of likes to men went to the top 15%. Uneven, not apocalyptic, and couples still end up with people of similar appeal.
Source: “Tinder Experiments II” 2015 · Hinge 2017 · Topinkova & Diviak 2025
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Card 4
“One polite follow-up text gets a reply about a third of the time.”
Real-ish
“One polite follow-up text gets a reply about a third of the time.”
Hinge, 2017: about 1 in 3 replied to a single follow-up. They never published their method, so don’t get it tattooed.
Source: Hinge 2017
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Card 5
“‘Hey’ gets ignored 84% of the time.”
Fish story
“‘Hey’ gets ignored 84% of the time.”
That number lives on blogs selling AI opener tools. The real data is funnier: in 2009, the three most common greetings did worse than saying nothing at all.
Source: An AI opener-tool blog · OkCupid 2009
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Card 6
“Men lie about their height.”
Real
“Men lie about their height.”
Mostly by about an inch, rounding up toward six feet. You’re risking the whole date for one inch.
Source: Hancock, Toma & Ellison 2007 · OkCupid 2010
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Card 7
“Negging works.”
Fish story
“Negging works.”
People rate negging as more harmful than an ordinary pickup line, and pickup tactics mostly work on women who share sexist views.
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Card 8
“Men go on 48% more dates than women.”
Fish story
“Men go on 48% more dates than women.”
From a 2025 survey where people reported their own dates. In a straight dating pool, the maths asks one question: with whom?
Source: Newsweek 2025
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Card 9
“Women only want tall, rich guys.”
Half-true
“Women only want tall, rich guys.”
On surveys, 56% of US women say they’d be less likely to date a shorter man. But in real speed dating, people’s checklists didn’t predict who they actually liked.
Source: Survey Center on American Life 2023 · Eastwick & Finkel 2008
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Card 10
“Selfies make you look less trustworthy.”
Real
“Selfies make you look less trustworthy.”
Same man, same face: rated less trustworthy and more narcissistic in a selfie than in a photo someone else took. And not one bit hotter.
Source: Krämer et al. 2017
The Female Perspective™
Things Men Apparently Don’t Know, vol. 2
Collected by our Field Research Department, checked against actual studies. The two in red are not jokes.
She’s not ignoring you. She’s ignoring 300 of you.
54% of women on dating apps felt overwhelmed by how many messages they got. 64% of men felt insecure about how few they got.
Your opener was shorter than this sentence.
In a London study, only 7% of men who got a match sent any message at all, and their messages averaged 12 characters.
Comment. Don’t just like.
On Hinge, likes sent with a comment are twice as likely to lead to a date.
Your prompts work harder than your abs.
Likes on written prompts were 47% more likely to lead to a date than likes on photos.
Selfies cost trust and buy zero hotness.
The same man looked less trustworthy and more narcissistic in a selfie than in a photo someone else took, and no more attractive.
“No drama” is the drama.
Negativity and bitterness was the number-one profile turn-off, putting off 70% of app users surveyed.
You think you ask enough questions. Your date doesn’t.
62% of daters think they ask enough questions. Only 30% say their dates do.
She’s waiting for you to go deep first.
49% of Gen Z women hold back from deeper conversation, waiting for the other person to start. 17% of men do the same.
She thinks you only want a fling. Say so if you don’t.
65% of women believe men are only after something casual. Only 29% of men say they are.
Calm is the new hot.
40% of single women put peace and emotional safety first. 9% put passion and excitement first.
The cheapest green flag costs two words: “Home safe?”
59% of women (and 38% of men) call checking that a date got home safely a chivalrous gesture.
Sparks are overrated.
49% of singles have fallen for someone they weren’t attracted to at first, most often because of great conversation.
The ick is about your mouth, not your face.
In the only study of “the ick,” women’s icks leaned toward misogynistic or annoying things men said. Looks were about 6% of triggers.
Laziness, neediness and low confidence beat your jawline.
Women weigh these as dealbreakers more than men do, and dealbreakers count for more than dealmakers.
You were liked more than you think.
After a conversation, people consistently underestimate how much the other person liked them. Researchers call it the liking gap.
You hoped for “wow.” You got “ew” and a block.
Of women who got an unsolicited explicit image, 50% felt grossed out and 46% felt disrespected. 26% reported any positive reaction.
Two out of three.
66% of women under 50 who date online have been sent explicit images they didn’t ask for, kept being contacted after saying no, been called names, or been threatened.
Nearly half got aggression back for saying no.
47.7% of students who turned someone down online got an aggressive reply. 93% of the senders whose gender could be identified were men.
The Female Perspective™
The Idiot Translator™
What he says vs. what he actually means vs. what she hears.
| What he says | What he actually means | What she hears |
|---|---|---|
| “I’m just really chill.” | I don’t make plans. | “I’ll have to organize everything.” |
| “I don’t really go out.” | I’m a homebody. | “Will I ever leave the house?” |
| “Just ask.” | I couldn’t be bothered to write a bio. | “You have provided me with absolutely nothing.” |
| “I’m not great at texting.” | I respond once every 14 hours. | “He’s not interested.” |
| “I don’t like drama.” | I have unresolved interpersonal problems. | 🚩 |
| “I’m brutally honest.” | I say whatever enters my head. | 🚩🚩 |
| “I’m a nice guy.” | I would like credit for basic human decency. | 🚩 |
| “I love adventures.” | I went camping once in 2019. | “Sure, buddy.” |
| “I’m really into fitness.” | I own a gym membership. | “Does he actually work out?” |
| “I’m a foodie.” | I like eating at restaurants. | “So… you like food?” |
| “I’m an old soul.” | I listen to music from before I was born. | “Okay, Grandpa.” |
| “I’m sarcastic.” | I sometimes say mean things and call it a personality. | “Please demonstrate emotional intelligence.” |
| “I’m looking for someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously.” | I want someone who will tolerate my bullsh*t. | “That sounds suspicious.” |
| “I’m not looking for anything serious, but I’m open to seeing where things go.” | I want the benefits of a relationship without the responsibilities. | “So you want casual.” |
| “I deleted the apps before, but my friends made me get back on.” | I have been on and off dating apps for three years. | “Here we go again.” |
| “I’m better in person.” | My texting skills are catastrophic. | “Please demonstrate.” |
| “I’m a homebody.” | I genuinely enjoy staying home. | “Fine, but do you have hobbies?” |
| “I like watching Netflix and relaxing.” | I have not developed a personality beyond consuming media. | “What else do you do?” |
| “I’m spontaneous.” | I make plans at the last possible second. | “Am I supposed to be impressed?” |
| “I’m easygoing.” | I have no opinions about anything. | “So I’m making every decision?” |
Translation: you need a better personality.
Stats we refuse to use
Retired from service
These numbers get shared constantly. They’re fake, misquoted, or impossible to trace. Here’s where they really come from, and what to say instead.
“80% of women chase the top 20% of men”
Actually from: An anonymous 2015 Tumblr post based on 27 women. “Tinder Experiments II” 2015
Say this instead: Half of Hinge likes to men went to the top 15% (2017), but couples tend to form between people of similar appeal. Hinge 2017 · Topinkova & Diviak 2025
“Tinder is 76% male”
Actually from: SEO blogs. No primary source anyone can find.
Say this instead: UK dating services are about 65% men. UK Hinge is 53% women. Ofcom 2024
“‘Hey’ gets ignored 84% of the time”
Actually from: Blogs selling AI opener tools. An AI opener-tool blog
Say this instead: In 2009, the three most common greetings did worse than no greeting at all. OkCupid 2009
“Loneliness is as deadly as 15 cigarettes a day”
Actually from: A loose comparison chart from a 2010 study. “Loneliness and the apocryphal fifteen”
Say this instead: Loneliness is common among under-50s of every gender. Pew Research Center 2025
“45% of young men have never asked a woman out”
Actually from: One blogger’s non-random survey. DatePsychology
Say this instead: Only 29% of young single men feel confident approaching someone. Institute for Family Studies 2026
“Men go on 48% more dates than women”
Actually from: A self-reported 2025 survey. Impossible in a straight dating pool. Newsweek 2025
Say this instead: Who are all these dates with?
“Negging works”
Actually from: The pickup-artist industry.
Say this instead: People rate negging as more harmful than an ordinary pickup line. Green, Kukan & Tully 2017
“The ideal first date lasts 2.72 hours”
Actually from: Listicles with no data behind them. Bustle
Say this instead: 84% of singles prefer a casual first date. Match Singles in America 2025
Mini-guide
Go where the odds are
If you only date on apps, you’re competing in the most crowded room in town. Some quick geography:
- Pick the apps where the numbers are kinder. Don’t install all of them.
- Join something with a regular schedule: a run club, a class, a league. Seeing the same people every week does the heavy lifting.
- Tell your friends you’re looking. One in five couples still meets through friends.
- Go to the singles event. Everyone there is also slightly terrified.
65 / 35
Men to women across UK dating apps and sites, about two men for every woman.
Ofcom 2024 · UK · regulator data53%
Women on UK Hinge, the only big UK dating service where women outnumber men.
Ofcom 2024 · UK · regulator data1 in 5
Gen Z Strava users who have dated someone they met through exercise. Run-club participation rose 59% in 2024.
Strava 2024 · global · app data20%
Couples who met through friends (2017). Down from 33% in 1995, but still a big slice.
Rosenfeld, Thomas & Hausen 2019 · US · peer-reviewedHouse rules
How we source
- Every stat gets a source, a year, a country and a link. Click it and check our work.
- Surveys run by dating apps are labelled as app data. Hinge users telling Hinge something is useful, not gospel.
- Anything from before 2020 is flagged as old.
- We don’t quote stats from blogs that sell opener-writing tools.
- The jokes target men’s habits and the people selling tricks. Never women’s safety. Never anyone’s mental health.
The labels
- Peer-reviewed
- A study checked by other researchers before it was published. The good stuff.
- Big survey
- Large independent polls like Pew, Gallup, YouGov, or government statistics.
- App data
- Numbers from Hinge, Tinder, Bumble or Match about their own users. Interesting, but also marketing.
- Commissioned survey
- A company paid for a poll. Read with one eyebrow raised.
Show your work
Every source we cite
All 67 of them, in one place. Each link opens the original study, survey, report or article, so you can check that we read it right.
Studies (peer-reviewed) 29
- Boothby et al. 2018The “liking gap”: people underestimate how much others like them after a conversation · US, UK
- Bruch & Newman 2018Aspirational pursuit of mates in online dating markets (Science Advances) · US
- Collisson et al. 2025The first study of “the ick” (reported by PsyPost) · US
- Computers in Human Behavior Reports 2024What drives swipes: photos vs. height, job and bio · Germany
- Czechowski et al. 2026Aggressive replies after rejecting someone online · Canada
- Eastwick & Finkel 2008Stated mate preferences vs. who people actually like at speed dating · US
- Freedman & Powell 2024A review of research on ghosting · Mostly US
- Green, Kukan & Tully 2017How people rate negging compared with ordinary pickup lines · UK
- Hall & Canterberry 2011Who pickup-artist tactics appeal to (reported by the University of Kansas) · US
- Hammond & Overall 2013Hostile sexism and how men read their partners · New Zealand
- Hancock, Toma & Ellison 2007The truth about lying in online dating profiles · US
- Huang et al. 2017It doesn’t hurt to ask: follow-up questions increase liking · US
- Ireland et al. 2011Matching language style predicts mutual interest · US
- Jonason et al. 2015Relationship dealbreakers · US
- JPSP correction 2025Independent audit of Huang et al. 2017, which upheld its conclusions · US
- Kardas, Kumar & Epley 2022Deep conversations with strangers go better than people expect · US
- Krämer et al. 2017Selfies vs. photos taken by someone else · Germany
- Lutz & Büttner 2026How being unmatched affects belonging and self-esteem · Not stated
- Marcotte et al. 2021Women’s and men’s reactions to receiving unsolicited explicit images · US
- Perilloux, Easton & Buss 2012The misperception of sexual interest · US
- Ramirez et al. 2015How long online chatting before meeting changes the first date · US
- Rosenfeld, Thomas & Hausen 2019How couples meet: online dating overtakes meeting through friends (PNAS) · US
- Samara, Roth & Kret 2021Men read attraction less accurately when they’re interested themselves · Netherlands
- Sandstrom, Boothby & Cooney 2022A week of talking to strangers reduces the fear of it · UK, Canada
- Snyder, Kirkpatrick & Barrett 2008Women prefer earned respect (prestige) over dominance · US
- Topinkova & Diviak 2025Who likes whom on a dating app, and who actually matches (PLOS ONE) · Czech Republic
- Treger, Sprecher & Erber 2013Humour and liking in first meetings · US
- Tyson et al. 2016A first look at user activity on Tinder (older data; free copy on arXiv) · UK
- van der Zanden et al. 2022Original dating bios read as smarter and funnier (reported by PsyPost) · Netherlands
Big surveys, official data and laws 14
- Australian Institute of Criminology 2022Dating app facilitated sexual violence · Australia
- BMO / Ipsos 2026Who expects to pay on a date · US
- California SB 53The law letting people sue over unsolicited explicit images (CalMatters) · US
- Institute for Family Studies 2026State of Our Unions 2026: the dating recession · US
- National Institute of Mental HealthMental illness statistics, including treatment rates by sex · US
- Ofcom 2024Who uses UK dating services, by gender (via wired-gov) · UK
- Pew Research Center 2023Key findings about online dating in the U.S. · US
- Pew Research Center 2023From looking for love to swiping the field (full report, including harassment) · US
- Pew Research Center 2025Men, women and social connections · US
- Survey Center on American Life 2023From swiping to sexting: the gender divide in American dating · US
- Survey Center on American Life 2025The state of American romance · US
- UK Online Safety Act 2023The cyberflashing offence, explained by 5KBW barristers · UK
- YouGov 2019The worst first-date behaviours · US
- Young Men Research Project 2025Who are the young men inside the manosphere (via Equimundo) · US
Dating-app data and commissioned polls 16
- Bumble 2026Bumble drops its “women message first” rule (reported by TechCrunch) · Global
- Forbes Health / OnePoll 2024The biggest dating-profile turn-offs (reported by Newsweek) · US
- Hily 2025Most singles say dating-app photos don’t match real life (reported by Fast Company) · US
- Hinge 2017Which profile photos get likes (reported by Elite Daily) · US
- Hinge 2017Do follow-up messages work? (reported by Bustle) · US
- Hinge 2017How likes are distributed on Hinge (via Global Dating Insights) · US
- Hinge 2025Likes with a comment are twice as likely to lead to a date · Global
- Hinge 2025Prompt likes vs. photo likes, and Hinge’s prompt feedback · Global
- Hinge 2025Gen Z D.A.T.E. Report: the question deficit · Global
- Hinge 2025The follow-through formula: texting after a date · Global
- Match Singles in America 202514th annual Singles in America study, with the Kinsey Institute · US
- Match Singles in America 202615th annual Singles in America study · US
- OkCupid 2009Exactly what to say in a first message (archived) · US
- OkCupid 2010The big lies people tell in online dating (archived) · US
- Strava 2024Year in Sport: run clubs are the new dating scene (reported by Canadian Running) · Global
- Tinder / Opinium 2024The Green Flags Study · US, UK, Canada, Australia
News, blogs, and where the bad stats came from 8
- An AI opener-tool blogAn example of where the “hey is ignored 84% of the time” claim lives · Online
- BustleThe “ideal first date lasts 2.72 hours” listicle · Online
- DatePsychologyThe blogger survey behind “45% of young men never asked a woman out” (archived copy; the live site’s certificate has expired) · Online
- “Loneliness and the apocryphal fifteen”Where the “15 cigarettes a day” comparison came from · Online
- Newsweek 2025The survey where men reported 48% more dates than women · US
- The Pulp 2025Hooked or horrified? Fish pics on Missoula dating apps · US
- Tinder AustraliaThe April Fools’ press release behind the “92% fish ick” stat · Australia
- “Tinder Experiments II” 2015The anonymous blog post (27 women) behind the “80/20 rule” · Not stated