If you’ve spent enough time browsing dating profiles, you will eventually start to see patterns of stock phrases circulating among the crowd.

Do hundreds or thousands of singles actually feel the same way, like similar hobbies, or really that free-spirited? Cliches! Cliches! Cliches! That’s right. These filler phrases are mindless, thoughtless, and give a bad name to online daters who are serious about finding a match.

An online profile is supposed to provide something worth knowing about the person but since the other fifty singles also enjoy walks on the beach, then there could be some serious competition…or not!

Here is a list of some of our favorite dating profile cliches:

1. Not into games or drama. – This the epitome of the perfect relationship. Let’s cut to the chase, who wants a relationship that is chalk full of drama?
2. I am honest to a fault. – People who use this phrase seem to think that unfiltered comments is some sort of virtue. News flash! Saying whatever comes to mind can sometimes come across as rude, careless, and insensitive.
3. I enjoy long walks on the beach. – You’re going for the romantic vibe – we get it. Aren’t we all…
4. I like to take things one step at a time. – No kidding! Do you really expect to wake up with your date laying beside you? You’re no Casanova – you wouldn’t be looking for singles online. Wake up and smell the coffee…or tea if you’re not a coffee drinker.
5. I’m looking for my best friend. – If you don’t have a best friend at this stage of your life, we need to talk. Your date may eventually turn into your true love and best friend, but start by getting to know the person first. Don’t scare them away at hello!
6. I enjoy travelling to exotic destinations. – We all do. But it costs money and sometime lots of it. But if you have the money for it, kudos to you. By “exotic” if you mean road trips, try to lower the expectation.
7. I am accountable and reliable. – Sorry to break the news. But most singles are looking the most irresponsible person to date and possibly spend the rest of their lives with. Seriously – you do not need to justify being an adult.
8. I love to party. – Absolutely. This is the first thing that comes to mind when someone is looking for a match online. A party animal!
9. I love animals. – You’re not applying to work at the animal shelter…or are you? Let’s hope this is not the deal breaker if you find someone you like.
10. My kids come first. – Wonderful. Now that we know you’re like 99.9999999% of parents on planet earth, let’s move on.

Bonus cliche: Attractive, interesting, intelligent, active, fun, funny, sweet, simple – One or two is fine. But a string of these and you start to sound like you are describing how everyone wants to be perceived.

Bonus cliche 2: My friends say… – License to exaggerate? This comes across as evasive, as if you want to be free to write misleading details. And if called out, it wasn’t you saying it – it was your friends!

Now go back and re-read the profiles you were considering. See what happens if you leave out the cliches. If your response is “Hey, there’s hardly a profile left,” then that suggests the person you thought was a match is really duplicate of the other hundreds you read. Depressing, we know.

However, if you come across a profile that describe the place she/he visited over the summer with details, or a story about an encounter with a favorite band…then you’re on to something, possibly.