Phoebe Buffay was the queen of speaking her mind. Out of the entire Friends gang, Phoebe was the most transparent with her feelings. Even though she could be odd and even a bit naive at times, she always told it like it was and was brutally honest with those around her.
Phoebe was so truthful that she couldn’t help but be honest in her dating life as well. While this transparency was often helpful in getting her dates, sometimes she was a little too honest. Here are five Phoebe pickup lines that might just work, and five that never would.
Might Work: “You Like That? You Should Hear My Phone Number.”
When Phoebe met Rachel’s assistant Tag for the first time, she was pretty smitten. He said “Phoebe? That’s a great name.” and Phoebe responded with her iconic pickup line, “You like that? You should hear my phone number”.
Even though Phoebe didn’t snag a date with Tag, considering Tag was Rachel’s love interest, this pickup line still has a lot of potential. It’s witty and to the point, just like Phoebe, which is one of the many reasons fans love her. So who knows, maybe this line will work for you too.
Would Never Work: “Come On, Will, Take Off Your Shirt And Tell Us.”
This line is just a bit too forward. When questioning Will about what rumor he and Ross started about Rachel in high school, Phoebe got a little impatient and out came her now-famous line, “Come on, Will take off your shirt and tell us”.
While this line wasn’t necessarily meant to win Will over, it was still Phoebe’s way of hilariously and aggressively showing her interest in him. This is definitely a great Phoebe line, but it might not be received as well in real-world situations considering it’s forward and aggressive in nature.
Might Work: “You Betcha!”
Phoebe’s reaction to meeting the new men in her friends’ lives was always priceless. When Phoebe is introduced to Paolo for the first time he woos her by speaking to her in Italian and Phoebe responds with “You betcha!”. This line is a bit vague, but that’s the beauty of it.
Phoebe’s response was just enough to let Paolo, the gang and the audience know that Phoebe was immediately infatuated with him to some degree. However, Paolo was actually Rachel’s date and unfortunately, fans know that this storyline ends with Paolo being too forward with Phoebe while dating Rachel.
Would Never Work: “I Can Hear The Voices In My Head Again!”
This is one Phoebe line that just wouldn’t work as a pickup line. In a season nine episode of Friends, Monica finally got Emma to stop crying and Phoebe was thrilled. She revealed that she could hear the voices in her head again and seemed to be pretty relieved about it.
When Monica gave her an inquisitive look, Phoebe insisted that she was joking, but fans knew otherwise. While this line is a fan-favorite and shows off Phoebe’s personality and charm, it probably wouldn’t be a great pickup line.
Might Work: “It’s Okay, Go Ahead, Ask Me Out.”
Mike and Phoebe are definitely a great pair. This couple quickly became beloved by fans thanks to their unconventional first date. In season nine, Joey pretended that he had carefully chosen his old pal Mike as Phoebe’s blind date but of course, Phoebe found out that Joey had actually chosen a stranger as her date.
Luckily, Phoebe and Mike ultimately hit it off which led to Phoebe’s cool line, “It’s okay, go ahead, ask me out”. This pickup line is so honest and straight forward, that it might just work.
Would Never Work: “Your Love Is Like A Giant Pigeon, Crapping On My Heart.”
Only true fans will know this Phoebe line as it’s from a deleted scene in the pilot episode of Friends. Phoebe played the guitar and sung a song featuring this line in the subway as people walked by, occasionally tipping her for her performance. This is definitely a great line, it’s hilarious and really paints a picture for the audience of how Phoebe’s past relationships have panned out.
Unfortunately, this would never work as a strong pickup line as it clearly discourages any potential relationship before it even gets started.
Might Work: “I Have A Question Then, Um, Were You Planning On Kissing Me Ever?”
Phoebe is often brutally honest, but that’s part of her charm. During one of her initial dates with David, she blurted out this phrase: “I have a question then, um, were you planning on kissing me ever?”. This direct approach was proven successful as it prepared the way for Phoebe and David’s first kiss.
Even though it took a few moments for David to collect himself, this line gave him enough courage and reassurance to make his move. If it can work for Phoebe and David then it might just work for you too.
Would Never Work: “Oh, Well Hello There, I Didn’t See This On The Menu.”
While this pickup line does seem like a classic, it’s just too cheesy to work in a real-world scenario. Phoebe said this line when she met Tim, Monica’s sous chef. Phoebe was upfront with her feelings towards the chef and started flirting with him right there in the kitchen while Monica was trying to work.
It was clear that Phoebe and Tim had a connection at first but as fans know, this relationship definitely didn’t last. Maybe it’s because of Phoebe’s cheesy pickup line? It was funny, but fans have definitely seen wittier remarks from Phoebe.
Might Work: “It’s James Bond.”
Who doesn’t like to be compared to James Bond? The next time you need a great pickup line, try this iconic quote from Phoebe Buffay, it might just score you a date.
Phoebe uttered these words when she helped Monica with a catering gig and saw Dr. Richard Burke for the first time. This isn’t surprising, considering Phoebe is known for freely speaking her mind. Honest and complimentary pickup lines are the best kind, so it doesn’t seem like you can go wrong with this one.
Would Never Work: “Wow, That Jacket Looks So Great On You… The Material Looks So Soft. Oh Hello, Mr. Bicep.”
This pickup line is complimentary but it just doesn’t seem very genuine, probably because, it wasn’t. Phoebe fed this line to Chandler when she and Rachel were trying to get Chandler to admit that he was seeing Monica.
While this was all pretty sly, Phoebe used Chandler’s “soft jacket” as an excuse to touch his arm and compliment his bicep, her agenda was also pretty apparent. Phoebe was never truly attracted to Chandler and they definitely never got together, so it’s hard to see this pickup line as a winner.
