Best Book Speed Dating at Howard's Pub! Public Hosted by Millvale Community Library and Howard's Pub. Wednesday, February 20, 2019 at 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM EST.

• Sophisticated simplicity. Our in-person speed dating events, virtual speed dating events and matchmaking services offer fresh alternatives for Los Angeles singles. Whether you’re looking for a night out with fellow singles, prefer a night in with our virtual events or find one-on-one matchmaking to be your cup of tea, we bring just the right amount of flirty to suit any need.
• 111 Speed Dating Questions. To make it easier to find those that interest you most, these speed dating starter questions are divided into groups, based on different situations and approaches. Best Speed Dating Questions. You both want to cut to the chase to find out whether there’s any point in meeting up later for a longer date.

Do you ever feel jaded about how much of your life you spend trying to find a decent date? It takes boundless amounts of charm, gusto and optimistic perseverance to land yourself a candlelit dinner with a hottie who might just be The One.

“So what? I just do online dating!” I hear you respond with vigour. Okay, well, good luck to thee! But online dating doesn’t automatically grant you free access to a limitless pool of good-lookin’ singletons who are guaranteed to want you. Plus, they’re total strangers, meaning you’re starting from scratch as you get to know one another. That takes time. There’s still something to be said for going a little more retro.

In case you’ve been living under a rock, speed dating entails a series of extremely short dates, around 3 minutes long. During the event, singletons get together and try to find someone who is both attractive and compatible in a highly efficient manner. Everyone takes notes on everyone else and tick yes or no with regard to whether or not they would like to meet up again. If both tick yes, then voila! — it’s a match.

Be in no doubt: speed dating can work! However, because of the extremely limited time you have per date, the speed dating questions you ask (and the way you dress, incidentally, but that’s an article unto itself!), make or break the success of your speed dating experience. You don’t want to end up sitting across from your date looking like a rabbit in the headlights.

Why It’s So Important to Ask The Best Speed Dating Questions

An arsenal of shit-hot questions is essential if you want to get the most out of speed dating. How else are you meant to stand out from a large group of singletons when you’ve got literally just a few minutes to wow a prospective partner?

The best speed dating questions are fun, lighthearted and open-ended. They are also unique and make the listener really think deeply about their answer. This invariably will shed light on aspects of their personality that you’d never otherwise see in such a short space of time, especially if you were asking only boring and generic questions. A good speed dating question will facilitate the person across the table revealing information about themselves without it feeling forced or awkward.

Speed dating can be daunting, there’s no doubt about it, but Miingle have got your back. And remember, you don’t need to robotically relay questions to every date and never stray from a script. Our 30 questions are in no particular order, reflecting the fact that you should keep the conversation organic, natural-sounding and free-flowing.

Use these questions only as a crutch, a go-to guide to recall if the chat unexpectedly dips in energy. Our list of the 30 best speed dating questions (and infographic!) will get you through any scenario, any conversation, and maybe, just maybe, land you that coveted date #2.

30 Of The Best Speed Dating Questions

1. What has been your favourite weekend this year?

2. Who would you choose to be, having the opportunity to be any other person for 24 hours?

3. Where would you go on holiday right now if time and money were no object?

4. What were you known for in school?

5. Do you believe in anything paranormal?

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6. Pick anyone to have dinner with, dead or alive.

7. What is the most reckless thing you’ve ever done?

8. What’s your party trick?

9. What is the most disgusting thing you’ve ever tasted?

10. What causes you to cry?

11. What is your most treasured possession?

12. Who was your childhood hero?

13. Given the freedom, choose any country in the world to live.

14. What has been your biggest adventure?

15. What do you first notice when you meet someone new?

16. What are you most grateful for?

17. What is your favourite time of year?

18. What was your dream job when you were little?

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19. What is one thing you wish to achieve during your life?

20. What makes you feel old?

21. What would people be most surprised to learn about you?

22. What hobby or pastime would you love to get into if only you had the time and resources?

23. What takes up too much of your time?

24. What is one of your favourite memories?

25. What made you smile today?

26. What would you do if you found out you had 6 months left to live?

27. Describe the most physically challenging experience you’ve ever had.

28. What is something you are secretly very knowledgeable about?

29. What is your favorite food?

30. Who was your first kiss?

A Few Speed Dating Tips That Can Help

Every person you meet at your speed dating evening will be different, and therefore so will each conversation. Tailor your questions to the person. If they seem nervous, keep things straightforward and allow them to ease into the dialogue, rather than firing off profound philosophical conundrum after profound philosophical conundrum. You can even ask some funny speed dating question.

Furthermore, at all costs avoid potentially inflammatory or touchy subjects such as religion, politics, money, sex and, of course, exes! Coming across as intense or insensitive is a guaranteed turnoff, and you will not be receiving a tick from them.

At the end of the day, speed dating is meant to be fun, so try to relax and remember that everyone is feeling the same as you! There are also lots of ways to prepare for your speed dating night so that you turn up feeling on form and ready to go. Act confident, even if you don’t feel it; as they say, fake it till you make it. Don’t be dishonest; if you get to know that person sitting across from you, the revelation that you’ve a penchant for porkies will be a big red flag. Plus, of course, you want your date to like you for whom you are!

Speed dating is a pretty unique experience. You do not have the time to faff around with niceties and formalities; you’re here to see if the person opposite you could genuinely be a potential partner. The only way you can really ascertain this in so short a timespan is to ask questions whose answers you genuinely care about. Miingle’s 30 best speed dating questions will help you avoid clichés and be memorable, individual and interesting.

That’s really all you need to get that tick and clinch rendezvous #2!

If the dating scene in your town has you and your single friends longing for the days of arranged marriages, or if you're happily attached and ready to take your matchmaking urges to the next level, it may be time to consider hosting a speed dating event.

Speed dating has been around since 1999, when Rabbi Yaacov Deyo and several of his single students put a new twist on the longstanding Jewish tradition of introducing young Jewish singles to one another at chaperoned gatherings. At a speed dating event, participants are paired up in a series of quick five- to seven-minute 'dates.' When the time is up, a bell or timer is rung, and participants move on to their next one-on-one conversation.

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While seven minutes may not seem long enough to determine whether a new acquaintance is a potential match, Rabbi Deyo and other speed dating organizers have found that it gives participants plenty of time to gauge their level of interest or get a feeling that the other person is just not the right fit. As an added bonus, the round-robin setup enables participants to meet more potential matches in one evening than they might otherwise encounter in a month or more of traditional dating.

Speed dating services can be found in just about any major city, but there's no need to wait for the next scheduled meet-up in your area. Our tips for hosting a speed dating event will help you organize a gathering that's fun, relaxing and fruitful for participants while preserving your sanity at the same time.

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• Make a List -- You'll probably want to start by making a list of all the single people you know. Don't worry if you don't have enough singles in your contacts list to fill the entire event; after all, if you did, you probably wouldn't need to speed date. Ask your friends (married friends, too!) to suggest single acquaintances or coworkers who might be interested. The more you're able to reach beyond your usual social circles, the better, since the whole idea is to give speed daters the chance to connect with someone new. Shoot for about 20 guests, with an even split between males and females. Too large a group makes for a long, unmanageable evening; too small and you're in for an awkward gathering with fewer possibilities for compatible pairings. If your own connections come up short, try posting a flyer at your church, workplace or gym, or creating a Facebook event and asking friends to spread the word.
• Pick a Venue -- The site of your speed dating event will help to set the tone, so be sure to choose wisely. Consider the noise factor and the ambiance, and avoid any place that's too loud, too bright, too dark, or likely to be deserted or overly crowded. At the same time, try to match your venue to your intended crowd. A swanky martini bar may appeal to established 30- or 40-something professionals, but the atmosphere (and the price!) could be a turnoff for recent college grads. Hosting the event at your home can help to keep costs down, but if you're participating as a dater or if you don't know all the guests, it's safer to meet everyone in a public, more neutral setting.
• Don't Forget the Basics -- In many ways, planning for a speed dating event is similar to planning for a cocktail party. If you plan to serve food, ask the restaurant or caterer to prepare simple appetizers that are easy to eat in small bites. Nothing too messy or awkward, and please, nothing with garlic! Keep cocktails light and sophisticated, and consider limiting the bar choices to beer and wine; this isn't the time for shots. Plan to provide enough for about two to three drinks per person -- enough to calm nerves or cut through the social anxiety, but not enough to lead to next-day regrets!
• Send Out Invitations -- You should try to do it at least three weeks before the event, and ask participants to RSVP so that you can get a head count. It's fine to charge a reasonable admission fee to cover your costs, and many online invitation sites allow you to collect the fee when guests RSVP; just make sure the invitation is clear about the cost of attending and whether food and drinks are included in the price.

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• Give 'Em Something to Talk About -- Before the event, come up with a few discussion topics and questions to get conversations flowing. (See our suggested questions on the next page!) You can hand out a short list of questions to each guest or leave a few conversation starters on index cards at every table. While you don't want participants to feel as though they're reading from a script, it can be helpful for daters to have a quick list to refer to if their nerves leave them tongue-tied.
• Sweat the Details -- Create spaces that are conducive to one-on-one conversations. Small bar tables or other two-person seating arrangements are ideal. Think about the logistics of moving speed daters from one conversation to the next. One possibility is to have the ladies stay put while gentlemen move up or down (table numbers may make this go more smoothly). Provide name tags for participants (first name only or first name and last initial), as well as clipboards, pens and comment cards so that daters can keep track of the people they meet. Comment cards should provide space for participants to list the name of each new acquaintance along with an answer to the question, 'Would you like to see this person again?' Cards are kept anonymous and returned to you at the end of the event. If (and only if!) there is a mutual interest, you can then share contact information with the interested parties.
• Establish the Ground Rules -- Be sure participants know how long each conversation will be, what to do when the bell rings and what happens at the end of the speed dating session. If any questions or topics are off limits, be sure to say so. In the original speed dating program started by Rabbi Deyo, participants are instructed to stay away from any variation of, 'What do you do?' or 'Where do you live?'
• Let the Speed Dating Begin! -- Remember your timer, and keep dates to seven minutes each. Longer sessions slow down the flow of the event and increase the likelihood of awkward silences between daters. Take a 10-minute break halfway through the speed dating sessions, and allow a bit of time at the beginning and end of the event for guests to mingle. Most of all, have fun!

As promised, we have plenty of suggested speed dating questions on the next page to help you get things started.

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As with any first date, the object of a speed date is to determine if the person sitting across from you is someone you'd like to know better. The difference is that you have just seven minutes to make that decision (and to make a good impression on your date), so start with the questions that matter most to you. We've included a few basics here, but you and the guests at your event might be better advised to skip the small talk and go right to the important stuff, like 'What's your favorite breakfast cereal to eat for dinner?'

The Basics

• What are your favorite hobbies/interests?
• Do you have any pets? Siblings? Roommates?
• What do you like to do in your spare time?

For a Little More Insight

• Are you an indoor person or an outdoor person? (Or a city person or a country person?)
• What would your dream vacation be?
• What's your favorite travel destination?
• What would your dream job be?
• What did you do last weekend?
• Are you a night owl or an early riser?
• What was the last book you read?
• What's your favorite Web site to waste time on?

Creative Approaches

• If they made a movie about your life, would it be a drama or a comedy?
• Who was your favorite superhero when you were little?
• Who is your favorite comedian?
• What is your favorite guilty-pleasure food (or music, or movie, or TV show)?
• What's the perfect midnight snack?
• Star Wars or Star Trek? The original Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, or the Johnny Depp remake? Sudoku or Words with Friends? Pirates or ninjas (and why)? Should brownies be made with nuts or without?

Questions to Avoid

• Anything too personal, including their address
• Anything too clichéd, especially, 'So, what do you do?' If the question is allowed, everyone else will have already asked it, and some people find it rude, as though you're more interested in their status than in who they are as a person.
• Questions about salary or economic background
• Questions about past relationships

Of course, the most insightful questions will often be the ones your guests come up with on their own, so encourage them to be creative and ask questions that will help them get to the root of what's most important to them.

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For more ideas about hosting a speed dating event, check out the resources on the next page.

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Related Articles

Sources

• Abraham, Rakhi. 'The 45 best speed dating questions you can ask a prospective date.' (March 18, 2012) http://www.futurescopes.com/speed-dating/139/45-best-speed-dating-questions-you-can-ask-prospective-date
• Deyo, Sue and Yaacov Deyo. 'SpeedDating Tip #3: Inappropriate Date Topics.' (March 18, 2012) http://www.aish.com/d/w/48937777.html
• Ditch or Date. 'How it Works.' (March 18, 2012) http://www.ditchordate.com/how-it-works.php
• New York EasyDates. 'Quirky Questions for a Memorable Date.' Sept. 22, 2009. (March 18, 2012) http://www.nyeasydates.com/blog/speed_dating_tips_and_statistics/quirky_questions_for_a_memorable_date.html
• NPR.org. 'Speed Dating with Yaacov and Sue Deyo.' Aug. 17, 2005. (March 18, 2012) http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4803880
• Original Dating. 'The History of Speed Dating.' (March 18, 2012) http://www.originaldating.com/HistoryofSpeeddating.htm
• Smart Dating UK. 'Speed Dating Questions.' (March 18, 2012) http://www.smartdatinguk.com/speed-dating-questions.asp