The Science of Mating

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A meet-cute is a fun, quirky, or accidental first meeting between two people who eventually fall in love.

Even with the rise of online dating, the majority of couples may still be meeting initially in real life.

The interest in meet-cutes seems to be growing, reflecting a desire for authenticity and IRL connections.

The meet-cute trend is a reminder to leave yourself open to different possibilities and serendipity.

How did the two of you first meet? Well, remember that time when you were both at Bloomingdale's in New York City shopping for Christmas gifts for each of your partners at the time, and then both of you reached for the exact same pair of cashmere gloves at the exact same time? What were the chances of that happening?

Wait, maybe that wasn't your story. That was instead how Jonathan (played by John Cusack) and Sara (played by Kate Beckinsale) first met in the totally fictional 2001 romantic comedy movie Serendipity. Oh well, that would have been a cute way to first meet. You could even say that it was a meet-cute.

Meet-Cute Emerged From Rom-Coms

The "meet-cute" term first arose to describe such a scene in a rom-com where a couple first met because such scenes often are quite cute, especially when you know that they will end up together. It can even be awkward and contrary. One example was Harry's first meeting with Sally in the 1989 rom-com When Harry Met Sally—a drive from Chicago to New York City that had them bickering like cats and, well, cats that don't like each other. Another was Emily's heckling of Kumail........

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