Realizing the date is going downhill? Here are 10 potential date-saving tricks!

1. Try every weird drink on the menu. Chocolate rum mudslide? Sure why not. Mango mojito? Down the hatch. Instead of hearing someone drone on about their day, you can hear someone drone on about their day and broaden your horizons.

2. Take a shot every time they ask you a typical small talk question. You might not have fun but at least you’ll be drunk by the time they say, “So this weather, huh?”

3. Eat nachos. You’re already out, and a day with nachos is never a bad day. Gandhi said that. No, sorry. I meant Guy Fieri.

4. Drag them to that movie no one else wants to see with you. The Zac Efron guilty pleasure you can’t get anyone to go watch with you? Now you can go see it without looking like a creepy loner. Bonus: You’re not supposed to talk during the whole thing.

5. See how long you can push the uncomfortable silence. Embrace it. Turn it into a game. Can you stare at a virtual stranger for five minutes without speaking? We shall see!

6. Treat it like a therapy session. You’ve already decided you’re never going to see them again, so why not tell them all your terrible secrets and politically incorrect opinions. Just vent to them. You’ll feel better and they’ll be left a broken shell of the person they once were, but at least you’ll be pretty much guaranteed they won’t send you a text at 2 a.m. next week like, “hey wut r u up 2??”

7. Make friends with the waitress. If you make it really obvious you’re on a first date and it’s not going well, you might be able to score some free breadsticks. Maybe she’ll even come over and hang out with you while you desperately try to avoid conversation with this guy.

8. Network. You might not have a love connection, but maybe you can have a business connection. It’s worth a shot.

9. Go to some weird fusion restaurant. If you’re not worried about making a good first impression, you might as well go try that place that combines Buffalo wings and cereal. What’s the worst that could happen?

10. Have meaningless sex. Your date might be a boring human, but if you’re at least physically attracted to them, you can end your dry spell.

[via Cosmopolitan]