Whine Snob

What's with women lately? I try to make friendly conversation at the bar and they instantly go crabby and negative -- spewing unimaginative canned lines like "The only guys I meet around here are cops or government workers." (Meanwhile, we're sitting in a giant sports bar between a government building and a police station).

--Tired Of It

Women have different motives for going to bars. Some go to drown their sorrows and some go to find a nice guy to drown in the toilet in the ladies room. But, a woman who snarls "The only guys I meet..." is probably trying to tell you something: "In case you don't like me, I don't like you first." Or, it's an excuse for why she's single. Or, she's playing hard-to-get (and coming off hard-to-want). If you like a clever woman, that's what you should have. Still, you might give a woman a free pass to say a couple stupid, unfunny, off-putting things, as nervous people often do. Talk to her a little, and find out whether she's just flustered, or stupid, unfunny, and off-putting. Try not to take bad attitude personally or respond with a low blow: "Oh, sorry -- is that a chip on your shoulder, or did I doze off while the bar was hit by an asteroid?"