Olympic fever is about to hit the Big Apple big time. For amorous New Yorkers looking to land an exotic stranger faster than Michael Phelps can finish the 50-meter freestyle, you’ll need to trot out more than the lame v
oulez-vous couchez avec moi ce soir?
Here are the medal winners and finalists for romancing randy refugees.
THE U.K.
Though he insists he’s too shy around the ladies to use this date bait himself, Henry Stimler, 32, a London expat recommends an English expression promising to be a hands-down winner: “Just tell a British woman she’s a tasty piece of crumpet,” the 30-year old owner of Jezebel Restaurant in SoHo says. He recommends currying a favor with a bloke by kicking around Britain’s national sport—anything football related will do.
FRANCE
Clara, 33, a Paris native who lives on the LES, recommends a sure thing in any language: the no-fail “You have beautiful eyes.” Her native “T’as d’beaux yeux tu sais” would make her peepers go soft. “French women long for that kind of pickup line,” she says. To snag a dashing Frenchman, Clara suggests an old-fashioned line that will make him smile, “Vous habitez toujours chez vos parents?” It translates as “Are you still living with your parents,” and is code for “I hope you have a place of your own.”
CUBA
Havana-born Yanisley Shani Gonzalez, 28, who now lives in NYC, says the best way to melt her heart is through sultry expressions. “Cosita linda” and “muneca,” which mean “my little beautiful” and “doll” respectively, will work like a charm, assures Gonzalez. “Papito” or “papacito” will make a Cuban man feel really sexy, she says.
AUSTRALIA
When Melbourner Ben, 29, wants to reel one in, he’ll approach a cutie with the bait, “Sheila.” He advises New York guys to use the flirty call that he says most Australian women will always fall for. To wrestle your own Crocodile Dundee, Melbourne native Debbie Seiden, 55, suggests trying, “I’m like a boomerang. I just keep comin’ back to ya.”
ITALY
Alessandra Gaggini, 45, says the fastest way to her heart is for someone to call her “figo” which the teacher says means “very appealing.” It will work on would-be Romeos, too.
TURKEY
If you’re not too chicken, Istanbul native Taula Merve says girls and guys alike will be won over by the popular phrase “Let’s drink and get beautiful” — “çelim güzelleÅelim” in Turkish.