We get it. You want to connect with your fellow humans and think your best ‘in’ is to bum few cigs off them. First, let’s just ignore the fact that it makes you a bummer. Secondly, there are better, fresher, funner ways to chat somebody up. (Yes we said funner. It’s unofficially an official word in our vocab.)

Ten Ways to Break the Ice w/o Bumming a Smoke:

1. Bust out three things about you: two true facts, one false. Make people guess which one’s the lie.
2. Are the tunes on jukebox doing you right? Or are they noise pollution? Discuss.
3. Funniest bar names. Go.
4. Penny for your thoughts. Pull a coin out of your pocket or purse. Look at the year on the coin and tell all something you did that year.
5. Best Pick Up Lines. Share the good ones, the ones that get a smile and earn you a fake phone number.
6. Truth or Dare. An oldie but goodie. Yanks the introverts right out of their shells.
7. Alphabet Souped Up. Everyone picks a category: movies, bands, food, whatevs. The first person gives an answer that starts with ‘A’, then the next person gives one starting with ‘B’, the next gives a ‘C’ answer. You get the idea.
8. Start a sentence starting with ‘Never Have I _______________.’ Everyone admits if they’ve done it or they would never ever do it.
9. And the Oscar goes to. Pick a flick everyone knows. Everyone quotes a line until someone goes blank.
10. What rhymes with truck? Go around the circle. The first R-rated answer loses out. Alternate game versions: sass and grit.