If you’ve even so much as thought about reliving moments from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days in real life, reciting it word for word might seem like second nature. However, looking back at the script, you’ll likely be taken aback by a lot of Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson’s early millennium slang. The film premiered in 2003, and a lot of the movies and shows from that era haven’t aged well and are very uncool looking back. To be honest, offensive jokes and slang were never cool — there was just less accountability for offensive language back then. But if you want to see for yourself just how poorly some of the dialogue of this early ’00s film has aged, here’s a look at some How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days quotes that are super outdated, below.
You should know by now that when throwing McConaughey in the mix, you’re bound to hear a couple of his ancient and southern colloquialisms in his big-screen performances, and this flick is no exception. The country crooner isn’t the only one dusting off those dated dialogue bombs, though. Hudson’s character is guilty of letting a few roll off her tongue as well. While some of these lines are just funny, old-fashioned slang, some of these How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days quotes are definitely offensive and majorly uncool. And although it’s not necessarily surprising that they appear in a film from the Y2K timeframe, it’s best to leave those movie lines in the past. Below, you’ll find 11 old school and outdated lines from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
1
“Tonight I’ll hook a guy. Tomorrow, pull the switch. Before the 10 days are up, I’m going to have this guy running for his life.”
Paramount Pictures
Andie Anderson dug deep into the archives when translating her plan to find her column’s next victim into words. Can we leave the whole dating as a game where you lure prey in the past? Likening romance to hunting or fishing is incredibly demeaning, TBH.
2
“All right, I’ll go. But I am not putting out.”
Jeannie threw it all the way back to the early ’90s and beyond with this very dated Dating 101 dialogue. The phrase “put out” is something that everyone (hopefully) has stopped using, as it’s super offensive. As a healthy reminder, no one should ever feel like they have to owe anyone anything if they go on a date together, nor should they have to preface a date with that.
3
“There’s that blond babe in the leopard print. She looks like fun.”
The Judys were keen on trying to set Ben up for disaster when helping him to choose his potential “lucky girl,” but he wouldn’t take their fishy-smelling bait. The worst part about these lines is the context: Judy was implying that the women’s outfit was trashy, hence suggesting her as a joke romantic prospect for Ben. ICYMI, objectifying anyone about their clothes and styling isn’t cool.
4
“All is fair in love and war?”
This quote is a total tradition for Hollywood romances, and it finds its rightful place in this 2003 film too, à la the mouth of Andie Anderson. There’s nothing particularly bad about this phrase, it’s simply ultra cliche — especially in a 2000s romcom.
5
“A diamond is no one-night stand. A diamond is a long-term commitment.”
Bringing Andie back to his place for a nightcap, Ben felt he had to channel his inner gentlemen/diamond salesman if he wanted to keep Andie interested in him. And paired with the mixings of Nelly’s 2002 hit “Hot in Here,” this line is all too fitting for its early 2000s era. A peak Y2K cringe moment.
6
“Point is, she’s already on the ropes, guys.”
Paramount Pictures
After their first date, Ben was sure that Andie was falling for him, and he used this dated analogy to gloat to his colleagues about it. Again, the view that dating is a game with one winner is so old school and problematic. By saying she’s “on the ropes” (a phrase that comes from boxing, i.e. your opponent is up against the ring’s perimeter and losing), Ben was essentially saying Andie was close to admitting defeat and would be in love with him at any moment.
7
“If you don’t shut up, my boyfriend’s going to come over there and pummel your ass.”
Andie wanted Ben to prove his admiration for her, and boy, was he in for a treat. The line sounds like it comes straight from a cheesy ‘80s or early ’90s flick, and it resulted in Ben getting punched in the face by a stranger. Take a hint from this outcome and leave these kinds of lines in previous decades.
8
“Put a muzzle on your ol’ lady the next time you bring her out in public.”
Andie was a piece of work, and her antics at the movie theater led a pretty angry, buff man to spew this ancient insult to the happy couple. Referring to any woman as an “ol’ lady” to their partner is such an offensive and outdated thing to say. And although obviously rude, it’s possible that Ben wished he could throw a muzzle over Andie’s mouth more than once throughout their courtship, too.
9
“You want to talk about shooting a man’s horse?”
Andie pulled out all of the stops to get Ben to cut her loose. One of the worst moments by far was when she nicknamed his, er, manhood “Princess Sophia.” McConaughey must have felt some kind of connection to his character in that moment, because this age-old, Southern-sounding line about shooting down a man’s ego felt all too real for him here.
10
“Get on over there, big man. He’s as slick as a whistle.”
Ben may not have had any children of his own, but that didn’t stop him from wearing the “best uncle ever” title like a badge of honor. When meeting his family for the first time on their eighth day of dating, Andie got to see for herself just how involved he was with his loved ones. Again, McConaughey must’ve been channeling his ol’ Southern roots during this scene, because the actor let one of the most country phrases of all times roll off his lips.
11
“But at the end of the day, the chicks dig it.”
With or without his motorcycle, Ben was definitely the suavest of them all. Andie thought Ben was corny for dropping this line about his bike, and everyone these days would totally agree. Plus, the word “chicks”? Glad we left that one behind, too.
Especially as Y2K trends are all the rage once again, it can be fun to have some early ’00s nostalgia by rewatching movies from that era, including How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Nonetheless, it can be shocking to see just how outdated many of them are — plot, script, styling, you name it. Of course, you can cringe at all of the dated things while also enjoying the parts of ‘00s movies and shows that are still fun and enjoyable to watch.
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