Don't know if this qualifies as a courtship ritual or not, but the most original chat-up line I ever had, at a party, was when a very nice-looking fella came up to me and said, "Hi. I've got frogs on my underpants."

I said, "Go on, then, show me." So he pulled up a teeny corner of underpant above the waistband of his jeans, and sure enough: large psychedelic-green frogs.

Not to be outdone I countered, "Well, I have frogs on mine too, with little deadly-nightshades and hearts" (which as it happens, I did). When challenged to prove it, I happily obliged (fortunately I was wearing jeans too so I could display a sample in a similar manner without undue immodesty).

What happened next? Well, apart from some enjoyable conversation, not very much. He was there with a girl and I with another guy. Pity. Two pairs of frogs-on-underpants, a match made in heaven.