9. Stay away from flatulence inducing foods. If you know that beans make you gassy, don't order that bean dip you've got your eye on. Of course your date knows that everyone breaks wind, cuts the cheese and lets one go every now and then, but the first date isn't the time to let nature run its course. The last thing you want is for your date to be distracted by the smell of fart, or you jumping up to go to the restroom every twenty minutes. After you two have gotten to know one another better, eat beans to your heart's content... they're good for you.

8.Don't try to "eat cute."If you order finger foods while eating out on your date, eat it with your fingers. If you order a salad, don't spend fifteen minutes trying to cut each vegetable perfectly. Eat as if you were at home, in front of your big screen television, watching your favorite movie. No one really likes to tuck their napkins in their neckline, no matter how fancy the restaurant. So dare to eat like a regular person. If your date isn't a pretentious snob, they'll appreciate you more for it.

7. Do not talk about your ex. Talk of past relationships is usually a common conversation piece during a first date. Your date is trying to see what type of people you're attracted to, and if you or your ex caused the demise of your last relationship. Unfortunately, most people don't know what to leave out of the conversation. Your date doesn't care about the personal characteristics of your ex. If they ask you about them, they're really just trying to learn more about you. So rather than having an emotional breakdown, because you start to recall how much of a devil, or saint, your ex was, find a way to turn the conversation back to you, or to your date.

6. Don't talk about yourself for the entire date. Hopefully your date wants to know virtuallyeverything about you. However, they also want you to know about them. Most people love talking about themselves. It's an easy subject that most of us do well. But, don't dominate the conversation by making yourself the main topic. Give them information in bits and pieces so they'll be intrigued enough to want more. Remember, tête-à-tête. Conversations should be give and take.

5.Avoid answering your phone. Anyone who's worth talking to would already know you're out on a date. Your best friend, your parents and siblings are sitting at home waiting for you to call them and let them know how everything went. Everyone else is unimportant at the moment; so if they call, hit the "Ignore" button and let the call go straight to voicemail. If you must take the call, excuse yourself, go to the restroom or lobby, and make it quick.

4. Avoid letting your skeletons roam outside of the closet. So, your father's been locked up for armed robbery and your mother's been committed. Substance abuse runs in your family and your uncle Chester was a known pedophile. Your first date doesn't need to know all of that yet. Contrary to popular belief, apples can very well fall far from the tree. Allow your date to take the time to get to know you before you scare them away with your drama. Telling them about how rotten your family tree is may create a bias and fog their ability to get to know you. Hopefully, they'll be stunned to find how much you differ once you two get to that point where all information is fair game.

3. Don't let crazy out of the box. Your date may be a hot head, and if you're a feisty soul as well, you two may make a fiery couple. But for the sake of making your first date a pleasurable experience, don't curse out the waitress because there's an "unknown particle" in your beverage, or throw popcorn at the back of the bigheaded six-footer who decided to sit directly in front of you in the movie theatre. You don't have to hide who you are you to play nice, and if you do, you should be seeking a therapist, not a mate.

2. Avoid confrontation. This may seem obvious, but several people enjoy playing Devil's advocate for the sake of having a healthy debate. If your date tries to rope you into a disagreement, don't get frazzled. Present your counter-argument calmly, agree to disagree and leave well enough alone.

1. Don't be late. This is generally a common sense rule. But surprisingly, there are many singles out there with absolutely no concept of time. While some people may be unaffected by waiting a few extra minutes for a date to begin, some people are totally irked by late arrivals. There's practically a 0% chance that someone would be annoyed by promptness, and a 50% chance that your date will be put off if you're not on time. You don't have to be a whiz at statistics to gather that being on time could improve your date's first impression.