You probably wouldn’t go up to a stranger in a nightclub, tap them on the shoulder and say “hey, mind if I borrow your toothbrush?” because that would be objectively weird and disgusting. So, how come when we fancy someone we’re more than happy to lick the insides of their mouth - AKA kissing with tongues - even though the idea is sickening when you describe it literally. It all comes down to our lingering evolutionary urge to sniff out a genetically compatible mate, although nowadays a person's genetics isn't the only thing that draws us to them (otherwise Tinder and hook-ups wouldn't exist). Still, people love a good snog in almost every culture in the world, and those which don't get up close by sniffing or smelling instead, explains Dr Sarah Johns, an expert in human reproduction and evolutionary psychology at the University of Kent. “Kissing - like touching and smelling - is an emotion-driven act that allows us to … [Read more...] about This is why you enjoy kissing with tongues even though it’s actually pretty gross
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This bride surprised her grandma by wearing her 55-year-old wedding gown
When bride-to-be Jordyn Cleverly was deciding on her “something borrowed” to wear on her wedding day, she seized the chance to surprise her widowed grandmother. So, she chose to secretly sport the gown her grandmother Penny Jensen wore to marry her high school sweetheart in 1962. The 23-year-old bride from Boise, Idaho, married Dakota Cleverly - who she met aged 14 - in the elegant long-sleeved, lace gown her 74-year-old grandmother wore 55 years before. And photographer Kortney Peterson was there to capture the moment when Penny first saw her granddaughter in her dress. Jordyn didn’t tell her grandmother, whose husband passed away before she was born, that she was wearing the gown until the rehearsal dinner that night. show … [Read more...] about This bride surprised her grandma by wearing her 55-year-old wedding gown
Six love hacks to make your marriage better
After studying thousands of couples, psychologist Eli Finkel has an explanation for the decline in people’s satisfaction with their marriages over the past four decades: it’s a matter of emotional supply and demand. Many people are looking to their partners to replace the companionship and emotional support once provided by extended families and local institutions like churches, bowling leagues, bridge groups, fraternal lodges and garden clubs. Meanwhile, though, many couples are so busy with their jobs and parenting that they’re actually spending less time together by themselves. What to do? Unless you’re willing to reduce your demands, the only solution is to increase the supply. You can devote a lot more effort to satisfying your partner, and Finkel tells you how to do that in his new book, The All-or-Nothing Marriage. But if that sounds like too much work, he also offers a few shortcuts that he calls “love hacks.” If your schedule … [Read more...] about Six love hacks to make your marriage better
Shout singer Lulu on Strictly and love life: Dating isn’t priority for me
It’s more than half a century since an unknown Scottish teenager rocked the pop world, shooting straight into the Top 10 with a song called Shout. Lulu – who was born Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie – was just 14 when she recorded the cover of the Isley Brothers’ track but by the time it reached number seven in the charts she was 15 and living in London. It was 1964.Tonight she will perform the first date of her biggest-ever tour playing no fewer than 43 towns and cities around the UK with sets packed with hits and interspersed with stories of her life. Over the next two months she’ll take her All About The Music show round the country and says she wants to sing “until the lights go out” – despite the fact her 70th birthday is only 14 months away the word retirement is not in her vocabulary.Another “R” word overshadowed by her love of singing is romance. Twice married, first to Bee Gee Maurice Gibb in 1969 and then to … [Read more...] about Shout singer Lulu on Strictly and love life: Dating isn’t priority for me
Women who claim that they’re ‘too clever’ to find a man are blasted as ‘smug’
TWO single women who claim that they are “too clever” to find a partner have been slammed as “smug” and “snobby” by viewers watching today’s This Morning. Natasha Hooper, 22, and Angela Gould, 41, appeared on the sofa alongside Holly and Phil to talk about their dating experiences, and insisted that the men they date are usually unable to match their intelligence. However, viewers were left irked by the pair’s claims that their own achievements “intimidated” men. One viewer wrote: “I think the only thing these women suffer from is pure snobbery”. Another fumed: “’Ooh I'm too intelligent for love’ smirks the most smug woman ever seen… wind your neck in love and broaden your horizons.” One person raged: “Maybe the women aren't dating because they have no personality and are stuck up!” Natasha, an undergraduate student in her final year at Goldsmiths, University of London, … [Read more...] about Women who claim that they’re ‘too clever’ to find a man are blasted as ‘smug’
Young love in old age: Denis and Doris ‘just clicked’ at 90 and 92 years old
That fact that Denis, now 90, and his wife-to-be Doris, 92, were no spring chickens did not put him off.He recalled: “She replied, ‘I love dancing’, so I said, ‘Let’s go!’ And that was that. Four months later we were married.”Denis and Doris, who are about to celebrate their first wedding anniversary, say they are so blissfully happy, “everyday is a honeymoon”.Widower Denis said of widow Doris: “I knew she was my young lady as soon as we danced. I was so sure of it.”Doris added: “When you know, you just know. It doesn’t matter how old you are.”The couple, who live in Leeds, knew each other a little from attending the same church but it took their dance to ignite the spark. I knew she was my young lady as soon as we danced Denis Rider Denis said: “We went on a church trip to Llandudno. I was in the … [Read more...] about Young love in old age: Denis and Doris ‘just clicked’ at 90 and 92 years old
Three secrets to making your relationship last
Finding love is no easy task, but helping other people meet that special someone can be even harder. Today's “modern matchmakers” have a lot to consider when setting people up in the hope of sparking connections that last. There are, however, a few tricks of the trade. INSIDER asked professional matchmakers what they think the secrets to lasting, fulfilling relationships are. Here's what they had to say. “Chemistry is the cement that keeps it together.” “Life is a lot of ups and downs and in betweens,” said matchmaker Chana Rose. “Chemistry is the cement that keeps it together. It's not something you have to define, but it definitely has to be there ... The chemistry factor is crucial.” It's not just Rose's 30 years of experience in the field that back this up — science does, too. A study published in the Journal of Social Psychological and Personality Science found that when couples reported being “very intensely … [Read more...] about Three secrets to making your relationship last
11 signs that you’re falling in love, according to science
Knowing you're in love feels different for everyone. Some have been in love often and know the feeling well, and others may be not so sure if it's love or just a deep infatuation. Luckily, your body has some pretty sneaky ways of tipping you off to whether these feelings for your partner are more than just a passing phase. Keep an eye out for these tell-tale signs the next time you catch yourself wondering if you're actually in love. You can't stop staring at them. If your partner has ever caught you staring at them lovingly, it could be a sign that you're head over heels. Eye contact means that you're fixated on something, so if you find that your eyes are fixed on your partner, you may just be falling in love. Studies have also found that couples who lock eyes report feeling a stronger romantic connection than those who don't. It goes the other way too: when a study had strangers lock eyes for minutes at a time, they reported romantic feeling towards each … [Read more...] about 11 signs that you’re falling in love, according to science
These women are in temporary marriages for very important reasons
When hundreds of thousands of people across the world get divorced each year, it suggests that the ‘happily-ever-after’ idea of marriage isn’t quite working. So, why are we clinging onto this archaic union when it's broken? Could we salvage it by totally overhauled how we define it? As same-sex marriage is legalised in more and more countries - with Australia hoping to be next - canning the traditional format has thankfully already begun. Perhaps temporary marriages should be the next relationship taboo to be broken. Imagine the money we'd save on divorce lawyers if being married for two months, or a year, or half a decade, to see if we can endure our partner’s bathroom habits, lax use of the washing basket and aversion to taking the bin out was acceptable? And at a time when dating has transformed thanks to apps, temporary marriages would help us show our commitment to another while flagging that that “til … [Read more...] about These women are in temporary marriages for very important reasons
This study claims women fancy short men most but we’re not convinced
Forget tall, dark and handsome - a major dating site says the ideal man is short, dark and pudgy, but we're not convinced. According to a new study by Match.com - which analysed the profiles of millions of members - women generally fancy short men. This goes against everything anyone has ever said ever about what most women find attractive. Various studies over the years have confirmed that women prefer tall men, so Match's findings have left us scratching our heads, to say the least. A 2016 study, for example, concluded that height is the factor women care about most in a man. And a quick swipe through any dating app would confirm this. “Some may think that men are the shallower of the sexes, but the number of dating profiles I've seen with rigid height requirements from women torpedoes that assumption,” one single man, Lee Johnson, 32, told The Independent. “I get that dating a guy who's a little shorter than you may mean that you … [Read more...] about This study claims women fancy short men most but we’re not convinced
