Consider one of the more endearing lines. "Do you have a quarter?" "Why?" "My mother told me to call her when I met the woman of my dreams." This one deserves at least a giggle, perhaps even a "nice try, but...". Oh, well.
"On August 17th, 1556, Nostradamus predicted that we would meet at this very time and place. How does it feel to fulfill a prophecy?" Too contrived. Gets a shrug, at best.
"Do you believe in love at first sight... or should I walk
past you again?" Snickers of disbelief.
If using a pickup line is vastly overrated for the self-confident,
socially adept male, it is virtually useless for the shy guy. "Foxy lady, I've been too busy drooling over you
to remember that I'm normally tongue tied in the presence of beautiful
women. Allow me to force my presence upon you so I won't be overwhelmed
by the loneliness and despair that afflict me." This is the pickup
line reduced to its bare essentials, touching in its honesty and depth
of feeling, sure to rate at least a "superior" on the derision scale,
and even so, more amusing than 90% of the lines in common usage.
Anxiety and fear strangle the magic flow of words, the give-and-take between two persons newly discovering each other. All the same, better to risk nervous silence than to subvert and contaminate the dance by practiced glibness, by carefully rehearsed phrases designed to manipulate and seduce. Most intelligent women prefer the company of a sweating, stuttering real person to that of a sleazeball.
"Madam, I'm Adam." Thus did the first man purportedly introduce himself to his intended. Eve, no doubt enchanted that this line was a palindrome in the not yet invented English language, could not have helped being impressed by its cleverness. The rest, as they say, is history. Even if not endowed with a name that so lends itself to wordplay, you may nevertheless employ some variation of the plain-and-simple introduction. "Hi ho, I'm Joe" gets more points than "We were lovers in a past life". You might even live a little dangerously and try "You are a strikingly beautiful woman, and I would like to get to know you." Spontaneity outclasses clichés and honesty beats phoniness every time.
Being resourceful and quick on your feet is essential, and a ready sense
of humor guides you past the rough spots. Most of all, the heady feeling
of just being able to talk to women, at ease and enjoying yourself,
will build your self-confidence and people skills to the point that you
become a sought after conversation partner.