"Nice shoes, wanna shag?"This particular line has never been directly used on me, but I have plenty of friends who can vouch that people out there in the dating world will attempt to get you into bed with one drunken compliment. If you have ever been to a party, gone to a club or even watched those great sitcoms from the 1990s where characters like the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's Will Smith would say something like, "Girl you must be tired because you have been running through my mind all day!" then I dare say you have been unfortunate enough to have been subjected to the bad pick up line.

Flirting. We all do it, whether it is conscious or not. We make fun of it, and then secretly enjoy watching our friends as they do it themselves. What is flirting, anyway? The dictionary definition of flirting is "to make playfully romantic or sexual overtures."

There is so much more to flirting than just dropping bad hints about wanting to sleep with him or her. I was talking with a friend the other day, and I asked her what she thought about flirting. She replied that its lame, but she still does it anyway. When I asked her why, she replied, "Because you can't just make out with someone. You have to have something to say first."

The art of flirting does not come easily to all. It is a skill that requires practice. One cannot just walk into a bar, say, "Hi, my name is Milk, and I'll do your body good," and expect to get a phone number, let alone get laid. But that's all its really about, right? Getting someone's phone number or being asked for your own? This is the ultimate conquest-flirting with someone and ending the night knowing that there is a possibility you will see them again.

Here are some basic tips. The most important thing to remember about flirting is physical contact. Employing different kinds of contact gives you different perspectives on the person and is a great flirting technique. Physical contact always leaves the impression that you're interested. A brush of the arm, grabbing a cup at the same time, using his shoulder to get up or sit back down: anything to connect your bodies in a non-sexual sense to get an idea of whether there is electricity between you. But make sure you don't do it too much, or the other person will think you have some kind of problem.

Eye contact is also important. You can tell a lot about someone by checking out his eyes. Achieving eye contact gives the impression that there is interest. Then there is mental contact. Being able to talk to someone is very important, and how they talk lets you know if they're interested in your ideas and opinions.

OK, we have achieved contact. You caught his eyes at random intervals, your hand brushed his arm as you reached for the sugar, and you let him know you think snowboarding in T-shirts is sexy and you completely agree with him that Paris is the most beautiful city ever. You are now flirting. Congratulations.

But what now? The coffee is almost gone, you cant eat another croissant, but he still hasn't asked you for your number. Now is the time to make sure you prepare yourself for the possibility that it was truly a one-time thing. When in doubt, go for the goal yourself. The best way to show you are interested is to be bold and ask for the number yourself. Whether you are a guy, girl or transgendered, if you show you are interested by making the dive yourself, you will make one hell of an impression.

It's far from foolproof, but there you have it. When it comes to flirting, it can go either way. It's either a win-win or a lose-lose situation, at least in my mind. But if you made the effort, at least you can walk away feeling like you accomplished something. And hey, there are millions of other fish in the sea!