They have a reputation for having the most fun, but blondes are more likely to have their romantic hopes crushed after a first date, a survey has found.

While a third of first dates in Britain end in "disaster", flaxen-haired hopefuls are a quarter more likely to have their dreams of true loved nipped in the bud than their brunette or red-headed counterparts.

Blondes are apparently¹ the most likely of anyone to have attempted to seduce² a first date with reminiscences about an ex, seen their judgement impaired³ by drinking too much, bed their date at the end of the night, and even forget the name of their would-be paramour.

A total of 1,300 people were surveyed by internet dating firm Parship.co.uk in an attempt to discover why so many first dates ended with both parties vowing⁴ never to cross paths again.

Of the 18 million first dates "enjoyed" by Britons every year, as many as 6 million never progress to a second date.

Penny Conway, from the online dating firm, said: "Although it's unlikely a person will behave differently simply because of their hair colour, they may act out of character if they are being treated badly, or according to a stereotype⁵.

"In films blondes are often assumed as being clueless or as having more fun. How we are treated by other people can influence how we behave, so this may explain why blondes are more likely to behave badly compared to brunettes or red heads, or go home with their dates on the first night."

The company found that misguided ideas of alluring⁶ behaviour - including turning up late, running away from a partner, getting drunk, and telling their potential partner choice tales about their ex and previous sexual conquests - was responsible for dampening any first flames of passion.

And, according to the survey, most of the eight million people looking for love will never hear from their date again.

Nearly half (48 per cent) of women questioned admitted to turning up late to a first date, with 10 per cent of them keeping their man waiting for over half an hour.

Some 12 per cent of women said they had taken advantage of a date's momentary⁷ absence at the loo to flee the scene, and 5 per cent of men and women confessed to arriving at a bar or restaurant, being horrified⁸ by what greeted them, and heading for the door.

A total of 28 per cent said they had tried to seduce their date with stories about their ex and previous sexual conquests, 14 per cent admitted getting too drunk to stay in control of themselves, and 6 per cent confessed that they had decided⁹ to bring along their mother or pet to meet their potential partner.

And 30 per cent of men and 20 per cent of women admitted to going home with their date, with one in four men (26 per cent) and one in five women (20 per cent) saying they had later bedded them.

金发女郎以最有情趣而著称，但一项最新研究表明，她们的浪漫梦想却最可能在初次约会后顷刻覆灭。

在英国，有1/3的初次约会以“灾难”告终，但与深褐色或红色头发的女性相比，金发女郎寻求真爱的梦想夭折的几率还要大1/4。

金发女郎很显然最有可能试图用旧情事勾引初次约会对象的人，因为饮酒过量、约会夜与对方发生性关系，甚至忘掉约会对象的姓名，她们给人留下的印象大打折扣。

由网络约会公司Parship.co.uk开展的这项研究共对1300人进行了调查，旨在找到很多人在初次约会后就发誓再也不想见到对方的原因。

在英国人每年很“享受”的1800万个初次约会中，有600万个没有下文。

该网络约会公司的彭妮•康威说：“尽管一个人不太可能仅仅因为发色就举止反常，但如果别人对他们不客气，或者抱有成见，他们有可能行为不当。

“电影里的金发女郎往往看起来都很笨，或者贪玩。别人对待我们的态度会影响我们的行为，这可以解释为什么与深褐色或红色头发的女性相比，金发女郎更容易表现差劲，或者更容易在约会初夜就跟对方回家。”

公司研究发现，对诱惑行为的误解是造成最初的激情之火熄灭的主要原因，包括迟到、抛弃伴侣、醉酒、以及对将有可能成为伴侣的人提旧情事。

调查还显示，寻找伴侣的800万人中的大多数都再也没有约会对象的消息。

近半数（48%）的受访女性承认自己初次约会时迟到，其中有10%的人让对方等了超过半小时。

约12%的女性称，她们曾躲在卫生间里，以暂时离开约会现场，另有5%的男性和女性坦承刚到酒吧或者饭店门口，就被约会对象吓住了，随即转身离开。

共有28%的受访者称，他们曾试图用旧情事来勾引约会对象，14%的人承认约会时饮酒过量，无法自控，另有6%的人坦承曾决定带母亲或者宠物共赴约会。

30%的男性和20%的女性承认会与约会对象回家，1/4（26%）的男性和1/5（20%）的女性称之后与约会对象有过性关系。

 Vocabulary:

nip in the bud：扼杀于萌芽状态

paramour：情人

cross paths/cross one's path：to meet especially by chance（偶遇）

out of character：不适合，和……不相称