How to · · 5 min read
The Muted Words List for Reply Guys
A categorized list of words, phrases, and emoji to mute on X to filter out generic compliments, unsolicited advice, and late-night messages.
The blog.
Notes on reply guys, bad lines, and men doing too much.
History · · 4 min read
Lonely Hearts Before Apps: The Matrimonial Ads of the 1800s
Nineteenth-century matrimonial ads squeezed age, income and romantic ambition into a few newspaper lines. Some men had a lot to disclose.
Teardowns · · 4 min read
Hey Beautiful: A Line Teardown
Why 'hey beautiful' under an unrelated post sounds less like a compliment than a man admitting he skipped the actual post.
Field guide · · 3 min read
Field Guide: Premature Escalation
A field guide to the reply guy who treats an innocent post about soup as an immediate, binding invitation to romantic intimacy.
History · · 4 min read
Victorian Escort Cards: The 19th-Century DM Slide
Nineteenth-century American flirtation cards printed the opener in advance. One even told the recipient how to accept or reject the walk home.
How to · · 5 min read
How to Respond to a Reply Guy
A practical guide to handling unsolicited replies on X, from the quiet dignity of ignoring to one-liners, soft mutes, and the block button.
Essays · · 6 min read
A Short History of the Pickup Line
A look at how men have deployed rehearsed romantic openers across two millennia, from Roman graffiti and Ovid to telegraph wires and the comment section.
How to · · 6 min read
How to Hide Replies on X
How to hide replies on your X posts, what happens to hidden replies, who can still view them, and when hiding makes sense.
How to · · 7 min read
How to Stop Reply Guys on X
A practical guide to stopping reply guys on X using reply controls, hidden replies, soft blocks, and muted word filters before they reach your mentions.
Teardowns · · 4 min read
Need a Taste Tester?: A Line Teardown
A plate of pasta becomes an imaginary job opening when a stranger replies 'need a taste tester?' under her food post, then waits for a fork.
History · · 4 min read
Ovid Wrote the First Reply-Guy Manual
Ovid's Ars Amatoria sent Roman men to the theatre and races with a plan. The lines sound familiar; the advice deserves a hard look.
History · · 4 min read
Pompeii Graffiti Proves the Reply Guy Is 2,000 Years Old
Pompeii's surviving love graffiti include a public comment on a woman's feelings and a reply between rivals. The wall had no mute button.
Essays · · 5 min read
The Case for Leaving Her Pasta Alone
A modest proposal for letting women post a photo of dinner without offering to taste it, critique the sauce, or turn rigatoni into an awkward audition.
Field guide · · 5 min read
The Reply Guy Field Guide
A taxonomic overview of the most common reply-guy species found under women's posts, their typical calls, habitats, and how to spot them.
How to · · 5 min read
The Reply Guy Glossary, A to Z
A reference guide defining modern reply-guy terminology, stock phrases, behavioral archetypes, and unsolicited escalations from A to Z.
How to · · 5 min read
What Is a Reply Guy?
A clear guide to what defines a reply guy, how the term emerged online, common examples of the behaviour, and how to tell awkwardness from harassment.