But it's not just to check out the merchandise. Internet matchmaking has thankfully revived the art of dating in the Big Apple. For those of you still in the dark about this classic North American courting ritual, dating is when two people who suspect they're attracted to each other have a meal together.

The aim is to impress the other person with your sparking wit, while simutaneously trying to decipher how much they will embarass you in front of your friends. Alcohol, though often present, is not the main focus of the event; here is where the US and UK courting rituals diverge.

For example, Black cab ride to the opera then cocktails at the Oxo Tower. A date. Snogging furiously in dark club then waking up naked in a strange bed in Putney. Not a date!

Still confused? Datingdirect.com, one of the largest dating sites, to the rescue. The website is launching a quarterly magazine to complement their ever-growing membership. Aimed at 30-something year old women who are looking for love (or, let's be honest, the chance to wear ivory satin Vera Wang), the magazine is sure to become the on-line generation's relationship bible.

Connect Magazine launching September 24

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