--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She had never been a proficient flirt…" description: "\"She had never been a proficient flirt. Her spasms of kittenish behaviour were graceless and inept, like normal conversation on roller skates. but the c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c09/david-nicholls-873_behaviour_she-had-never-been-a-proficient-flirt-he_1364192.jpg" --- # She had never been a proficient flirt. Her spasms of… ![“She had never been a proficient flirt. Her spasms of kittenish behaviour were graceless and inept, like normal conversation on roller skates. but the combination of the retsina and sun made Emma feel sentimental and light-headed. She reached for her roller skates.” quote by David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c09/david-nicholls-873_behaviour_she-had-never-been-a-proficient-flirt-he_1364192.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c09/david-nicholls-873_behaviour_she-had-never-been-a-proficient-flirt-he_1364192.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c09/david-nicholls-873_behaviour_she-had-never-been-a-proficient-flirt-he_1364192.jpg) > “She had never been a proficient flirt. Her spasms of kittenish behaviour were graceless and inept, like normal conversation on roller skates. but the combination of the retsina and sun made Emma feel sentimental and light-headed. She reached for her roller skates.” [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character feels awkward and clumsy in flirtation, yet a simple setting like sunlit wine can lift spirits and inspire spontaneous joy. **In simple terms:** Awkwardness can be eased by pleasant surroundings. Key Takeaway Embrace simple joys to ease social discomfort. Themes awkwardness flirtation environment joy Mood hopeful lighthearted Type advice observational When to use this quote - first dates - social gatherings - sunny outings Key Concepts social anxiety sensory influence emotional uplift Questions to Reflect On - What small changes can improve social confidence? - How does environment shape emotional state? A Different Perspective Even with a pleasant setting, underlying social skill gaps remain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behaviour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behaviour/) [Behaviour Graceless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behaviour-graceless-4678925/) [Combination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/combination/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Emma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emma/) [Emma Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emma-feel-3458559/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Flirt Spasms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flirt-spasms-4678924/) [Flirting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flirting/) [Graceless Inept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graceless-inept-4678927/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal/) [Proficient Flirt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proficient-flirt-4678926/) [Sentimental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentimental/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) ## Related quotes > [“Emma must feel Jake stiffen because she pulls back. He can't see her eyes in the dark and wonders if she is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-fahy/emma-must-feel-jake-stiffen-because-she-pulls-back-he-can-t-see-her/) [Thomas Fahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-fahy/) > […and Emma felt another small portion of her soul fall away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/and-emma-felt-another-small-portion-of-her-soul-fall-away/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Emma was a shocking driver, simultaneously sloppy and petrified, and for the first fifty miles had been absent-mindedly driving with her spectacles on top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/emma-was-a-shocking-driver-simultaneously-sloppy-and-petrified-and/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [He could feel her laughter against his chest, and at that moment he thought that there was no better feeling than making Emma Morley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/he-could-feel-her-laughter-against-his-chest-and-at-that-moment-he/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [A moment passed, perhaps half a second when their faces said what they felt, and then Emma was smiling, laughing, her arms around his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/a-moment-passed-perhaps-half-a-second-when-their-faces-said-what-they/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [...Emma Morley wasn't such a paragon either: pretentious, petulant, lazy, speechifying, judgmental. Self-pitying, self righteous, self-important, all the selfs except self-confident, the quality that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/emma-morley-wasn-t-such-a-paragon-either-pretentious-petulant-lazy/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [As the possibility of a relationship had faded, Emma had endeavored to harden herself to Dexter's indifference and these days a remark like this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/as-the-possibility-of-a-relationship-had-faded-emma-had-endeavored-to/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Do you miss her?' 'Who? Emma? Of course. Every day. She was my best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/do-you-miss-her-who-emma-of-course-every-day-she-was-my-best-friend/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“Whenever you are transplanted, like me, you will understand how very delightful it is to meet with anything at all like what one has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/whenever-you-are-transplanted-like-me-you-will-understand-how-very/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [“Yours if you want it." - Julian to Emma.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-duran/yours-if-you-want-it-julian-to-emma/) [Meredith Duran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-duran/) > [Gustave Flaubert said, "Emma Bovary, c'est moi." It is not possible to write something you are not, but to have a new form, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lore-segal/gustave-flaubert-said-emma-bovary-c-est-moi-it-is-not-possible-to/) [Lore Segal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lore-segal/) > [“But one thing I do know, you don't screw with crazy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandy-nacole/but-one-thing-i-do-know-you-don-t-screw-with-crazy/) [Brandy Nacole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandy-nacole/) > [I really want to work with Emma Stone; she is adorable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-fuhrman/i-really-want-to-work-with-emma-stone-she-is-adorable/) [Isabelle Fuhrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-fuhrman/) > [For a moment he could have sworn he smelled violets, which was very peculiar, since he had no idea what violets smelled like, except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/for-a-moment-he-could-have-sworn-he-smelled-violets-which-was-very/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [And you can't complain about kissing Emma Watson. Isn't that what everyone in the world wants to do? I've known Emma for a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-redmayne/and-you-can-t-complain-about-kissing-emma-watson-isn-t-that-what/) [Eddie Redmayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-redmayne/) ## More by David Nicholls > [These days grief seems like walking on a frozen river; most of the time he feels safe enough, but there is always that danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/these-days-grief-seems-like-walking-on-a-frozen-river-most-of-the/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“Good God, 'the elusive thing'. She had reached a turning point. 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And dangerous. One day it'll be a cyanide capsule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/you-ve-got-to-stop-letting-women-slip-drugs-into-your-mouth-dex-it-s/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“He presses two fingers against each eye and attempts to account for this crippling melancholy, but is having trouble with rational thought. It feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/he-presses-two-fingers-against-each-eye-and-attempts-to-account-for/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“Live each day as if it's our last', that was the conventional advice, but really who had the energy for that? What if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/live-each-day-as-if-it-s-our-last-that-was-the-conventional-advice/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [She was reaching the limits of how much its possible to change a man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/she-was-reaching-the-limits-of-how-much-its-possible-to-change-a-man/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“How would she fill the days? She had no idea. The trick of it, she told herself, is to be courageous and bold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/how-would-she-fill-the-days-she-had-no-idea-the-trick-of-it-she-told/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“What if it rained or you felt a bit glandy? It just wasn't practical. Better by far to simply try and be good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/what-if-it-rained-or-you-felt-a-bit-glandy-it-just-wasn-t-practical/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Sometimes, when it is going badly, she wonders if what she believes to be a love of the written word is really just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/sometimes-when-it-is-going-badly-she-wonders-if-what-she-believes-to/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [The city had defeated her, just like they said it would. Like some overcrowded party, no one had noticed her arrival, and would notice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/the-city-had-defeated-her-just-like-they-said-it-would-like-some/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Better by far to be good and courageous and bold and to make difference. Not change the world exactly, but the bit around you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/better-by-far-to-be-good-and-courageous-and-bold-and-to-make/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [A screenplay is really an instruction manual, and it can be interpreted in any number of ways. The casting, the choice of location, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/a-screenplay-is-really-an-instruction-manual-and-it-can-be/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Most of the books and films I love walk a knife edge between romance and cynicism, and I wanted 'One Day' to stay on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/most-of-the-books-and-films-i-love-walk-a-knife-edge-between-romance/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) [Explore all 332 David Nicholls quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) ## More Behaviour quotes > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“Do you keep pace with those around you, or do you decide yourself just how you will live your life? The truth is...only you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/do-you-keep-pace-with-those-around-you-or-do-you-decide-yourself-just/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [I don't see much future for the Americans ... it's a decayed country. And they have their racial problem, and the problem of social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-don-t-see-much-future-for-the-americans-it-s-a-decayed-country-and/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [“To live without any regret is to act right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/to-live-without-any-regret-is-to-act-right/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [High testosterone levels have been proven to make men more likely to commit crimes. The tendency in men toward risky behaviour keeps turning up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/high-testosterone-levels-have-been-proven-to-make-men-more-likely-to/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [No one likes to admit they are racist or bear prejudices. Nor do they even like to be open and honest when they witness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/no-one-likes-to-admit-they-are-racist-or-bear-prejudices-nor-do-they/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [I think it's a very central tenet to it yes, it is. I can't bear it, I can't bear inequality, I can't bear bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-suzman/i-think-it-s-a-very-central-tenet-to-it-yes-it-is-i-can-t-bear-it-i/) [Janet Suzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-suzman/) > [Look, I was only given a year or two to come up with tunes for this record, and when all but eight of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-gorrie/look-i-was-only-given-a-year-or-two-to-come-up-with-tunes-for-this/) [Alan Gorrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-gorrie/) > [Behaviour is a mirror in which everyone shows his image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinesh/behaviour-is-a-mirror-in-which-everyone-shows-his-image/) [Vinesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinesh/) > [There's a wow factor associated with my name. 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Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) > [“There's no difference between a madman and a professor...it should be clear to you in the way they dress, act and think.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/there-s-no-difference-between-a-madman-and-a-professor-it-should-be/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Modern man, seeking a middle position in the evaluation of sense impression and thought, can, following Plato , interpret the process of understanding nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-pauli/modern-man-seeking-a-middle-position-in-the-evaluation-of-sense/) [Wolfgang Pauli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-pauli/) > [“I think this is one bad side of a mirror; it helps us to see the reflection of the effects of our own actions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/i-think-this-is-one-bad-side-of-a-mirror-it-helps-us-to-see-the/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [A lot of celebrities just want money, fame, power, fancy cars, houses all over the world and have people BOW DOWN to them. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/a-lot-of-celebrities-just-want-money-fame-power-fancy-cars-houses-all/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) [Browse all 696 Behaviour quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behaviour/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "She had never been a proficient flirt. Her spasms of kittenish behaviour were graceless and inept, like normal conversation on roller skates. but the combination of the retsina and sun made Emma feel sentimental and light-headed. 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