We’re all familiar with the brilliantly hilarious Buddy the Elf. He spreads smiles across millions of faces every single Christmas season, or even all year, for die-hard Buddy lovers. Buddy teaches us so many life lessons throughout his story, like how important it is to be yourself and why it’s acceptable to eat gum off of railings in NYC. However, no one ever pays attention to how Buddy has nailed the art of dating.

These six quotes contain crucial dating advice that, according to Buddy, can help you score anyone on this side of the North Pole.

1. “It’s nice to meet another human that shares my affinity for elf culture.”

You like this person and asked them out on a date for a reason. You saw them or heard about them and thought “Well, hey, they seem pretty cool.” You know exactly why you thought they were pretty cool, and they deserve to know! Don’t dance around the facts and hide the truth from them. Dance with them and tell them straight up that you like them because they share your affinity for elf culture and can sing really well in the shower.

2. “I think you’re really beautiful and I feel really warm when I’m around you and my tongue swells up.”

We’ve all had those first dates where we feel like a giant flock of butterflies has been released inside of us, but we’ve never really nailed down exactly what the sensation is like. Luckily, we have Buddy to explain to us that when you really like someone, it’s completely normal for your tongue to swell up, and not to worry, it’s not an allergic reaction to your syrupy spaghetti.

3. “So… do you want to eat food?”

But really, do any of us actually know how to ask someone out on a first date properly? We spend so much time asking our friends and laying in bed thinking about exactly how to that we waste precious dating time! Buddy teaches us that we just need to be blunt and upfront about it. If you want to get food, ask to get food. Boom. You have a date, hopefully. Or maybe you just end up eating a mall pretzel together. Same thing.

4. “I thought maybe we could make gingerbread houses, and eat cookie dough, and go ice skating, and maybe even hold hands!”

Buddy teaches us that having good old-fashioned fun makes for the best dates. If you’re stuck on what to do, just turn on his movie and he will gladly give you over an hour of advice. He reminds us that no matter what you do, if you do it with someone that you care about, it will be a day worth remembering. Even if you’re forced to try a crappy cup of coffee that is supposed to be the world’s best.

5. “Oh, I forgot to give you hug.”

No one wants to leave a date that went well without a hug. Hugs make people feel warm and fuzzy and especially wanted. If you want to see this person again, give them a nice big hug, and if you forget to, tell them you forgot as you run towards them and tackle them to the ground for a bear hug. Buddy teaches us that honesty is key and everything can be fixed with warm affection, even when you accidentally miss a kiss.

6. “I love you, I love you, I LOOOVEE YOUUU!!!!!”

So maybe that first date that made your tongue swell up led to more dates full of gingerbread house making, cookie dough eating, ice skating, and hand holding. Maybe those dates made you realize that you maybe more than like this person. If you feel it, you should say it. Or, as Buddy would do, scream it to the world. Love is a beautiful thing, and you need to scream it out loud to that person as much as you possibly can. Just don’t do it right in their ear. That could be a deal breaker.