At Cosmo, we don't take our role as girl's best friend lightly. That's why we asked (read: arm-twisted, coaxed, guilt-tripped and bribed) 200 guys across the country (and some home-grown boys outside it) what they mean when they say a woman is 'hot'. We asked friends and family, ex-bosses and lovers, strangers and Facebook BFFs, the-guy-next-door, and celebrity hotshots.
The stale news is that it doesn't matter how many years it's been, there's a shocking number of guys we know and love that don't ask for much (otherwise known in the world of the crude as T&A). The good news? For every guy who stops thinking altogether when face-to-breast with a girl, there is one who needs a lot more to hold his attention. Some of the answers are painfully honest, some we don't understand (and you're free to send us your translations/interpretations), and some are just plain bizarre.
A fair number of responses carried heavy disclaimers and desperate requests for name-changes, and there were a shocking lot of inputs that came with relationship statuses and phone numbers that we don't know what to do with, so they're up for grabs! The results: a mixed bag, to be fair, so we've thrown in everything that was printable. We started out wanting to give you 200 responses, because 200 is just the kind of big, fat, round number that makes these kinds of surveys seem sound. But then we figured that if 115 things guys love (or would love) about you weren't enough, maybe you're just being difficult!
1. The first thing a guy sees is the way a girl looks. Heels, a good figure, well dressed? She'll turn heads! She shouldn't have too much attitude!
- Raghav Jain, 17, student, Chandigarh
2. Short hair, nice ass, the hint of a smile and, when she walks past, she should smell great!
- Brijesh Jacob, 32, copywriter, Mumbai
3. My girl has sexy hands that I love almost as much as I love seeing her swim.
- Karn Bhardwaj, 28, consultant, Delhi
4. A girl's navel is the sexiest part of her body.
- Rahul, 28, businessman, Delhi
5. Very simple, cleavage.
- Ankush G
6. Buttocks, legs (oh man!), clean feet, the way she smells, and occasional arrogance, all add up to make a hot girl!
- Vidyut Lokur, 28, travel sales, Delhi
7. When her eyes twinkle, I go nuts.
- Nandan Kini, 22, media entrepreneur, Mumbai
8. The hottest thing about my girl would have to be her lips and her curly hair.
- Parikshat Wadhwani, 21, PR account executive, Mumbai
9. Toned legs are to die for!
- Abhishek Singh, 22, Student, Delhi
TALK TO ME:
10. An effortless conversation with her would be hot.
- Arun Patnaik, 26, entrepreneur, Delhi
11. I like it when a girl speaks well, and plays with words. Especially so if no one but her guy gets the meaning of what she's saying.
- Bodhisatwa Dasgupta
12. A girl's ability to sweet-talk-the way she can turn a heated argument into a heated make-out session is absolutely hot.
- Rahul, 20, telecommunication professional, Delhi
13. It's really hot when a girl argues passionately on stuff she feels strongly about and gives you a new and perspective about everything.
- Raghav Bal, 29, IT Professional,Delhi
14. A girl who knows her alcohol is a real turn-on. And what she says ups her hotness quotient. A girl who looks like Bipasha, but talks rubbish is a turn-off.
- Anant Dayal, 25, manufacturing, Delhi
15. A girl who doesn't need your attention, but commands it by being smart is HOT!
- Craig D'Mello, 26, writer, Bangalore
THE FINE BALANCE:
16. Good looks, makes me laugh, and is at ease with my friends-a hottie!
- Fazal Kidwai, 26, filmmaker, Mumbai
17. Unpretentious girls are most attractive! Innocence and good skin are also right up there.
- Paritosh Ghoshal, 26, financial consultant, Mumbai
18. Physical form, a pretty face, intelligence, and the ability to love unconditionally!
- Kabir Singh, 30, audio design entrepreneur, Mumbai
19. Smart enough to lead her life, adventurous enough to share it with a man; who can make others laugh while able to laugh at herself!
- Rajiv Desai, 28, auditor, Brussels, Belgium
20. Attractive is ok, but she has to intellectually stimulate me to be 'hot'. And confident.
- Karan, 24, entrepreneur
21. A girl who relates to you mentally.
- Karan Rana, 25, copywriter, Delhi
22. Wit and humour is all it takes!
- Anand Krishna, 26, lensman, Bangalore
23. Ambition is hot.
- Gautam, 22, student, Delhi
24. Girls who can change a lightbulb or a flat tyre are hot. I can't bear the damsel-in-distress act.
- Dawa Norgay, 23, filmmaker, Sikkim
25. Scars are hot, on the face, or anywhere. They almost always have an interesting story.
- Carl Rodriguez, 27, musician, Goa
26. Brains!
- Udit Kulshrestha, 31, photographer, Delhi
27. Intelligent humour. A certain insouciance, and the fact that she knows she's hot. And she shou;ldn't be hideous! Not necessarily a goddess, but pretty works.
- Mohan Khanna, 25, media exec, Mumbai
28. How she bends to pick something off the ground. If she goes all squatty, urgh! If she bends over while standing on her toes and her butt inches out upwards... HOT!
- Aaron Rohan George, 23, journalist, Delhi
29. Expressive eye contact, which conveys what she's thinking...
- Ravinder Singh, 26, Delhi
30. For me it is the overall package that makes a woman hot. A pleasing smile, intelligence, fit body, sense of style and confidence.
- Newton Dias, 30, Film
31. A good, smart flirt. Letting on that she's hitting on you and trying to turn you on. Her confidence with her body is a turn-on too.
- Siddharth Rao, 25, lawyer, Bangalore
32. An independent girl who goes for what she wants. There's nothing worse than a woman who holds back from doing something due to her gender.
- Benjamin Heinkel, 25, consultant, London
33. A girl's 'hotness' comes from her femininity and how best she expresses it.
- Apoorva Prasad, 28, journalist, Paris
34. My girl argues fiercely with cops and goondas when I get in an accident. She successfully tames and dispatches them with skill and, when necessary, ferocity-seriously HOT.
- Afraid-His-Girlfriend-Will-Argue-Fiercely-With-Him-If-She-Sees-This, 26, journalist, New Delhi
35. Audrey Hepburn, Claire Forlani, Jessica Lucas. There's something amazing about how they look I can't quite put my finger on.
- Harsh Mehra, 25, researcher, Delhi
36. An attitude, an ability to take the lead sometimes, and a desire to initiate sex and be straight about things that please her.
- Stuart Forster, 37, writer-photographer, Sunderland (UK)
37. I'm an architect, I have high regard for great proportions-she could be tall or short, black or white, so long as she's proportionate. Throw in an awesome personality, and I'm hooked!
-Too-Shy-For-A-Name, 30, architect, Delhi
38. When you see someone and can't decide whether to undress her immediately or save it for later. That's when you know you've got something special.
- Dheeraj Sahay, 27, copywriter, Mumbai
39. She's got to have awesome feet!-Nolan Lewis, 30, musician, Bangalore
40. A girl who holds her own in a tough convo is superhot.
- Clario M, 26, financial analyst, NY
41. It's hot when a girl eats normally, as opposed to pigeon portions!
- Nishant Sood, 27, investment banker, Mumbai
42. Attitude! The knowledge she exudes also makes her very sexy. An intelligent girl is a challenge.
- Varun Rana, 26, journalist, Delhi
43. Hot? I'm more interested in what gets her bothered. What makes her try to change things? It's that sense of passion for a larger cause that drew me to the girl I married, and I suppose that's what makes a girl hot for me.
- Jayaprakash Satyamurthy, 32, writer, Bangalore
44. I love a girl who smells amazing all the time, and is assertive.
- Kirt Kohli, 20, student
45. The way she rides a bike can be super hot.
- Rishi Behl, 25, assistant manager, Music Today, Delhi
46. Seduction in the shower.
- Anuranjan Bhatia, 25, designer, Delhi
47. I love a girl who can keep me in line.
- Gavesh Malhan, 28, auditor, Delhi
48. Witty, confident, open-minded and respectful - I can't stand women who 2008have an attitude just for the heck of it.
- Bhrigu Bharadwaj, 26, banker
49. A girl who can hold my hand, take me on more-than-occasional binge eating sessions and end up eating more than I do-HOT!
- Pranav Ullal, 26, Molecular Biologist and (clearly) Closet Foodie, London
50. It's hot when a girl plays with her hair. The ability to take a joke, and the willingness to experiment in bed-it's hot to know that a girl is not afraid to try out different things.
- Arjya B. Majumdar, 26, law associate
51. I love a woman who smiles a lot and looks happy, someone who is confident and takes life as it comes.
- Sajan Nair, 28, advertising professional, Delhi
52. Any girl who is chilled out and fun to hang out with! attitude it is nothing. And a little skin show is sexier than a cleavage!
- Sidharth Lodha, 25, copywriter, Mumbai
53. A hot girl is intelligent and outgoing, yet feminine. There's a thin line between feminity and being 'one of the guys', and she shouldn't cross that.
- Jaideo Rathore, 26, businessman, Delhi
54. Innocence makes a girl super hot! It's always a combo of looks and personality, where personality plays a bigger role. But a jaw-dropper? That depends entirely on what she looks like.
- Vikramadtiya Rathore, 25, IT professional, Atlanta
55. What makes her hot is the way she kisses.
- Shahid Jain, 21, student, Delhi
56. Her ability to understand what gives a man pleasure makes her hot.
- Akshat Kshetrapal, 24, consultant, Delhi
57. Her attitude and personality! What she wears could add to it, but without attitude it is nothing. And a little skin show is sexier than a cleavage!
- Sidharth Lodha, 25, copywriter, Mumbai
58. A hot girl is intelligent and outgoing, yet feminine. There's a thin line between feminity and being 'one of the guys', and she shouldn't cross that. -Jaideo Rathore, 26, businessman, Delhi
59. Grace and command! Stylish women in a position of power, like Sarah Palin, are hot!
- Vivek Bansal, 26, credit manager, Delhi
60. A girl who is sure of herself... Sexy lips are a definite bonus.
- Achal Gupta, 27, lawyer, Delhi
61. I have a thing for boobs! Then the way she talks...
- Abhinav Tomar, 27, media professional, Mumbai
62. Girls who can make any situation fun. Showing off a party trick, or talking passionately about something. A lovely smile never hurts either.
- Steven Pirois, 27, analyst, Melbourne
63. She is hot if she can sing or dance well, is well-read, witty, and positive!
- Refuses-to-give-a-real name, 30, IT professional, Delhi
64. She must be bold and confident-not taking rubbish from anyone!
-Vikrant Shekhar Singh, 18, student, Allahbad
65. I love a girl who plays hard-to-get and acts all innocent about it.
- Deep Narain, 18, student, Lucknow
66. It wouldn't count much for me if she takes herself too seriously and doesn't have a good sense of humour.
- Ankush Saikia, senior editor, 33, Delhi
67. A girl wearing my team's sports jersey
-Shaunak P, 26, consultant, Boston
68. A girl wearing red lipstick and smoking!
-Anirban C, 26, dentist, Kolkatta
69. It's hot if she makes the first move, preferably in some sort of uniform.
- Justin D, 26, marketing manager, Boston
70. A girl wearing a black bra under a white shirt-it's the deadliest combo!
-Vaibhav Bhatt, 21, student, Delhi
71. The hottest thing about a girl would be her dressing sense but more importantly, she should be able to carry it off!
-Aman Gandhi, 20, student, Delhi
THAT THING YOU DO:
72. My other half is one of the most creative people I've ever met, and that's hot!
-Tejas Dutta, 26, merchant navy, Delhi
73. My girl is a control freak and I find that hot! Oh, and the way she dances...
-Aditya Chauhan, 25, Delhi
74. I love the way my girl talks-her expressions and gestures... Adorable! And her energy is really positive.
- Amitabh Kumar, 25, web designer, Delhi
75. My girl is witty, bordering on relentlessly sarcastic, I love it! And she pours a mean scotch-on-the-rocks!
- Sarthak, 21, student, Delhi
76. My girl is a great cook, and she's a total kid at heart, which I love.
- Saurabh Khanduri, 20, student, Delhi
77. My girl is a tigress in bed, but she's a really mild person otherwise. Knowing this makes me so hot for her!
- Abhimanyu Zacharia, 33, doctor, Pune
78. My girl looks hottest when she has just woken up, or when she is really angry!
-Niel, 22, intern, Delhi
79. My girl has a fiery temper and loves taking the lead, which I love. And her sexy shoulders!
-Atul, 23, Student, Delhi
80. Her eyes and her laugh really get me.
-Abhishek Ahlawat, 28, golfer, Delhi
81. The hottest thing she's done for me is cook at 3 am.
-Vishal, 19, student, Delhi
82. A girl who drives better than I and can parallel park is so rare that it's hot!
-Rahul Kulkarni, 27, hotelier, Nagpur
83. She has a great body and often seduces me with sizzling lap dances.
-Chris Andrew, 24, student, Delhi
84. When she gets really horny and gives me that look!
-Dinesh, 28, software engineer, Delhi
85. I love how she smells and the way she runs, like a small kid!
-Mayank, 23, journalist, Delhi
86. I love it when my girl gets angry in bed, and refuses to do anything; it turns me on even more!
-Rachit Mehra, 21, student, Delhi
87. Long hair does it for me! Then there are the little things you notice about a girl that make her so attractive to you... For instance, I love it when my girlfriend-accidentally spills food on her clothes while eating and smiles guiltily.
-Karandeep Singh Vohra, 26, project manager, Delhi
88.A fit body, a sense of humour and someone who is not boisterous, and doesn't make the first moves is attractive to me.
-Sonal Grover, 22, Bar Manager, Ireland
89. I love her voice, but the hottest thing she does is the salsa! The way she moves and her body rubs against mine...
-Kapil Bopal, 27, businessman, Delhi
90. My girl's innocent questions bowl me over!
-Sheikh Danish Ejaz, 27, advertising professional, Pakista
91. I'm fascinated by how she handles things when we fight...
-Ankit Sharma, 23, student, Sydney
92. I love it when I start talking about sex, and my girlfriend gets all shy and just mutters 'hmmm'... Cute!
-Rohan Kumar, 25, copywriter, Singapore
93. I love the baby fat she has around her tummy. And I am so grateful for her hug at the end of the day.
-Vineet Rajan, 26, IT professional, Bangalore
94. I love the way she cuddles up next to me when she is sleepy.
-Majid Dayal, 25, business consultant, Dubai
95. Her fragrance-a total turn-on! And she looks hot when she's engrossed in her daily chores.
-Deepak Prabhakaran, 24, lawyer, Delhi
96. I love that even when we're in bed, she can laugh. It's what makes sex with her so different and memorable-we're not only having a good time physically, but also connecting mentally.
-Tanmay, 19, Student
97. The hottest thing about my girlfriend is that she laughs at all my stupid jokes; it makes me feel so good.
-Chitrajit Kalra, 24, Golfer
DON'T WANT MUCH, BUT:
98. Being alternative, having a social conscience, intelligence and kohl-lined eyes. It helps if she smells nice, knows her food and rock music, and chooses to vote.
- Nikhil Sethi, 28, consultant, Delhi
99. A combination of personality, intelligence, humour and a great body. Even better when she knows how to handle herself in bed!
-Suraj Omprakash, 27, IT professional, Bangalore
100. A sense of humour, be conversational (specially for random chatter), be clear in who and what she is. And I'm a sucker for a great smile and wicked, smiling eyes.
-Akshay Dhar, 26, journalist, Delhi
101. A toned figure, nice eyes, flexible, witty, genuine smile, her own mind, great personality, pretty face, nice smell, nice butt... A 'hot' girl means the posture, the rhythmic walk and the curves of the body-the guitar shape.
-Sougata Kundu, 26, advertising professional
102. My ideal woman is wild yet classy, feminine yet strong-willed, silent yet conversational, modern yet traditional, funny yet thoughtful!
-Vijay, 34, IT professional, Bangalore
103. Personality, humour, the ability to have a decent conversation, subtle yet loves to party, enjoys some men's sports... She is not a lesbian, only cheats once a year and no more! Does not have a moustache or sideburns. Likes red dresses.
-Abhishek, 27, financial services
WE DRAMA
104. I'm in a long-distance relationship and my girl has a lot of guy friends. I love that instead of calling me insecure, she introduces me to all of them. If I'm moping around, she gives me a good shaking until sense if knocked back into my thick skull. My resentment melts instantly, and I'm left wondering what the hell I was being such a drama queen for!I don't get insecure anymore, but am plain obsessed and think she's a goddess.
-Aditya Mehta, 27, writer/musician, Mumbai
105. I find a woman's walk hot. The way she walks towards my car, or my barstool, reveals everything about her. Some women just look like they're putting one foot in front of the other, whereas when the ones I like walk towards me, I can almost hear a soundtrack playing... It's like the deep bass notes of the intro to Billie Jean, or the intro to Puff Daddy's Led Zep Kashmir-inspired Come With Me.
-Rayomand J. Patell, 34, advertising professional, Mumbai
106. I find it hot when a girl goes through the entire process of laughter. And yes, it is a process. First there will be the wide eyes as she listens to what you say. Then comes the shining realisation, the dawning point where she breaks into a smile. And then the ultimate laugh.
-Darius. 22, Copywriter, Grandmother India, Mumbai
107. Spontaneity in a girl is definitely hot. A hottie telling me that she wants me in the most random place, at the absolutely most random time is just so sexy and hot!
-Kunaal Dhawan, 23, market merchandiser, Delhi Specifically Speaking…
108. The hottest girl I have ever met is the one who was up for a hitchhiking night out in completely murky highway trucks with a totally random stranger (me). It was such a refreshing turn-on from my perspective. Most girls have to think twice before going out for even a harmless cup of coffee.
-Parikshit Rao, 25, photographer, Bangalore
109. A girl with an amazing body in skiing gear, going down a black diamond (the hardest kind of skiing slope).
-Chinmay J, 26, IT professional, San Francisco
110. The way she kisses makes her so sexy. Also, my girlfriend bought me a Playstation, which I'd wanted for ages, and surprised me with it by hooking it up and setting up my entire room when I was out of town-that was hot.
-Sidharth Mohan, 25
111. She can drink a whole beer- bottoms up - it's awesome!
- Arjun Sehrawat, 22, Student, Delhi
112. An unescorted woman roaming and working through villages and dirty Indian men, unflinchingly, is what I find very hot.
- Omkar Sane, 25, Author
WE HOPE THEY'RE NOT SERIOUS
113. I once had a hot, passionate and burning kiss… She had forgotten to take the cigarette out of her mouth!
- Manan Gupta, 23, Banker, Delhi
114. Physically, I like well-endowed women, because girls with small boobs are less interested in sex and therefore get less wet. As a person, I like women who are smarter than me as I don't know much myself and like to hear about the world and others opinion about it.
- Gaurav Palit, 26
115. Attitude. And no girl has ever done anything hot for me, they're all losers.
- Varun Mitra, 24