What's the meaning of the underlined?

[Eartha]

Dear all,

What's the meaning of the underlined?
Thanks in advance.

There’s nothing like an interest in common to start a friendship, but a man’s got to see further than a fish bowl to win a girl’s heart.

[BobK]

'There's nothing like' means that what follows is a very good example of something: 'There's nothing like being in a near-fatal car crash to make you focus on what's important in your life'. Often the resulting good thing isn't mentioned: 'There's nothing like a walk in the fresh air'. This syntactic trick leaves room for quite a few jokes along the lines of 'There's nothing like a good X; and that was nothing like a good X!'

an interest in common' = 'a shared interest'. What this has to do with fish-bowls only the author can tell us.

b

[LQZ]

There’s nothing like an interest in common to start a friendship, but a man’s got to see further than a fish bowl to win a girl’s heart.

It says that generally an interest in the would-be-friend would be a start of a friendship.

PS I am niether a native nor an English teacher. :)

[Barb_D]

It says that generally an interest in the would-be-friend would be a start of a friendship.

PS I am niether a native nor an English teacher. :)

Hi LQZ,
That's not quite right. It's not an interest in that person, but an interest that they have in common, a shared interest. They may both be interested in tropical fish, for example, or both love the same football team and watch matches together.

[LQZ]

Hi LQZ,
That's not quite right. It's not an interest in that person, but an interest that they have in common, a shared interest. They may both be interested in tropical fish, for example, or both love the same football team and watch matches together.

Thanks, Barb. :)

Actually, in common was confusing me.

[Barb_D]

If we have a friend in common, we are both friends with that person.
If we have an interest in common, we are both interested in that topic.
Once there was a funny episode of a TV show where two men realized that they both had an ex-wife in common! (Though she wasn't married to them at the same time, or course!)

[LQZ]

If we have a friend in common, we are both friends with that person.
If we have an interest in common, we are both interested in that topic.
Once there was a funny episode of a TV show where two men realized that they both had an ex-wife in common! (Though she wasn't married to them at the same time, or course!)

Thanks, Barb. I've got it.

[Eartha]

Dear all,

What's the meaning of the underlined?
Thanks in advance.

There’s nothing like an interest in common to start a friendship, but a man’s got to see further than a fish bowl to win a girl’s heart.

Does the sentence mean "a shared interest is the best way to start a friendship?

Thanks you all.

[Barb_D]

Yes