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