First-known documented scale by an Eastern Bloc author (Nichita Smochină of Moldavia) created for men and women courting
one another to rate flirting and kissing on a scale of 1 to 9 (
Communist belief did not allow for a 10). The original scale was published in 1930 by Smochină's in the anthology, Cunoștințe Utile ("Useful Knowledge").
As the story goes, Smochină was in Paris at the time, and met a young woman who simply could not flirt or kiss. When he tried to explain to his friends how poorly this woman communicated and later smooched, there was simply no language for explaining this problem. That night, Smochină created the famous Smochină Smooch Scale in
one draft. Many say he was divinely inspired.
The rating for #1 took off and gained quite a
bit of fame internationally. In its original form, it was "Ăsta se sărută ca o sardină rece de la Marea Neagră" (This
one kisses like a
cold sardine from the
Black Sea.) By the time is was used in speakeasies in Chicago, it had been notably shortened to "Ca un peşte rece" (Like a cold
fish).