Any guy who takes a civvie on a dinner date and allows her to pay half should expect a damned cold reception from her later on.

Picking up the restaurant tab is NOT paying to "woo" her. It's manners.

Let her suggest a show to see and order the tickets on line on her credit card. That might be a civilized way to balance things out. If she's a good civvie companion, she'll offer to do something like that

...If a relationship developes I'm not opposed to her taking me out & she pays. But generally I expect to pay. I won't "argue" about it though. If she offers I'll say no. If she continues then it's on her. She can pay. I've always thought people standing there arguing back & forth "I'll get it", "no, I will" is just stupid.

I've read some things lately that say the person asking for the other's company should be the one that pays.

Unless she is so insistent to pay that I think it would be insulting to not let her.

It's old hooker/john talk for a 1/2 hr. of suckin' followed by 1/2 hr. of fuckin.  This could corn-fuse yore date if he's ever played in Hooker World.
Oh, an I may be iggorint but I'm also Olde Skool.  I don't go Dutch.  She pays!
Jest kiddn'.  I do.

A gentleman always......

Pays the the check, opens doors, seats the lady !  Protest to the contrary are quickly squelched with a smile !

dutch? wtf is that ? hun , girls

Don't pay ! Now is it nice to receive a gift of sorts ? Yes. I have gotten flowers, clothes, and sex . But the nicest thing is love . Yes , the feeling of love . The best gift of all , next to bbbjcimnqasked ! And friendship xoxoxo

Assuming the man asks you out... if either of you are asking to split the check, its not a good sign unless there was a clear understanding up front about doing that.

If you ask him out, just save the worry and make it clear who is expected to pay before you go out.

Long time since a civvie date, but I always paid. It was just the way things were done. Girls/ladies could return the favor in other ways, and not just sexual.  

I didn't expect sex on the first date, but I did expect it at some point in the first few dates. If not, I wasn't interested.

I was taken advantage of once or twice, that's it. One girl who knew I had the hots for her, and who knew I was a broke college student, called out of the blue to ask if I'd like to take her to dinner. So, I did. When it was over, she thanked me for the dinner and was on her way. She was just too broke herself to go out and eat. I don't think I ever talked to her again.

When between marriages I date a number of women much wealthier than I (and ended up married to one), but I asked for the date, I paid and incidentally never did so in an obvious way.  
Whe s student, If I didn't have the money to pay comfortably, I would go to a cheaper place so I could pay  without worry
I invite, I pay. I think there
are two masculine obligations: we pay for dates (certainly when we invite) and she comes first when we make love..

But I still believe that gentlemen exist.  

A gentlemen pays, opens doors, brings flowers, lets the women walk on the inside, etc.  

 
they do exist, they are just few n far between nowadays.

The one insisting on splitting the bill or occasionally paying. I insist on splitting because I don't want to feel in any way obligated to engage further if I don't want to. It was always a safe way for me to ensure we always stood on equal grounds until I was ready to take the relationship further. Once I decided that I'd like to see more of someone, I would pay occasionally and expect to be treated occasionally as well.  

But if I was asked out by a guy and on that date he wanted to split the bill, I'd likely not see him again. Unless he was hot, in which case I'd just skip the pretense of dating and let him know I was only using him for sex.

w/o any intentions of anything physical, I would never let a girl pay for the date...

but if it makes you feel better, London isn't number 1 anymore ha ha

I have never had that experience where the guy wanted to go 50/50 but I don't think it's a good sign.  I
I think guys prefer to pay. On civvie dates, I have let the man pay (whenever I've offered, it's been so awkward and they always refuse) BUT I reciprocate later by making him dinner or brownies or something I know he likes, you know after a couple of dates. Effort for them counts for a lot. They like it when you make something for them with your own hands.  It shows you care.

at least until we are in a relationship. If she asked me out I might consider letting her if she demanded to pay.  
     

Even if she offers to pick up the tab or split it, I pay,  regardless of if I think there might be a second date.   Eventually I might let her pay for the movie or concessions or something small like that but seriously if the guy is mentioning splitting a $50-75 meal on a first date that should start raising red flags.

I have heard of splitting checks in New York City is common practice because of cost. Not yet in other places.  

I would never do it.

I would NEVER suggest 1/2 and 1/2.  If a date offers to pay a share on the first date I will decline.  If she is making nearly as much or more than I do in her work I might respond to her offer on the first date that can share or buy the tickets when she asks me out, but since this was my invitation to her I expect to pay.  Even that takes some judgment that the woman might think I did not respect her earning power if I didn't let her pay for something.  I do not want cost to be a factor in her deciding whether to go out with me the next time I ask.  If she likes me and wants to demonstrate her own financial independence, she can buy tickets to a show and call me to share.  I won't object to that, but I'll still assume I'm buying dinner before or after and would only yield if she really insists.