Ways To Win Over Your New SO's Friends

For some people, trying to win over a new group of friends is a joy and a privilege, because the world is a fun and welcoming place, filled with unicorns and rainbows. For the rest of us, meeting new people is a nerve-wracking ordeal, because the world is horrible, and unicorns keep knocking over our trash cans and going through our garbage, and rainbows are awful. But not as awful as meeting new people.

The matter is complicated even further with a new SO's friends, who will at best see you as a third wheel, and at worst treat you like you are an actual Hamburglar here to steal their friend and run off with him and presumably eat him. Here are a few strategies to allay their suspicious and help you fit right in among your soon-to-be new friends.

Showing An Interest
People are pretty used to strangers not caring about their lives; if you walked up to someone and started telling him about your visit to the dentist, he would probably just hit you over the head with a frying pan. So showing any sincere interest in an SO's friends is a great strategy, assuming you seem genuine and aren't just asking a random series of unrelated questions.
Correct: "Oh you're from Maine? I hear Maine is fascinating! Do they have lobsters in Maine? They do?? THAT IS THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD."
Incorrect: "What is your favorite cat. How many batteries do you have. Have you ever seen a rabbit. Where are my keys."

Nerdy Camaraderie
Nothing wins over a group of nerds like showing your approval of their nerdy subculture, particularly if you are a girl. They will assume that your only interests are lipstick and ballerinas, so contributing to their conversation about which is the hottest kind of alien will flabbergast them into an awed silence. Even bluffing is a better reaction than they expect from you (whipping pine cones at them and calling them nerds), as long as you have some idea of what you're talking about.
Correct: "Nuh-uh, Trandoshans are far cooler than Twi'leks. Nyehh, Star Wars!"
Incorrect: "Yes I saw the Star Wards. The best monster was the angry monkey."

Endearing Disaster Stories
Stories wherein everything goes wrong are great icebreakers, and they have a built-in sympathy factor. It's impossible to hate a guy who's just walking down the street when he suddenly slips on a banana peel, skids into a hot dog stand, and topples over it headfirst into a crate labeled CAUTION: SQUIDS. Similarly, stories about magnificent failure show that you're not too full of yourself to the embarrassing reason that you are banned from Petland (you sat on a lizard). Just be sure your story is actually endearing, and not about other people's failures.
Correct: "...And as I opened my mouth to give my big speech, my suspenders went DOING, my pants fell down, and I suddenly realized I was actually at the wrong school."
Incorrect: "...And my butler brought me veal with thyme instead of veal with tarragon, and I was like, Jeeves, what is this, a gas station? So I had him deported."

Impressive Stories
Having awesome stories to tell is like walking a tightrope, particularly if your stories are about walking a tightrope. One one hand, it's fun to wow everybody with your experiences. On the other hand, if a guy's only vacation in recent memory was to Iowa's Most Nondescript Lake, he will probably just resent your globe-trotting exploits. Humility is key.
Correct: "...Speaking of Mount Everest, I was lucky enough to get to go there once! It was a privilege. Everything is a privilege, everywhere."
Incorrect: "My dad has a blimp and my cousin is the Viceroy of the Maldives and your dad works in a stapler factory."

Intentionally Cheesy Jokes
If all else fails, lame jokes will win over even the grouchiest audience. Just make sure to keep them harmless and lame instead of confrontational.
Correct: "Two atoms are walking down the street. 'Oh no, I think I lost an electron!' says the first. 'Are you sure?' asks the second. The first replies: 'I'm positive!'"
Incorrect: "A priest and a rabbi walk into a bar, because there have turned to alcoholism because there is no God. GO COMMUNISM, BOO AMERICA."