"... So guys "play it cool" as a way of signaling that their true social value is well above the woman's, and they don't need to play her with gifts for them to

"... So guys "play it cool" as a way of signaling that their true social value is well above the woman's, and they don't need to play her with gifts for them to be worth paying attention to It's a way of saying "I'm so cool that I don't need to buy you drinks to make you pay attention to me." Spot on observation. Obligatory reference to Feynman, "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" cf "You Just Ask Them?".