We’ve all heard of beige flags and zombeing, but there are many other terms that the younger generation is using to explain patterns in dating. The five below are ones that fascinated us so much, we just had to share.
- Cushioning is the process of asking a friend to tell someone you like that you like them, therefore acting as a potential ‘cushion’ should the other person reject your advances. Of course, this isn’t a new trend in itself, but the word for it is and it explains it perfectly.
- Cookie-Jarring is when someone who is seriously dating another person keeps other potential love interests around as a plan B. This can be done through dating or social media platforms, but it can also extend to physical meetings. The idea here is that, should things not work out, they will not end up alone – but while this may seem ‘smart’, the reality is that it may impact the relationship you really want to work out.
- Outsourcing sees you give a friend control over your dating apps and allowing them to reply to potential love interests in your stead. This is often done when people think that their friends can be wittier than them or when they think they can sell them better than they can sell themselves. Even so, it’s still a form of catfishing and it does ruin any chance of that initial spark of connection.
- Breadcrumbing is used to describe people who drop hints and compliments instead of telling the person they’re dating that they like them outright. The thought behind it is that those who breadcrumb are scared of wearing their hearts on their sleeves, which can be understandable when you’ve just started dating someone, but not after numerous successful dates. According to internet dating lore, this is mainly practised by men.
- Vulturing describes a situation where a person monitors other people’s relationships looking for one that is about to expire. They then make their move on social media or in real life knowing that this person is on the brink of a break-up. Needless to say, it’s a pretty crap way of finding love.
Feeling old, yet? Check out what Gen-Z online dating looks like for more unexpected trends.