Dating apps have not just changed the way we date but the way we talk about dating.

There’s a whole new language to use when it comes to online dating which can confuse even the most romantic  amongst us. At NOW we like to keep things simple and straightforward, so here’s our handy guide to dating slang.

Ghosting

If you’ve been around the online dating scene a while, you’ve probably heard of this one or been on the receiving end of it.

You’ve been messaging and chatting for a while, maybe even gone on a date and then poof – radio silence – nothing – nada – your beau has become a ghost and you hear no more from them.

We know life is busy and some people are easily distracted by the next shiny thing or promising dating prospect, but have some manners people. It takes 30 seconds to say thanks and goodbye.

We say NO to ghosting and YES to manners!

Benching

You’ve been on a date or two, things are progressing, you’re FB friends, Insta buddies and the chat is GOOD! But the face to face has stalled and you never seem to able to arrange the next date. You my friend have been benched.

As in “sat on the bench”. Of course you’re sweetie might have been clobbered with a massive work project, last minute house move, or any other life emergency which means they’re out of dating action for a while. But if all they’re doing is fobbing you off they may well have moved onto another date and be keeping you in reserve, just in case.

But dating isn’t a sport, no-one wants to be sat on the reserves bench, if you can’t get to the next date, take yourself off their reserves bench and get out onto the field of play again!

Cushioning

Cushioning is also known as a layby or as breadcrumbing – because having one term for bad dating etiquette isn’t enough – we have to have 3!

Cushioning is when your text-heart isn’t really free to date. They’re probably in a relationship already and are setting up a nice little romance cushion for if or when it all falls apart. They like to keep you strung along with a trail of sweet-talking breadcrumbs or they just like the feeling of having an adoring text-heart to boost their self esteem.

Either way – if they’re keeping you in a text layby rather than going on an ACTUAL DATE – kick this one to the kerb and find someone that is worth your time.

Catch and release

No, nothing to do with going fishing or conservation, catch and release is another dating bad behaviour cull-de-sac.

You’ve met someone and they’re nice but you’re not sure. They woo you and you warm to them, warmth blossoms into “okay let’s do this” and at that point their interest drops off. They’re too busy to meet, the phone calls thin out and your phone never pings with their texts any more.

They like the chase but they don’t know what to do once the chase is over.

For anyone reading that does this here’s a tip  – WE CAN TELL WHAT YOU’RE DOING!

It’s no mystery and we don’t think it’s cool and it doesn’t make you more mysterious. It just tells us that you aren’t worth our time.

Slow fade

The slow fade – sadly people don’t just behave badly at the start of the dating journey. The slow fade is when your sweetheart sees the “this is getting too serious for me” road sign ahead and instead of talking to you about where they’re at they decide to hide under the emotional duvet and ignore you.

They’ll start to drop plans, take longer to reply to your messages and slowly, slowly try to fade out of your life.

We know that talking about feelings can be difficult, but if you like your sweetheart enough to share your time with them please be brave and tell them you’re a little worried. It might not work out, but it might. And they deserve the courtesy of you telling them rather than leaving them wondering what went wrong when it was all going so well.

Zombie-ing

Coming back from the dating dead. You dated, it didn’t work out, so why are you retweeting me on Twitter, cute emojing my Instagram and what on earth is that linked-in request about?

You can go ahead and try all you like to re-integrate into my life via my social media, but no it won’t make me think you’re a better prospect than when we broke up.

If you want to actually be friends, then that takes more than a thumbs up on an Instagram of my breakfast.

It seems that dating slang only extends to bad behaviour and poor communication, which makes me kinda sad. At NOW dating we know that being open and honest is the way forward in dating. It doesn’t matter if you don’t meet your perfect match straight away, so long as you treat your dates with the respect you’d like to be treated with. It’s also why we love to get you off your phone and on dates as quickly as possible. Anyone that only wants to text and never meet you in person isn’t serious about dating and isn’t worth your time.

So now you know your dating slang and the warning signs of bad beaus, you can get off your phone and onto dates with confidence.

For great dates in the moment, download NOW dating app and discover who’s free to date, now!