Common Relationship Acronyms/Phrases and their Meanings

Beige flags

A beige flag is a characteristic or behavior that is noticeable but shouldn’t be cause for concern as it’s typically regarded as boring or generic. In terms of dating app bios specifically, this could include listing a love for tacos or fluency in sarcasm as something interesting about you. 

Benching
Benching is typically the action that lands people in situationships. You like them enough to keep in contact inconsistently and maybe date casually, but you’re benching them because you won’t commit. They’re on the bench because they are not in the starting line-up. 

Breadcrumbing
Breadcrumbing is when someone is engaging with you enough to seem interested, kind of. They’ll do things like ambiguously be a little flirty over text and maybe always like your IG stories, but they’re ultimately stringing you along for no reason at all. 

Curve
Curve is a verb and it means to reject someone. It typically is done in an indirect or more passive way. For example advising someone of who to date when it is you they actaully want to date

DTR
Short for “define the relationship,” a DTR is a check-in or chat about the status of the relationship. Someone may ask “what are we” during this conversation, but it’s really a great opportunity to see if expectations are aligned. 

FWB
FWB stands for friend with benefits and refers to friends that have sex. Their connection is typically more friendship-like rather than that of a romantic, committed relationship. This can be the outcome of a DTR. 

Ghosting
An age old dating nightmare, ghosting is when someone abruptly cuts off all communication with someone they’re romantically or intimately connected to without any explanation or warning, just silence. 

Green flags
A green flag refers to positive and attractive characteristics or behaviors a potential partner has. Some examples of green flags are being kind, polite, funny, loving, and for the  more vain oned; being rich or good-looking. Green flags will defer from one person to another.

Ick
The ick is being immediately turned off by an action or behavior of someone you are (or were) interested in or dating. It is like a a deal-breaker of sorts. Common examples include the way someone eats or even laughs or something they say. For example, “..our date was going well but the ick came when he spoke with his mouth full”.

Love bombing
Love bombing is when someone overwhelms you with excessive loving attention and displays of affection in order to later heavily influence or manipulate you. 

ONS
ONS means One Night Stand. It is usually used by people who are only interested in one-off sexual encounters. 

Open relationship
An open relationship is when one or more parties are free to date others. 

Red flag
Red flags are glaring behaviors or characteristics that are a warning sign for larger problems down the road or misalignment within the relationship and should prompt a complete reconsideration of the relationship. Major red flags include someone being physically aggressive, gaslighting, verbal abuse (even if it’s in the context of a joke) and a lack of respect, lack of financial control, cheats etc.

Sapiosexual
Sapiosexual people are sexually attracted to or turned on by intelligence. The fall in love with a person’s thoughts, outlook, wisdom, knowledge etc as opposed to their physical appearance.

Situationship
A situationship is an undefined romantic and sexual relationship where there isn’t much clarity around boundaries, relationship status or commitment. 

Talking stage
The talking stage is the precursor to “dating.” The purpose is to get to know someone before any type of romantic labels or progression of the relationship. 

Yellow flags
Yellow flags are behaviors or patterns that should be taken into account, and they should make you use a little caution or perhaps take a little more time to assess the relationship. An example of this would be someone that often talks about exes or former partners as if they are all crazy and with little acknowledgement of their role in the relationships. 

Zombieing
Also known as haunting or orbiting, zombieing is when an old dating app match or former fling who essentially disappeared from your life with no explanation (or ghosted you) pops back up. This usually happens over text or DM.