Love was always in the air… now it’s also on the internet. The dating rules haven’t changed much, but courtesy of pop culture and technology – the lingo definitely has. *Darling* and *Sweetheart* are very 90s; now you have a *bae* who *love-bombed* you and then “microcheated” too. 

Didn’t get a word, did you? If you’re not caught up on what’s new in the dating biz, we have got you covered. Here are dating slang-lingos you should know:

Microcheating: Microcheating is soup to the main course of infidelity and sleeping around. Your beau is micro-cheating when they flirt heavily with someone, have cute names for them, have emotional affairs but don’t cross physical boundaries. Technically, they haven’t crossed a line; but we all know where this is going. 

Ghosting: Just like a ghost disappears after you spot it in the attic, ghosting is when a dear date stops replying to your texts or taking your calls. They are nowhere to be seen, heard or found, which may pull the trigger of self-doubt for the ghosted partner. People usually ghost when they don’t have the stomach to tell their date – *this will be all for us*. It’s lowkey, ugly and irresponsible. 

Firedoor: Throwing off schedules to circle this one person who wouldn’t skip an office potluck for, you are being firedoored. It is tough to call it quits with them because they put you on the seventh sky when they need you but don’t care a whit about your emotional baggage. Just like a one-way fire door – allows you to exit on rare occasions but NEVER allows an entry, a firedoored relationship is one-sided.

DTR: Translates to Define The Relationship: this is the pivot moment in the dating sphere. This is when you and your partner sit down for – What are we? Casual, serious, marriage in the talks? Where is this going? Chat. DTRs are hugely time-dependent. You enquire about kids and marriage on your third date, and they will skip dessert and rush home. If you go *too*much with the flow and procrastinate on the DTR, the dear flame might have flings on the side while you do their birthday countdown stories.

Demisexual: While some drool over collar bones and waistlines, demisexuals bond on deep talks about traumas and life passions. They don’t fit the casual hookup bill because physical attractions aren’t on top of their lists. They go moth-pace but create loving and lasting relationships. Sex is not off the table for demisexuals; it just happens with time and not right away.

Cuffing Season: It’s the period between early fall and winters when people shack up with the next half-decent single person. This is because everyone wants to snuggle and cuddle and not be left cold and lonely in the biting winters. This arrangement is strictly seasonal, though – you both go different ways when the fruit buds crack open and the snow begins to melt.

Benching: Benching is having iffy feelings about someone; you don’t want to let go of all the midnight chat sessions you have grown fond of but fear making this full-time. You have your qualms on – what if they aren’t merry on Wednesdays and eat ketchup with everything? So, you keep them on the bench because they could either be *the one* or just another seasonal mad rush.

Love Bombing: You are love-bombed when they run a campaign of leaving sweet POST-ITs around, send in flowers at your workplace, set up a candlelight dinner on the patio and make you God of the world. However, when you commit to them- all this flattery, affection and sincerity is withdrawn. This is usually done to win over your trust so that they can achieve a goal of theirs. Psychologists identify love bombing as a possible cycle of hurt and abuse. It’s a red flag to look out for.