Back in 2020 when heybaby first launched, we wrote a guide to dating lingo. After two years of pandemic, lockdown, mask requirements and memes, we’re back with an update of terms that describe dating dynamics in 2022.
Maskfishing
Whether to post a pic of yourself wearing a mask has been up for debate for a while. It can signal that you are a rule follower, a joiner, a believer in science. It also can make it look like you’re hiding something – mustache, lip ring, chin tatt. But the real issue with keeping your mask on when you don’t need to – either in your profile pic or in person – is that you give the impression that you’re a 9 when you’re really a 5, also known as maskfishing. We know you’re really a hard 8, and your potential match should, too! Show them who you really are and ditch the mask in your profile pics. Ditch the mask in person, too, as long as it’s safe and in accordance with local guidelines.
Singleish
When it comes to dating, anything with “ish” attached is usually something to pay close attention to. Whether somebody is emotionally available-ish. Or nice to the waiter-ish. Or even a good listener-ish. Ok, so maybe those are a stretch, but when a potential love interest seems interested in getting to know you in all ways (as well as other people) but has no intentions of committing to one long term relationship, they are known as singleish. And they are honest about not wanting to lead anyone on, which gives them a pass on being called a player. Interesting-ish, huh.
Green Flags
This one is rather obvious by its name, but we’ll regale you with some more informative words. Green flags are basically the opposite of red flags. Things about a potential mate that are positive and encouraging. Honesty. Kindness. Strong, healthy relationships with family and friends. Seems truly interested in getting to know you and appears to be looking for a meaningful, healthy, happy relationship. Gainfuly employed (or at least someone who’s motivated and has goals in life). Some people are threatened by too many green flags as they are left with little to fix. Which may look like a red flag to the green flag. Ok, enough flag talk. On to the next one.
Spooky Scary Stuff
Some terms have endured since 2020, unfortunately (and here’s hoping they don’t survive beyond 2022!).
Ghosting
A familiar term either because it’s A) happened to us personally, or B) happened to a friend who has proceeded to discuss it at length for months thereafter. The brutality of ghosting — the “fine” art of disappearing without a trace, blocking and ignoring you completely out of the blue, — cannot be understated. It sucks for the person on the receiving end, but it’s also the kind of revelation of cowardly behavior you’d rather receive before you get too deeply involved with the person.
Haunting
AKA Ghosting: The Sequel. The coward who couldn’t say goodbye properly has the nerve to continue to stalk you on social media, usually by peeping your stories on Instagram or accidentally liking your posts. Haunting is kind of lame, but at least they can see that you’ve moved on with your life and left them in the dust.
Catfishing
Catfishers are creeps of the highest order. They go to great lengths to create faux profiles on dating sites, where they’ll deceptively connect with unsuspecting strangers who think they’ve found someone amazing. Turns out that someone isn’t actually real at all — and that the profile probably includes stolen photos from other profiles and other fake accounts and personas designed to create an alternate reality. Yup, catfishing is as creepy as it sounds.
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Now that you know the lingo, you might feel more prepared to navigate a dating app. The good news is that on heybaby, we are all about safety, authenticity, and honesty. We have built an app that puts users’ security and safety first, which means we ask everyone on the app to verify who they are in order to message other users.
And because heybaby is for people who have kids or want them, we exist to attract people who are on the same page and whose hearts are in the right place.
