Back on the market? Refresh your dating lingo with these 12 slang terms

If you’re someone who hasn’t had to venture into the dating game for a while, you’d probably find the art of connection pretty unrecognizable these days. 

From the innovative methods (and apps) people use to find prospective partners to the actual words and phrases being thrown around, dating in 2024 is not for the faint of heart. 

So, in case you’re in need of a bit of revision, dating site Ashley Madison has released their annual list of need-to-know slang words, especially for those seeking a non-monogamous relationship. 

Here are some of the newest dating terms you might want to familiarize yourself with before you hit the apps.  

Auto-erect:

An explicit play on auto-correct, this term describes the act of using Chat GPT during sexting.

Call of Booty:

A phrase used to describe an individual playing juvenile dating games. A playful combination of the the well-known phrase ‘Booty Call’ and ‘Call of Duty’, a popular video game.

Covalent Bond: 

When someone experiences an intensified energy towards an affair partner when the affair is not disclosed.

Kenning: 

The act of men learning that monogamy isn’t the default relationship style for the modern woman (inspired by the Barbie-core year that was).

Game of Tones:

Characterizing different affair partners with unique ringtones for the purpose of discreet recognition.

Fireside Fling: 

A romantic partner you connect with to get through the gloomy, cold winter period.

Scandovellian: 

Describes a reality where cheaters are villainized, while the people who are cheated on benefit socially from the affair.

Mapping: 

The careful and calculated art of crafting a meet-up with an affair partner outside the monogamy boundaries of your marriage or relationship.

Ghostercoaster: 

A term used to describe the experience of having a romantic partner who disappears and reappears intermittently.

RendezTwo: 

A phrase used to describe an ongoing sexual or romantic arrangement between two consenting couples.

Hush Haven: 

A location (often discrete) where you and your affair partner commonly meet.

Freewheeling: 

The feeling of engaging in non-monogamous sexual or romantic experiences without guilt or shame.