THERE'S A WORD FOR THAT!

Whether you’re eavesdropping on the woman at the next table as she relates her latest dating mishap, trying to understand your grown-up child, or playing the dating game yourself, it helps to stay on top of the latest terms and trends. You might just find out that you’re a closet kittenfisher. (It happens.)

- ASHLEIGH ROMAN

GHOSTING

Quite possibly the worst form of rejection: one day he’s there, the next day, poof, gone. No texts, no calls, no formal break-up, no closure – nothing. Or, worse yet, you find yourself blocked, unfriended, unfollowed. Some people feel that performing a vanishing act sends the ‘I’m no longer interested’ message better than any actual message could. This is not a recommended practice, obvs. But should you ever experience it, always remember that it says more about them than it does about you.

ZOMBIE-ING

A member of the ghosting family, zombie-ing is pretty much what it sounds like: when someone drops out of your life so suddenly that the only logical conclusion is that they’ve died – only for them to resurface months later, as if nothing happened. All of a sudden your phone is blowing up with texts and comments from the same person who so casually disappeared. You’ve been zombied – but that doesn’t mean you have to let them back into your life.

ORBITING

Orbiting may seem like ghosting at first. An orbiter will cut off all direct communication, whether physical or online, but will continue to view and interact with all your social media content. So they will like all your photos and view all your stories but never actually talk to you or respond to messages. According to Anna Iovine, the writer who coined the term, ‘keeping you in their orbit’ means they remain close enough to keep an eye on you, ‘but far enough to never talk’. It might be time to take a serious look at the ‘block’ button.

BENCHING