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9 Online Dating Trends To Look Out For In 2020

From 'Dogfishing' to 'Rossing' - by Danielle Fowler
  • 19 Feb 2020

Perhaps you entered the year newly single or maybe you're well-versed in the fine art of online dating.

Either way, 2020 has already welcomed a whole new host of dating terms for singletons to grow accustomed to from Jekylling to Rossing - yes, seriously.

WATCH BELOW: Justin Bieber And Hailey Baldwin's Calvin Klein Campaign Is A Modern Wedding Album

Already regretting setting your Bumble account live? There's no need to panic, as we've got the lowdown on this year's biggest (and most baffling) dating terms so far.

Jekylling

Taking its name from The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde, the dating term is one we're all sure to be familiar with.

Jekylling existed long before the world of online dating and refers to the way in which someone showers you with affection or compliments in order to garner your attention.

But when you turn down their gesture or say no to giving away your number, they suddenly turn aggressive.

Interestingly, Jameela Jamil offered some insight into the phenomenon on Twitter.

"Was out at the shops with my friend. Man ogles me. Man then approaches me to give me his number," she recalled. "I explain I have a boyfriend but thank him for the offer."

Jameela Jamil 🌈 on Twitter

"Man then threatens my career, saying I better remember that I rejected him. And then shouts at me that I'm low class..."

Elsa'd

We've all heard of ghosting but have you ever been Elsa'd?

In homage to Disney flick Frozen, the dating term refers to those who begin to slowly phase us out. First, they grow colder and more abrupt over text with their answers gradually becoming snappier.

Eventually, they will stop relying to our messages or answering our calls altogether - and that is when you know you've been Elsa'd.

Rossing

Playing on the famous "We were on a break!" line from Friends, Rossing is a term used to describe the moment when a person justifies sleeping with someone else due to a lack of exclusivity in the relationship.

You may have only just started dating and not yet had 'the talk' or you could have been taking a brief break in your relationship.

Either way, we advise learning from Ross' mistakes.

RELATED: How To Create The Best Online Dating Profile According To The Experts

Keanu-ing

When Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant made their relationship red carpet official in November 2019, the social media circuit went into a frenzy with a number of people comparing Grant to Helen Mirren - not-so-subtly suggesting that they didn't look well-suited.

Unfortunately, one of the most sexist debates of the year has already inspired a dating trend.

Now, Keanu-ing refers to two people that you would never have imagined together.

Whelming

Although online dating enables us to bag more dates than we would in real life (we have Hugh Grant to thank for our unrealistic rom-com-worthy expectations), sometimes users can feel overwhelmed with options. 

Enter: Whelming - the term for when users take a long time to respond to people (or can't find the time to reply at all) because they have so many matches. Eurgh.

Dogfishing

A term first coined in October 2019, Dogfishing has only grown in momentum over the last few months.

One keen online daters are sure to be familiar with - ahem, guilty - it refers to those who use their pets, or borrow pets, in order to pull potential suitors.

Hands up, how many of you have agreed to a date in the very hope of walking their pooch?

Dial-Toning

A problem which sparks before you even have chance to be ghosted, Dial-Toning is where you are given somebody's number but when you reach out, they don't bother replying.

Sigh.

Flatlining

One we're sadly all too familiar with, sometimes it's simply too tricky to keep a conversation afloat.

With a surge in online dating and less of the When Harry Met Sally bookshop charm, most of our first encounters take place online.

Flatlining refers to when a chat fizzles out either over text or via a dating app.

Stashing

It can be easy to miss the early signs of Stashing during the honeymoon period through heart-shaped eyes.

But the recently-coined word refers to when a partner hides their family and friends from you.

Whether that means they 'forget' to tag you in their Instagram Stories, have a friendship group which is too busy to catch up whenever you're free or your significant other has yet to tell their parents about you.

The reason? They're keeping their options open with the excuse to see other people as you have yet to make things official in the eyes of their friends and family. 

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Danielle Fowler
Danielle Fowler is a contributor at marie claire Australia.

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