Will you and your bae ever make something more from a Netflix and chill session or are you two just in this together for cuffing season? If that sentence didn’t make much sense, then you’re right. Modern society tends to recreate the rules in dating each year and along with those changes come new terms and phrases for the things we do for love. Check out a few of these modern dating terms that don’t make any sense:
Cuffing Season
We’re just getting started with autumn, but for many we’ve been in another special time of the year called “cuffing season.” Defined as: “During the Fall and Winter months people who would normally rather be single find themselves, along with the rest of the world, desiring to be “cuffed” or tied down by a serious relationship.”
These cool months have basically all of the holidays that remind singles that they’re single: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Valentine’s Day. Our society today tells us that relationships are overrated, that you can practically order a boo if you use the right dating app or make the right social media post.
The reason cuffing season is a term that makes no sense is that you know you’re about to enter a relationship for literally a season.
The idea is that once the weather warms up, it’s time to find an excuse to break up and be free so you can enjoy the spring and summer as a single again.
What? I don’t know of anyone who literally follows this through, but this term has been around for years with websites and social media accounts dedicated to navigating it.
I suggest don’t date unless you know exactly what you want out of it (friendship, courtship, commitment) and let the other person know. It’s just fair. Cuffing season seems like nothing but a game, and aren’t we a little too grown for that at this point?
BAE
Bae has been around for a while, but gained popularity again over social media in the past couple of years. It had several uses and spellings, but did you know that BAE is also an acronym for “Before anyone/anything else?”
I honestly thought for a while that it was a shorter, ghetto-fab version of “babe;” don’t judge me. The title of “bae” may be a term of endearment, but we should think about the purpose of the word and who qualifies for that distinction first.
Related: Can he use the same pet names on you that he used on his ex?
Since dating traditionally is hard to come by, the term bae is given to the one that gives you the most attention, the person you’re feeling at the moment, etc. In a practical sense, a bae should be a temporary title like that of a girlfriend or boyfriend.
If I’m before anyone else, I’m taking it that marriage should be discussed because why would you give that role to someone who’s just temporary? Why not upgrade your bae to wife and husband status if they are who you say they are?
That’s one reason why the term makes no sense. The more we throw out these names and give them heavy-yet-conditional meanings, the less we could take marriage seriously, or avoid it altogether because it’s too serious.
Netflix and Chill
This term right here is the most popular dating term of 2015. Netflix and chill pays homage to the old school method of hooking up in which someone comes over to “watch a movie” when really one or both parties’ intentions were to not really watch a movie but to spend some “quality time” with a certain someone.
Ladies and gentlemen, don’t fall for the trap! Netflix and chill is not dating nor is it courting. If you have a desire to marry, you have to be on guard regarding these kinds of situations because they lead to “situationships,” another dating term that makes no sense, but I digress.
Related: Here’s how to stop attracting the wrong men and sabotaging your life
We know it’s getting cold outside, but that’s no excuse to have lazy dates like this which come off as nothing more than a cheap way to intimacy. You don’t have to settle for this. Guys, we ladies need you to be a little more creative if you truly want to get to know us.
NAC is a turnoff to women who are looking for a serious commitment. Ladies, if you get hit up late at night for a NAC session, don’t even bother responding; you deserve to be taken out and properly courted with purpose and intention. A few nights alone are better than the regret of hooking up with someone who didn’t want to pursue you beyond sex.
As the lines of dating and relationships get blurred, it’s a good idea to take a step back and get a clear idea of what you’re getting into. Read the fine print before you accept the terms.
BMWK Fam: What do you think about these dating terms? Do you go by them?