"Freckling" refers to a casual, short-term summer romance or fling that flourishes during warm weather but fades away as autumn approaches, much like sun-induced freckles disappear in winter. It typically involves a partner who is active during summer outdoor activities but becomes distant or disappears when the weather turns cold.
The 7-7-7 rule for couples is a relationship guideline suggesting they schedule consistent, quality time together: a date night every 7 days, a weekend getaway every 7 weeks, and a longer, romantic vacation every 7 months, designed to maintain connection, prevent drifting apart, and reduce burnout by fostering regular intentionality and fun. While some find the schedule ambitious or costly, experts agree the principle of regular, dedicated connection is vital, encouraging couples to adapt the frequency to fit their lives.
Groundhogging refers to when you date the same type of person repeatedly and expect things to go differently. It's referencing the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray, in which a meteorologist keeps re-living the same day until he changes his ways and falls in love.
Roaching refers to a situation where an individual, often in a casual or undefined relationship, withholds information about their involvement with multiple other partners.
The 37% rule in dating, derived from the "optimal stopping problem," suggests you should date and reject the first 37% of potential partners (or roughly the first third) to establish a baseline, and then commit to the next person who is better than anyone you've met so far, maximizing your chances of picking the best option overall. It's a strategy balancing exploring possibilities (the first 37%) with exploiting a good match (the rest). For example, if you plan 10 dates, you'd enjoy the first three without commitment, then choose the fourth if they're better than the first three, and so on.
The 3-6-9 rule in relationships is a guideline for pacing a new connection through three stages: the first three months are the honeymoon phase (infatuation, fun), the next three (months 3-6) involve the beginning of the conflict stage (seeing flaws, arguments), and the final three (months 6-9) are the decision-making stage (evaluating long-term potential), helping couples see past initial attraction to genuine compatibility before major commitments.
There are five different types of infidelity: opportunistic, obligatory, romantic, conflicted romantic, and commemorative. Here, we break down each one and what it might mean for your relationship moving forward.
'Stashing' happens when one person in a relationship makes the conscious decision of keeping their partner from their inner circle and can range from a hesitancy to introduce you to their friends and family, to avoiding making the relationship known on social media.
The 6-6-6 rule refers to men who are 6 feet tall, have six-pack abs and make over six figures.
The 80/20 principle applied to love means that 80% of your feeling about your relationship comes from 20% of your interactions together. Accordingly, I offer the following proposition: If time with your partner is at least 80% Easy, and at maximum 20% Challenge, then you have a relationship that is sustainable.
Cobwebbing is dusting off the "cobwebs" — or old flames — so you can start fresh with someone new. As explained by Bumble's sex and relationship expert Dr. Caroline West, "By actively 'cobwebbing' your environment of the past, you can then move forward feeling more empowered, confident and open to meeting someone new."
Kittenfishing involves enhancing or misrepresenting aspects of oneself to appear more attractive on dating apps. Examples include: Using heavily filtered or old photos that don't reflect one's current appearance. Exaggerating height, weight, or fitness levels.
Unlike ghosting, which involves simply ceasing to respond, cloaking goes a step further by blocking or removing the other person from all social media platforms and dating apps, making it impossible to contact or even find them online.
Passive cheating occurs when a student overhears how other students answered questions, and this information influences how the student responds. The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether passive cheating took place between back-to-back classes.
Statistically, men tend to cheat more than women, with studies showing higher rates of infidelity among married men (around 20%) compared to married women (around 13%), though this gap narrows and even reverses in younger age groups, with some data suggesting younger women might slightly edge out younger men in infidelity, while older men show the highest rates overall. However, both genders cheat, and factors like age, opportunity, relationship dynamics (emotional needs, independence), and personality traits (impulse control) play significant roles, with some research indicating women might be better at hiding infidelity.
Eleven common signs of cheating include:
Theres a rule out there called the 777 rule that offers couples a gentle, intentional way to keep their bond strong and their hearts aligned. The concept is simple yet powerful: have a date night every seven days, a weekend getaway every seven weeks, and a romantic holiday every seven months.
The biggest red flags on a first date often involve a lack of respect for boundaries, disrespect towards others, and excessive self-centeredness, showing how someone treats waitstaff, talks about themselves without asking about you, or dismisses your comfort and safety concerns, indicating potential controlling behavior, a lack of empathy, or emotional instability that can signal deeper issues down the line.
Before you go to bed, they say this 10-minute rule is a simple fix. You just set aside 10 minutes every day for one person to speak while the other listens quietly. Oh.