Dating Vocabulary, Phrases and Slang.

To see someone means to date someone. Eg; Are you seeing anyone? This is the same as saying do you have a boyfriend / girlfriend? Also, “Are you dating anyone?”

Printable Version

In Canada and the USA a “boyfriend” or “girlfriend” means a romantic friend, lover, NOT just a friend. There are different degrees of boyfriend and girlfriend. If you are seeing / dating someone it may or may not be serious, meaning that you may or may not date other people. If it is a serious (committed) relationship, of course you would not go on a date with a different person.

Alan’s been seeing Sally for over a year now. (sounds serious).

Alan’s been seeing Sally for over a year now. (sounds serious).

John is going out with Sarah. (going out with also means dating).

Blind date – this is when neither of the people going on the date have met each other previously and they were introduced to each other by a friend they both know.

I’ve got a blind date this weekend. I hope she’s pretty, funny and rich.

To fix someone up or to set someone up is to arrange a date for that person. “If Ed fixes Gary up with Helen”, Ed arranges for Gary and Helen to meet and go on a date. (Ed thinks his friend Gary and his friend Helen, who have never met, would like each other or make a good couple so he wants them to meet each other).

Ed: Are you seeing anyone these days?
Gary: No, I’ve been in a dry spell lately.
Ed: Well, I’ve got this hot* new co-worker who would like to meet a nice man. Would you like me to fix you up with her?
Gary: Sounds great. When?
Ed: Are you free on Friday evening?
Gary: Yep!
Ed: How about we meet at Murphy’s Pub after work.
Gary: Sounds great, See you then!
*hot = beautiful, sexy, attractive.

double date - when two couples go on a date together.

If my girlfriend and I go on a date with my best friend and his girlfriend, this is called a double date.

Double dating is NOT when one man has two girlfriends, or a girl has two boyfriends. This situation is called two-timing. “He is two-timing on his girlfriend with another woman.”

Two-time –To Two time means to secretly date a person while you are dating someone else at the same time. For example, my friend has John been dating Sheila for one year and he started to date Jenny last month too. John is two-timing Sheila, John is a ‘two-timer’.

On the side – is similar to ‘two-time’, but this can also be used for married people.

Brad is married to Nancy, but he’s seeing Wanda on the side.

To cheat on – is to date someone else secretly while you are dating someone else and/or married to someone.
- if you are two timing or seeing someone on the side you ARE cheating.

Charles is cheating on Debbie. = Debbie is his wife or girlfriend, but he is seeing another woman secretly.

Stood me up – this phrase is used when you have made plans to meet someone and are waiting for that person, but they don’t show up.

I had plans to meet Jenny in the lobby of the Carlton Theatre at 10:00 pm. I got there at 9:45 and waited until 10:45 but she never came. I can’t believe it, she stood me up.

Break up – to break up is to stop dating someone

I broke up with my girlfriend last week.

Separated – This means that a husband and wife are living apart and are wating to get a divorce. Sometimes separated couples get back together and do not divorce, but many times if they separate, they divorce.

Wilma and Fred are separated.

Get engaged – To get engaged is to promise to get married. An engagement happens after one person (traditionally the man) proposes to the other person. After someone is engaged, we call the man a fiancé and the woman a fiancée.

A: Tom and Tammy have been dating for 5 years now.
B: Did you hear that Tom proposed to Tammy last week?
A: Really, so they are engaged now?
B: No, Tammy found out that Tom was cheating on her so she broke up with him.
A: Well, if he is going to be a two timer he shouldn’t propose to her.
B: That is what he gets for cheating.
A: Yeah, and the girl he was seeing on the side has a fiancé also.
B: Wow, everyday is like a soap opera* in Tom’s life, isn’t it.
Soap Opera – a daytime TV drama that usually has many scandalous people and relationships.

Talk with your partner about the following...

Have you ever gone on a blind date?
Do you like blind dates?
Have you ever been double date? (with who?)
Have you ever been stood up?
Have you ever stood someone up? What did you say the next time you saw the person you stood up?
What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of double dating?
Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend? Is it serious?
Do you know anyone who is separated? Divorced?
Do you know anyone who is a two-timer?
Have you ever two-timed / cheated on someone?
What are some of the problems someone might have when they two-time someone?
Do you find it difficult to break up with someone? How do you do it without hurting their feelings? (a nice way).
Are you seeing anyone now?

Insert a word/phrase from the lesson

Harry: How is your __________?
Sally: He is doing fine, but we don’t go out any more.
Harry: You mean you ________ with her/him?
Sally: Yeah, We are not really right for each other.

Printable Version of this lesson for your class or home study.

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