2009 (Earliest)
As many new brides find themselves, I am now beginning to embark on the dark path of bridal weight loss.
—Annabell, “Briet — Bridal Diet,” Anne’s Bridal Blog, July 20, 2009
Brokeback marriage
n. A current or former marriage in which one partner is gay or has had a gay affair.
Examples
2006
Mrs. Remmele — now married to a farmer who raises cattle, corn and soybeans — is one of an estimated 1.7 million to 3.4 million American women who once were or are now married to men who have sex with men.
The estimate derives from “The Social Organization of Sexuality,” a 1990 study, that found that 3.9 percent of American men who had ever been married had had sex with men in the previous five years. The lead author, Edward O. Laumann, a sociologist at the University of Chicago, estimated that 2 to 4 percent of ever-married American women had knowingly or unknowingly been in what are now called mixed-orientation marriages.
—Katy Butler, “Many Couples Must Negotiate Terms of ‘Brokeback’ Marriages,” The New York Times, March 7, 2006
2006
We are ecstatically happy together. This is no Brokeback Marriage!
—“An Army of Davids Attacks Barry C. Lynn” (photo caption), Wonkette, March 7, 2006
2006 (earliest)
As she’s strolling toward the altar, Rachel gets a look at Luce (Lena Headey of Terry Gilliam’s “The Brothers Grimm”), and — whammo — it’s “Brokeback Marriage” time.
—James Verniere, “‘Imagine’ a sappy Sapphic flick,” The Boston Herald, February 3, 2006
Notes
From the movie “Brokeback Mountain,” about a gay love affair between two cowboys, both of whom are married.
catfishing
n. The elaborate fabrication of an online identity to trick a person into a romantic relationship.
Other Forms
catfish v. · catfish n.
Examples
2013
Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson was unsympathetic to their claims, finding that their conduct was objectionable enough to warrant censure by the university. She specifically calls them out for “catfishing” their victim.
—Kashmir Hill, “‘Catfishing’ Gets Its First Legal Mention,” Forbes, April 26, 2013
2013
And while what happened to Manti Te’o is bringing the term to light, we shouldn’t talk about catfishing like it’s a new thing. Ever since there’s been an Internet, there’s been a fat guy in an undershirt pretending to be a hot model. Social media only makes the lie more believable and more noticeable.
—Scott Kleinburg, “Don’t be the next Te’o,” Chicago Tribune, January 24, 2013
2010 (earliest)
Did you hear how Dave got totally catfished last month?! The fox he thought he was talking to turned out to be a pervy guy from San Diego!
—sbacker, “catfish,” Urban Dictionary, July 22, 2010
Notes
This term comes from a 2010 documentary called Catfish, about a man who falls for a woman whose online persona turns out to be a fake. The origin of the term is given an oddly positive spin in the film:
They used to tank cod from Alaska all the way to China. They’d keep them in vats in the ship. By the time the codfish reached China, the flesh was mush and tasteless. So this guy came up with the idea that if you put these cods in these big vats, put some catfish in with them and the catfish will keep the cod agile. And there are those people who are catfish in life. And they keep you on your toes. They keep you guessing, they keep you thinking, they keep you fresh. And I thank god for the catfish because we would be droll, boring and dull if we didn’t have somebody nipping at our fin.
—Vince Pierce, “Catfish,” Relativity Media, January 22, 2010
conscious uncoupling
n. A ritual designed to lead a couple to an amicable divorce or breakup.
Other Forms
consciously uncouple v.
Examples
2014
We have always conducted our relationship privately, and we hope that as we consciously uncouple and coparent, we will be able to continue in the same manner.
—Gwyneth Paltrow & Chris Martin, “Conscious Uncoupling,” goop, March 25, 2014
2014
A few months earlier, Karey had come to me as a private client and I had encouraged her to let me guide her through my Conscious Uncoupling process to release the trauma of her breakup, reclaim her power and reinvent her life.
—Katherine Woodward Thomas, “Clearing the field after a breakup,” Katherine Woodward Thomas, January 15, 2014
2006 (earliest)
—Kathryn Clements, “Conscious uncoupling: the use of ritual to mark the ending of intimate relationships,” Massey University, January 1, 2006
cougar
n. A middle-aged woman who seeks sexual or romantic relationships with younger men.
Examples
2010
Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph during Harper’s Bazaar’s Women of the Year Awards, where she won a prize for Role Model of the Year, Thompson said: “It’s easy to be flattered, but I am no cougar. I’ve had a lot of male attention here from budding young actors asking about getting on in show business…It got me thinking about the cougar thing. I am a happily married woman, but, even if I was single, I wouldn’t be up for it.”
—Richard Eden, “Emma Thompson calls Hollywood actresses who take younger partners ‘predatory’,” The Sunday Telegraph, November 7, 2010
2010
Besides being dressed in a tight pair of jeans or (weather permitting) body-hugging dress, the cougar can be identified by three key characteristics. First, you’ll notice that make-up has been liberally applied to the mouth and eye area. Second, her clothes will be cloaked in a heavy veil of overly floral perfume and, third, quite unlike the younger members of the female species, she’ll have no qualms about getting raging drunk.
—Thomas Falkiner, “Notes from the field,” Sunday Times (South Africa), October 17, 2010
2000 (earliest)
On his way back to our table George had been stopped by a woman, one of several standing at the bar who tilted forward because of their high heels. This concerned John. “David, you’d better save George. He’s been caught by a cougar.” “What’s that?” “A woman of a certain age looking for a man of a certain income.”
—“The Pursuit of happiness,” The Globe and Mail, January 28, 2000
cougar lift
n. Cosmetic surgery performed on a middle-aged woman to enhance her prospects of dating younger men.
Examples
2010
The ‘Cougar’ euphemism generally refers to older women who date or marry younger men. Many surgeons and elective surgery centers have coined the “Cougar Lift” term to identify an entire category of cosmetic procedures for women in this demographic who are engaged in new romantic relationships — and want to look as vibrant and youthful as they feel.
—“‘Cougar Lift’ Procedures Offer Menopausal Women Surgical Options to Enhance Romantic Relationships,” PR Newswire, November 10, 2010
2010
The number of women age 45 and over choosing to have breast enhancements has doubled. Procedures popular among cougars include facial fillers and buttock implants. Leading the ‘Cougar Lifts’ trend are stars like Demi Moore, Kylie and Madonna.
—“‘Cougar Lifts’ On the Rise,” MMD Newswire, June 28, 2010
2010 (earliest)
Since 2008, the number of breast enlargement patients aged 45 and over at Transform, the UK’s largest cosmetic surgery group has doubled, according to a press release issued here. Transform has experienced a large spike in the number of mature women undergoing body enhancement procedures such as buttock implants and breast enlargements. This trend is now being referred to as the ‘Cougar Lift’.
—“The ‘Cougar Lift’ Trend: Older Women Filling Out For Youthful Looks,” Plus News Pakistan, June 25, 2010
cuffing season
n. Late fall and early winter when single people seek exclusive relationships to help them get through the coming cold months.
Also Seen As
cuffin season · cuffingseason
Other Forms
cuff v. · cuffer n.
Examples
2014
It’s that time of year. Not for turkey and stocking stuffers, but for giving and getting some good lovin’.
We’ve entered cuffing season.
Like many trends starting in hip-hop and black culture, the term cuffing season has become the latest not-so-new phenomenon to hit the mainstream.
—Sofiya Ballin, “Cuffing season, for serious coupling,” Philadelphia Inquirer, November 12, 2014
2013
Every year at the beginning of autumn, a phenomenon known as “cuffing season” begins. When the cold weather and prolonged indoor activity of the fall and winter months are around the corner, many single people are inspired to “cuff” a new partner.
—Nikki Lynette, “All breakups are bad breakups,” Chicago Redeye, August 27, 2013
2012
As for Paul, he says he’s a first-time cuffer.
“This is my first year, I think I’m going to partake in cuffing season,” he said, while looking genuinely cised for it.
—Sarah Kogod, “Niles Paul explains ‘cuffing season’,” The Washington Post, August 29, 2012
2008 (earliest)
9PM-12AM “Cuz We Said So” live on brooklyncollegeradio.org. Tonight’s topic: “Wifing” some1 for the winter aka “Cuffin Season,” yay or nay?
—Holley Murchison, “9PM-12AM…,” Twitter, November 17, 2008
Notes
Why “cuffing”? Because, to some, getting into an exclusive relationships is like putting on handcuffs. The “cuffs” are unlocked (that is, the relationship is ended) when the weather warms (the U.S. Memorial Day holiday in May seems to be the unofficial start of “uncuffing season”). Romantics should apply elsewhere.
demisexual
n. A person who only feels sexual attraction in the context of an emotional or romantic relationship.
Also Seen As
demi-sexual
Other Forms
demisexual adj. · demisexuality n.
Examples
2015
The term caught on only in the last few years, and now most people who are demisexual say their desire arises rarely and only from a deep emotional connection. For a demisexual, there is no moment of glimpsing a stranger across the room and being hit with a wave of lust.
—Kat McGowan, “Young, Attractive, and Totally Not Into Having Sex,” Wired, February 18, 2015
2014
For example, a gay person could maybe also be sapiosexual, questioning, demisexual, and queer: That would be a man who is attracted to other men but only once there is a strong emotional romantic connection and mostly attracted to intelligence-based aspects of that bond but not sure about it and also throws on the word “queer” to clarify that he doesn’t conform to sexual norms.
—Katherine Timpf, “OKCupid Allowing Users to Identify as Five Sexual Orientations at Once,” National Review, November 18, 2014
2013
Some asexuals identify as “gray-aces”, that is, they may have some sexual attraction, or they experience sexual attraction, but only under specific circumstances. One example is demisexuality. Demisexuals experience secondary, but not primary sexual attraction, meaning they tend to only become attracted to those they’ve grown close to.
—ApostleOfCarlin, “Sex in San Diego: Asexuality 101 — The invisible orientation,” San Diego Free Press, September 26, 2013
2006 (earliest)
~Forbidden Fury~ said
I have developed more detailed terms, though I’m still working on them.
Primary sexual attraction is sexual attraction mostly based on physical attributes. An on-sight type of thing.
Secondary sexual attraction is sexual attraction that only develops after in contingent upon emotional attraction developing first.
That actually sounds pretty accurate to me. So I’d have secondary sexual attraction, but hardly any primary. If “sexual” is for both and “asexual” is for neither, maybe we need a new term for people who only have one but not the other?
I propose “demisexuals”.
—sonofzeal, “Asexual sex” (reply), The Asexual Visibility & Education Network, February 8, 2006
destination wedding
n. A wedding that takes place out of town, usually at a vacation resort.
Examples
1997
“The destination wedding trend is just booming,” said Tiffany Wentz, a spokeswoman for SuperClubs, which owns resorts in Jamaica and the Bahamas. She said the company has 80 to 100 weddings a month at each of its seven properties.
—Karen Schwartz, “Wedding at exotic locale makes saying ‘I do’ easier,” Chicago Sun-Times, May 4, 1997
1990 (earliest)
These so-called “destination weddings” are more popular for second marriages. But Monaghan said that even first weddings are being held at resorts these days.
—Linda Shrieves, “Wedding march is on to Orlando,” Orlando Sentinel Tribune, September 11, 1990
Notes
In 1996, 65,000 couples opted for destination weddings to avoid the usual hassles associated with wedding ceremonies (guest lists, bands, catering, etc.) and to give themselves an instantly romantic location for their honeymoon.
DINS
n. The state of a couple where both partners work but they are too tired or stressed to have sex.
Etymology
From the phrase double income no sex
Examples
2002
Are you experiencing DINS? That’s Double Income No Sex. According to the April issue of Health magazine, researchers say it’s natural for libidos to “cool off during the career- and family-building years.”
—“Sexual blip?,” Sunday News, April 21, 2002
1991 (earliest)
Jackie Singer, an Irvine psychotherapist, says she has counseled a number of weary couples who work long hours during the week, spend weekends running around with their kids and seldom find time for each other. She has her own acronym for them: DILS (Double Income, Little Sex) or DINS (Double Income, No Sex).
—Sherry Angel, “Relationships: A reawakening in the bedroom,” Los Angeles Times, December 4, 1991
documentary-style
adj. Relating to photographs, especially those of a wedding, in which the subjects are captured in candid, non-posed scenes.
Other Forms
documentary style n.
Examples
2002
The Cheneys and the Mihaloviches hired Black Dog Imageworks of Kansas City to photograph their weddings. Black Dog shoots black and white overwhelmingly, and plenty of people call the company for just that reason.
“I know there’s a resurgence in interest in black and white — weddings especially,” said Rachel Meiring, one of the company’s two wedding photographers.
The move to black and white hasn’t occurred in isolation. It generally goes along with a grainy texture, wide-angle lenses and a spontaneous, documentary-style approach.
—Karen Uhlenhuth, “Back in black; More people are opting for the timeless and classy look in photographs,” Kansas City Star, June 18, 2002
1997 (earliest)
Besides shooting in black and white, some photographers are also opting for more candid, journalistic-style shots. . . . “Who will be shooting the wedding, and what is his or her background in photography? ” If you want more documentary-style shots, you may want a photographer with a photojournalism background.
—Eva-Marie Ayala, “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something black and white,” Fort Worth Star Telegram, July 30, 1997
Notes
The New York Times reported last weekend that this kind of photography — they called it documentary wedding photography — is becoming popular at weddings as modern brides and grooms eschew the traditional firing squad photo (also known as a Castro photo) where the photographer lines up the subjects and shoots them. This naturalistic photography has also been described as journalistic-style, an adjective that makes a convenient appearance in the earliest citation for documentary-style.
dormcest
n. A romantic relationship with a person who lives in the same dormitory or student residence.
Other Forms
dormcestuous adj.
Etymology
dorm + incest
Examples
2002
Maybe the relationship started out strong in the lonely, housebound days of winter quarter, but fizzled as the enticing summer loomed ahead. Or maybe you fell prey to the demon of dormcest and came to your senses only after the “dorm couple” label stuck. In cases like these, you may try to maintain good relations with an ex.
—Roxy Sass, “Roxy faces her dirty past,” The Stanford Daily, November 15, 2002
2001
Because Stanford students are shy about approaching strangers, most romances occur in the residence halls, students said. There’s even a word for it: dormcest.
—Anne Rochell Konigsmark, “Stanford TV show acts as matchmaker,” San Jose Mercury News, March 10, 2001
1994 (earliest)
Constructed for male students, Dykstra became one of the nation’s first co-ed dorms in 1960 — which explains the urinals in the women’s lavatories. Originally, facing a room shortage, university officials decided to house women in Dysktra’s top three floors, with students allowed to mingle only on Sunday afternoons. Today, women and men have rooms side by side, and the degree of casual contact between the sexes is stunning.
One afternoon, Devin Senelick, fully dressed, spoons on a bed with one woman. Later that night at a party, he wraps himself around another. Romantic interests? No way. He advises against “dormcest” — involvements with women on his hall.
—Nora Zamichow, “Welcome to dorm life in 1994,” Los Angeles Times, October 14, 1994
Notes
Dormcest — a blend of dorm and incest — is also called housecest (2001) and floorcest (1998). Thanks to subscriber Jack Kapica for passing along this term.
elderweds
n. People who get married later in life.
Etymology
cf. newlyweds
Examples
1999
Elderweds: Older people who get married for a second time in their lives.
—Michael Kesterton, “Social Studies,” The Globe and Mail (Canada), October 6, 1999
1999
Orville Abbott, 76, and his wife, Arlene, 65, have been married seven years. . . . What do experts say about marriages like theirs? How about children of such brides and grooms? And what do “elderweds,” as they are called, think about such relationships themselves?
—Robert A. Masullo, “Once and Again,” Sacramento Bee, September 26, 1999
1990 (earliest)
The remaining new shows include three half-hour sitcoms and two hourlong dramas. They are:
“Baby Talk”: Connie Sellecca stars in this show based on the hit movie, “Look Who’s Talking.”
“Married People”: Three generations of couples — newlyweds, baby boomers and elderweds — share a New York brownstone.
—“‘Twin Peaks,’ more videos make ABC’s fall schedule,” Los Angeles Times, May 21, 1990
equicloseness
n. The state or condition of having equally close relationships with multiple people or organizations, particularly as a negotiator working with adversarial groups.
Examples
2014
Detractors say in the last three assembly polls Rio beat Congress raising the Naga question, but failed to push Delhi for a solution. In 2003, he led NPF to victory. He had pledged to work for a solution to Naga insurgency and coined the term “equicloseness” to describe his relations with rebel factions.
—Oinam Sunil & Xavier Rutsa, “Narendra Modi apart, he’s the only other Chief Minister in Lok Sabha race,” The Economic Times of India, March 29, 2014
2011
The traditional Italian line, upheld over time by leading politicians such as Enrico Mattei, Amintore Fanfani, Aldo Moro, Giulio Andreotti, Bettino Craxi, and Massimo D’Alema, was characterized by a decidedly pro-Arab and pro-Palestinian stance, albeit under the cover of the “equidistance” formula (recently reinterpreted by D’Alema as “equicloseness”).
—Roberto Aliboni, et al., “Southern Europe and the Mediterraneona: National Approaches and Transatlantic Perspectives” (PDF), The German Marshall Fund of the United States, September 1, 2011
1995 (earliest)
Ljubisa Georgievski, the leader of {he largest Macedonian nationalist party (VMRO-DPNME), opposed the Prime Minister’s principle of equidistance ; preferring “equicloseness” to the four neighbors as the cornerstone of foreign policy.
—Stefan Troebst, “Report on a visit to the Republic of Macedonia” (PDF), The Aspen Institute Deutschland, November 24, 1995
exercise widow
n. A woman who spends little time with her husband because of his frequent and extended exercise sessions.
Examples
2011
The exercise widow often wakes to an empty bed—a sure sign of a morning workout—and may find dinner plans spoiled by a sudden avoidance of anything heavy before a night run.
—Kevin Helliker, “A Workout Ate My Marriage,” The Wall Street Journal, February 1, 2011
2004
Dear Amy: My husband … has become so obsessed with his exercise program that he has little time or energy for me. He goes to bed shortly after our children do and wakes up early to work out. … I have talked to him about this. He makes an attempt to be with me, but then goes back to his routine.—Exercise Widow
—Amy Dickinson, “Quick quips may help keep bullies at bay,” Chicago Tribune, March 6, 2004
1992 (earliest)
Any of you who are “exercise widows” and whose husband is apt to be streaking out the door to jog just when you’re getting ready to snuggle know the syndrome.
—Janet L. Wolfe, What to Do When He Has a Headache, Hyperion, May 4, 1992
Notes
The male equivalent is, of course, the exercise widower:
My fella just puts up with being an exercise widower now, although it’s taken some time for him to accept that this I’m not going to change!
—TokaiAngel, “Ready? Set? GO! It’s carbo-loading time up in herre,” “Ready? Set? GO! It’s carbo-loading time up in herre!”, November 20, 2008
face time
n. Time spent interacting with someone in person, rather than via email or some other electronic link.
Also Seen As
face-time · facetime
Examples
1996
Hi-tech tools such as modems, e-mail and cellular phones enable employees to do much of their work at home. But many employees feel a subtle or overt pressure to intensify “face time” — the time, productive or not, that they’re seen at the office.
—Paul Luke, “Workaholics: ‘Insecure’ employees toiling long hours,” Calgary Herald, August 10, 1996
1996
John and Heather duly dispatched their pictures, both of which showed pleasant, open, plumpish faces. Both liked what they saw, but there still remained the underlying worry that neither might be the person they said they were. It was not until eight months after they first made computer contact that the couple finally secured what is termed “face time” — a meeting in person.
—Christopher Middleton, “Tugs and Pie: it’s love at first byte,” The Daily Telegraph, May 10, 1996
1978 (earliest)
The President himself drops by the White House press room to announce or call attention to events that reflect favorably on the administration, thus guaranteeing himself a few precious seconds of ‘face time’ on the evening TV news.
—U.S. News & World Report, September 4, September 4, 1978
familymoon
n. A honeymoon in which the bride and groom also bring their children from previous marriages.
Also Seen As
family-moon
Etymology
family + honeymoon
Examples
2001
There’s a new crop of honeymooners who would rather hit the hotel water slide than spend the morning cuddling in bed. They’d gladly forgo candlelight dinners and romantic strolls on the beach for the nearest video arcade.
That’s because some of these honeymooners aren’t even out of kindergarten. Most are too young to drive. Their divorced parents have opted to remarry at a vacation locale, making the ceremony and honeymoon a family holiday at Disney World or in Maui…
However these families arrange their weddings, the goal is always the same.
“We didn’t want Conner to feel excluded,” said New Yorker Craig Linden, whose 5-year-old stepson joined the couple for their wedding and honeymoon in Hawaii. “It was a familymoon.”
—Eileen Ogintz, “Encore brides include their children and his in honeymoon plans,” Ventura County Star, August 19, 2001
1999 (earliest)
With three birthdays, a wedding and a “familymoon,” we’ve had a lot of celebrations in our family lately.
—Jennifer Hansen, “End of this school year true cause for celebration,” The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, June 2, 1999
flirtationship
n. A relationship that consists mostly of flirting.
Etymology
flirt + relationship
Examples
2012
Rather than go with the cliche of “we’re good friends”, which may not be the entire truth but is certainly truer as compared to the fact that we are not in a relationship, this wonderful new discovery, “flirtationship”, is a much awaited fill in the blank.
—Pooja Bedi, “Heard of flirtationship?,” The Times of India, September 21, 2012
2012
I think the average high school relationship probably lasts two weeks. Raging hormones and a desire to be the center of attention keep most teenagers moving on quickly, having mostly “flirtationships” and never really settling down.
—Courtney Phelan, “Phelan: High school relationships not always easy,” Kane County Chronicle, August 2, 2012
1994 (earliest)
When the real Sharon Stone (playing herself, fabulously as always) has a fling with fictional late-night talk-show host Larry Sanders (Garry Shandling as a Carson on Prozac), a star is shorn - of self-esteem, of dignity….
Not that their randy flirtationship is built on false pretenses. It’s all pretense.
—Matt Roush, “Stone’s ripple effect on ‘Larry’,” USA Today, August 10, 1994
Notes
It’s possible this term is much older than the earliest citation. Witness the following lines from a poem called One of Them, published by Gilbert Frankau in 1918 (the full text is included here:
In times when he had fivers by the fist-full
And fires of youth — where now are only embers.
Jack’s Jills ! Why, Muse possesses quite a list full.
May’s Jill, and June’s Jill, August’s, and September’s….
Yet dares no more than skim each light adventure
Which followed on flirtationship’s indenture.
—Gilbert Frankau, “One of Them,” The Poetical Works of Gilbert Frankau, February 1, 1918 (OED)
v. To search for information on the web, particularly by using the Google search engine; to search the web for information related to a new or potential girlfriend or boyfriend.
Other Forms
Googling pp.
Examples
2001
Still a rare practice among the online masses, Googling the one you (might) love is fairly common among the young, professional and Internet-savvy. ‘Everyone does it,’ said Jena Fischer, 26, a Chicago advertising executive. ‘And if [they say] they’re not doing it, they’re lying.’
—Nara Schoenberg, “Don’t Go Into Date Blind; Singles Googling Before Canoodling,” Chicago Tribune, April 2, 2001
2001
So if you’re Googling your prospective dates, a word of warning: Don’t jump to conclusions about someone just because Google says she murdered 50 people. Chances are, that’s an overstatement.
—Amy Gilligan, “Googling is newest date thing,” Telegraph-Herald, January 14, 2001
2000
Dave Eggers, the 29-year-old author of ‘A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius’ and editor of the quarterly journal McSweeney’s, will chat with folks at a private Denver residence on Tuesday. … Eggers is owner of probably the most Googled name out there right now.
—“Novelist Dave Eggers to speak in Denver,” The Denver Post, September 10, 2000
1998 (earliest)
Expect to see a lot of changes in Google in the next few months. We plan to have a much bigger index than our current 24 million pages soon. Thanks to all the people who have sent us logos, HTML and suggestions. Keep them coming!
Have fun and keep googling!
—Larry Page, “Google Friends Newsletter for July 9, 1998,” Google, July 9, 1998
Notes
Note that Google ™ is a trademark identifying the search technology and services of Google Technologies Inc.
Using Google to scope out a new boyfriend or girlfriend — which has also been called Google dating and interpersonal espionage — took off after a lengthy article on the practice appeared in the January 15, 2001 issue of the New York Observer. However, the honor of the first print citation goes to the Telegraph-Herald, which published a story just the day before (see the earliest citation).
Note, too, some people claim you can only use the verb google to refer to a Google search. That makes sense, but how people use language often isn’t sensible (how dull that would be!). Google is being used in a more general way. For example, one person told me that their daughter said she was “googling for her other sock.” And here’s an example citation (one of dozens I could provide) that shows the use of googling as a synonym for “searching the Web”:
The blind date has been replaced, we hear, by the 20/20 date.
Once, the prospective girlfriend devoted considerable time to the predate ritual, switching dresses, reapplying lipstick, declumping lashes, and, perhaps, calling the friend of a friend of a friend who might remember the date’s name.
These days, date-readiness requires roughly the same amount of time, during which the investigative dater, suited up in her regulation black shift and clumpless mascara, gives the boyfriend-applicant a once-over. This process reflects none of the cuddliness implicit in the term “Googling.”
With the assistance of her high-speed Internet connection, she scans and fact-checks her suitor’s resume. Her short, buffed nails pull up his credit history, mortgage schedule, publications record, professional reprimands, genealogy and horoscope.
—Leah Eskin, “Getting to know ALL about you,” The Chicago Tribune, February 9, 2003
hubby-wife
v. In a two-person team, to produce a positive result by having one team member perform well when the other member does not.
Also Seen As
husband-and-wife
Examples
2001
You’ve got to break up cliques, or you’ll find players husband-and-wifing it on the court.
—Al McGuire, “McGuire won more than just championships,” The News Tribune, January 28, 2001
2000 (earliest)
The Americans’ most telling weapon was their putting, mostly Duval’s. That and the fact that, as Woods put it, they ‘hubby-wifed’ it pretty well, with one bailing the other out in times of trouble.
—Lewine Mair, “Americans sink local heroes,” The Daily Telegraph, December 11, 2000
Notes
This verb, with its underlying sense of the two players helping each other, is probably derived from the older verb husband-and-wife, “to have two players on a team control the majority of the offensive play.” I believe this phrase was coined by former college basketball coach Al McGuire.
hyperdating
pp. Dating many different people over a short period of time.
Also Seen As
hyper-dating
Examples
2004
In our rush-crazed society, where takeout and drive-throughs are commonplace, it’s no wonder some of us have come to treat relationships as if they came in to-go bags. …
The people involved (some of my friends included) have different reasons for hyper-dating. But it winds up leaving lots of women, and many men, unfulfilled because deep down many of them hoped their latest fling would turn into something more meaningful.
—Cindy Rodriguez, “Slow, steady wins the race to intimacy,” The Denver Post, February 13, 2004
2003
Growth in the commodification of romance has been swift and unprecedented, rising exponentially alongside the increase in single people. One in five now use some kind of dating service. In particular, statistics suggest that in just three years’ time more than 50 per cent of single people will meet a partner online (in New York, internet dating has taken off to such an extent it is now sometimes referred to as ‘hyperdating’; people set up 10 online dates every week, sometimes several a night).
—Rachel Cooke, “Couples: The Search,” The Observer, April 20, 2003
2002 (earliest)
In just a few short months, Mr. Jong said he went out with around 70 women — usually an after-work drink with the option of an easy escape if things didn’t work out. In about a third of the cases, he said, the woman went home with him.
Mr. Tjong’s venture into hyperdating is indicative of the peculiar effect online personals have had on the social lives of many people in their early to mid-20’s — the first generation to pass through adolescence in a world with e-mail and instant messaging.
—Warren St. John, “Young, Single and Dating at Hyperspeed,” The New York Times, April 21, 2002