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10 Must-Know Tinder Dating Terms

Apps like Tinder have completely rewritten the book of dating, even changing the way we talk about romance. Here are 10 terms that you should know if you're planning to find love by swiping through dating profiles!

Calling Card

Calling Card

A calling card is the first picture displayed on a Tinder profile, and it's seen before any additional information or photographs. You can assume that a user who chooses a calling card that does not include a clear shot of their face is unattractive.

Ex: "Why do so many guys have calling cards of themselves holding fish?"

Background Check

Background Check

A background check is the process by which a user contacts their match's mutual friends to find out if he or she has any unsavory qualities or hidden secrets.

Ex: "Would you help me with a background check on Mark Smith? Give me the dirt."

Pivot

Pivot

The pivot is a shift from in-app messaging to text message communication. The pivot can occur either through conscious decision making or due to Tinder’s faulty messaging service. Once you have exchanged phone numbers and changed mediums, you have engaged in the pivot.

Ex: "What do you say we pivot? I'll give you my number."

Proof of Previous Use

Proof of Previous Use

Proof of previous use is the phenomenon of a user providing multiple pictures of themselves with an ex, presumably to signal what a potential match should look like.  (This is a bold move that normally backfires, as viewers may get the impression that the user still has feelings for the ex.)

Ex: "He was cute, but he had a little too much proof of previous use for my taste."

Groucho

Groucho

A groucho is the act of rejecting someone’s profile solely based on the fact that you don’t like one or more of your mutual friends. This friend could be a former lover, an annoying person you forgot to drop from Facebook, or even a family member.

Ex: "I had to groucho that girl because she was friends with Stacy. Yep, that  Stacy."

Back of the Fridge

Back of the Fridge

The back of the fridge is the area of your Tinder account where you keep matches with whom you haven't spoken. You are saving them for a rainy (desperate) day.

Ex: "It’s been a rough week. When I get home, I’m going to see what’s in the back of the fridge."

Acceleration Error

Acceleration Error

Acceleration error is the mistake you make when you are swiping too rapidly and accidently swipe left on an account that you actually liked, or vice versa. This normally occurs after the boredom has set in from using Tinder for a prolonged period of time.

Ex: "I didn’t mean to do that. Maybe these acceleration errors are a sign I should go outside."

Thursday Panic

Thursday Panic

Thursday panic is the surge of activity on Tinder that occurs when many users realize that they don’t have any plans for the weekend, so they come looking for any last minute takers.

Ex: "I can’t talk right now. If I don’t get in on the Thursday panic, I’m going to be spending Saturday night binge-watching Golden Girls."

Rock Bottom

Rock Bottom

Rock bottom is the feeling you experience when you arrive at the screen informing you that there are no more potential matches in your specified location and age range. It is usually met with an overwhelming fear that you are undatable, as you have either rejected or been rejected by all of the “fish in the sea.”

Ex: "Rock bottom? Maybe my ex was right. Where’s that bottle of wine?"

Insta-tease

 Insta-tease

An Insta-tease is a user who provides a link to an Instagram profile, only to reveal that their account is private and thus cannot be accessed through the link given.

Ex: "She's such an Insta-tease. Why would she even include a link when she knows it won’t open?"