Your friends been dumped, your dog has gone missing, you left your hair straighteners on, there’s a crisis at work: All of these are commonly used and frequently needed excuses to escape really dire dates. And now there’s a new term to describe the signals that hint your potential new soul mate might actually just be really boring: beige flags.
Yup, the dictionary of dating terminology is gradually adding a colours scheme to its collection. First came red flags: warning signs of romantic danger. Then came pink flags: contrasting love languages and political views. Then white flags: identifiable issues to work through. Green flags: much welcome signs of stability. And beige flags: hints of bland behaviour.
Like many romantic monikers, beige flags started on TikTok. A user called Caitlin MacPhail (‘the CEO of beige flags’) coined the term and explained that having an opinion on coriander, pineapple on pizza, whether chocolate belongs in the fridge, mainstream sitcoms, puppies, spreadsheets or banter, indicates a lack of personality: ‘I’m just going to assume you have no deeper meaning,’ she said.
Essentially, it’s any opinion or (more specifically) Hinge prompt that’s a stereotype. Saying you’re ‘overly competitive about everything’ or that you’re ‘looking for the Pam to your Jim’ is an unrevealing response that could also suggest you’re covering your lack of personal identity with a cliché. Where’s the originality? Where’s the spice?
Nobody wants to waste their time arranging a date only to discover there’s nothing to talk about—loving puppies and Parks and Recreation is nice…but rarely grounds for a romantic spark. So, when it comes to dating profiles, users might need to start getting a bit more creative.
The idea of dubbing someone ‘bland’ might sound fundamentally unkind. But let’s get real, when searching for your soul mate, generic answers are frustrating. Their love of Peep Show gets you no closer to deciding if they’re your type at all. We need unexpected but never offensive answers—but so many guys get this wrong.
The key to avoiding the bland is to really consider what make you who you are. Don’t delete all the photos with your dog if you genuinely walk them every weekend (Caitlin allows every profile three beige flags before scrolling past). But you may want to consider the USPs of your personality as well. What are your niche stories and hobbies? Has something truly bizarre ever happened to you? Don’t hide your personality behind the palatable just because you’re scared.
Caitlin now does the public service or scouring dating profiles for beige flags and delivering a verdict on TikTok. So, if you’re brave enough find out whether your chat withstands the new beige barometer, it’s time to send your account over to the oracle herself…