Edging, the P Spot, Zombieing: Five dating terms to know in 2022

Words can be used to explore intimacy, to express desire, but also to define a relationship. It is through language that flirting begins, often through the written word, if lovers start their romance on a dating website. But how can we put words on practices that are constantly evolving and redefining themselves?

The dating site Happn, together with Léa from the Instagram account @mercibeaucul_ have identified five words that will set the tone for the language of love in 2022.

Breadcrumbing: the toxic flirt

This love lexicon kicks off with a trend that can make many people suffer. Known as breadcrumbing, it basically involves throwing a love interest “crumbs” of attention to keep them hanging on. On social networks, this can be translated into a simple reaction to a story or post, with an emoji or a simple “hi, how are you?” It is about “giving enough attention to your target to maintain interest, without ever going further,” summarizes the sex therapist. 

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Edging: for heightened pleasure

This is about taking your time to heighten the pleasure. Edging involves measuring the degree of arousal to postpone the orgasm and thus increase its intensity, explains the dating site. To put this into practice, simply define a scale to measure your level of arousal. For example, from 1 to 10, the maximum score referring to the ultimate pleasure. When the sensation approaches 8 or 9, it should be slowed down to lower the score and the arousal level. It may be an arduous task, but it’s well worth the effort, says the creator of @mercibeaucul_. 

The P Spot: one for the guys

“The P-spot is a tactical area for men and people with a penis,” explains the sex therapist, “it corresponds to the place where you can stimulate the prostate.” So how do you do it? With skilled fingering, which can unlock orgasms from a whole new dimension, the sexpert says.

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Mindful sex: reconnecting with the moment 

Sharing the moment in full consciousness, mindful sex allows you “to reconnect with your body, the present moment and your partner, if it is practiced as a couple.” In practice, the partners forget “the search for the fastest [route to] orgasm, take their time and are in tune with each one of their sensations.” 

Zombieing: the (unwelcome) return of the ex 

The good ones always get away. But in the case of Zombieing, it’s the worst ones who come back. Here, a former date or hookup comes back out of the blue as if nothing ever happened, after having previously disappeared with no explanation. “It is with the most nerve in the world, and without any excuse, that they come over all ‘walking dead’ to see if any negotiation is still possible,” summarizes the Instagrammer. So how should you react? Here, you can allow yourself to ghost them, she says. Rename the contact “do not answer” then block them.