Stephen Colbert 'romansplains' new dating terms like hesidating and handticipation

Now you know.
 By 
Rachel Thompson
 on 
'Late Show' host Stephen Colbert sits next to an image of a blackboard with the words 'Romansplaining with Stephen Colbert' etched in chalk
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Things move fast in the world of dating.

But thankfully, we have Stephen Colbert on hand to explain — or should I say 'romansplain' — the hottest dating trends of the moment.

Take hesidating, for instance, which the Late Show host defines as "questioning whether you want to date at all."

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This general malaise when faced with the prospect of dating in such — don't say it, don't say it — unprecedented times (sorry), must surely make for some interesting pick up lines. Colbert suggests: "Hey, saw you across the bar and I couldn't help but wonder if it's worth the effort to ever speak to anyone at all. We're both born astride of a grave and the yawning void awaits. Anyway, wanna get out of here? Not sure if I do."

Handticipation, meanwhile, refers to "the anxiety that comes with being unsure with the physical boundaries that are acceptable due to social distancing from the pandemic such as whether to hug, handshake, or wave at your date."

Haven't you heard? Dumping is sooo passé. We know refer to ending a relationship as "resigning" when paired with the life lessons and clarity the pandemic has brought us.

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Rachel Thompson, sits wearing a dress with yellow florals and black background.
Rachel Thompson
Features Editor

Rachel Thompson is the Features Editor at Mashable. Rachel's second non-fiction book The Love Fix: Reclaiming Intimacy in a Disconnected World is out now, published by Penguin Random House in Jan. 2025. The Love Fix explores why dating feels so hard right now, why we experience difficult emotions in the realm of love, and how we can change our dating culture for the better.

A leading sex and dating writer in the UK, Rachel has written for GQ, The Guardian, The Sunday Times Style, The Telegraph, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Stylist, ELLE, The i Paper, Refinery29, and many more.

Rachel's first book Rough: How Violence Has Found Its Way Into the Bedroom And What We Can Do About It, a non-fiction investigation into sexual violence was published by Penguin Random House in 2021.


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