(NewsNation) — You’ve probably heard of relationship red flags, which could be signs of a toxic partner, and you’ve probably heard of green flags, which are signs that you may have met the one, but what about beige flags?
It’s a trendy phrase that originated on TikTok and alludes to beige flags being defined as quirky habits that aren’t relationship-ending deal-breakers but aren’t positive either.
However, Bela Gandhi, owner of Smart Dating Academy, told NewsNation that, “There is no definition, it just continues to evolve.”
“My best way to summarize this is it’s either like a quirky, endearing habit that you yourself have or your partner or it’s a fun fact about me, or you,” Gandhi explained.
“It’s a super niche idiosyncrasy that is kind of funny, weird and unique, but not necessarily bad or not necessarily good,” Max Alley, an online dating coach, told TODAY.com.
People are sharing their partners’ quirks such as, “My (girlfriend’s) beige flag is that she doesn’t know her lefts and rights.”
Gandhi gave the example: “When we watch horror movies, my boyfriend’s the one that’s terrified and buries his head in my shoulder.”
While beige flags are taking over TikTok, Thomas Edwards, dating coach and founder of The Professional Wingman, told TODAY.com that it’s not the first time that beige has come up in the context of dating.
“Beige flags started as a way to see if someone’s online dating profile was seen as boring,” Edwards said. “If you use very cliche lines or you like pineapple on pizza or Excel spreadsheets, it seems like it was hints that you were totally boring.”
While beige has taken on a new meaning, for some, there may be a thin line between red flags and beige flags.
“I think red is toxic; Beige is quirky. So red is somebody who’s ghosting you, they’re unreliable, they’re negative or hostile, they’re a no-show,” Gandhi said. “They’re mean, they’re mean to you, to the waiters, to your family. They don’t bring you out and introduce you to their people.”
Regardless, Edwards encourages everyone to not get caught up in the trends and to remember why they’re with their partner.
“Those quirks and those interesting things can be a part of the personality and the character of who that person is, which is the very thing that you fell in love with or appreciate,” Edwards told TODAY.com.