Doctors won’t tell you this definition for “super-spreader event”.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought a long list of new terms into everyone’s daily vocabulary, but Ashley Madison, the notorious dating site that caters to cheaters, is hoping to redefine a few key terms as daters continue their search for love, or just a good hook up.
To stay on top of the ever-changing dating landscape, Ashley Madison released its third annual Discreet Dictionary, a list of “timely terms for married daters to use while either carrying out discreet affairs or exploring past the boundaries of monogamy.”
Of course, some of the new vocabulary added to the glossary of infidelity was inspired by the pandemic.
Have you been to a “super spreader event”? Are you “double masking”? Because you might want to clarify what you’re talking about before you answer these questions.
Depending on who you’re chatting with, a super spreader event can also be a threesome, and double masking could describe someone who cheats on their affair partner.
If someone asks if you’ve had a “booster,” they might be asking if you’ve been vaccinated, or if you’ve been able to maintain momentum with your illicit lover.
Almost everyone has had a “false positive” — a person who presents themselves better online than in person — and “anti-waxers” — a person who balked at stigma and embraced their natural body hair during the pandemic.
According to the social network for adulterous encounters, a “hot spot” isn’t the site of a viral outbreak, but a frequent hook-up location. And to be “lovesick” isn’t about needing affection; it’s what happens when you contract COVID from your extramarital partner.
But as pandemic-related restrictions loosen and the dating scene ramps up again, people are ready to rid themselves of COVID fears — and get frisky with an inaugural threesome, dubbed a “home opener,” or join a “poly pocket,” which is code for a polyamorous community, and not to be confused with the Mattel toy.
Married dating became increasingly popular during the pandemic as people searched for ways to spice up their sex lives while cooped up indoors. Last year, Ashley Madison reported that it surpassed 70 million users at the close of 2020, up 5.5 million registrations from a year earlier.
With more users, these terms may become more relevant, especially in places where people are peaking outside their marriage.
Here is the full list of Ashley Madison’s 2022 Discreet Dictionary.
- Super Spreader Event – a threesome during COVID
- Anti-Waxer – a person who has embraced natural body hair during the pandemic
- Spouse With Benefits (SWB) – a spouse who allows their primary partner to have outside partners
- Home Opener – the first threesome a primary couple hosts
- Double Masking – to cheat on your affair partner
- Poly Pocket – a virtual or in-person community of polyamorous people
- Sex Bubble – a close knit group of people who only see each other for sex while staying safe from COVID
- Pledging – to be initiated into a sex bubble
- Riding the Wave – to build sexual momentum with multiple affair partners
- Spouse Over Shoulder (SOS) – a warning signal that a spouse is in the room
- Hot Spot – a revisited hookup spot, typically an outdoor or public location
- Snacking – to try out having more than one sexual/romantic partner
- Lovesick – describes couples who contracted COVID together
- Booster – a sex partner you see every few months to keep the momentum going
- False Positive – a person who presents themselves better online than in person