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Learning English - The Flatmates

Language Point

Archive Language Point 29
Love vocabulary

Here is some vocabulary to describe some of the different stages of a relationship

to chat (somebody) up
to talk to somebody in the hope of starting a romantic or sexual relationship

to flirt (with somebody)
to behave playfully towards another person who you are - or pretend to be - attracted to romantically or sexually

a flirt
a person who likes to flirt

a blind date
a meeting (arranged by a third party) with a person you might be interested in romantically but who you have never met before

lonely hearts
small ads (in newspapers, magazines or on the internet) which give a short description of a person you would like to date. To save space, some of these abbreviations are used:

WLTM - would like to meet
GSOH - good sense of humour
LTR - long-term relationship

to be smitten with somebody
to be deeply affected by your love for somebody

to fall for somebody
to fall in love with somebody

it was love at first sight
two people fell in love with each other as soon as they met

to take the plunge
to get engaged/married

I can hear wedding bells
I suspect that they are going to get married soon

terms of endearment
names people in love give each other or call each other:

darling
sweetheart
love
pet
babe/baby
cutey pie
honey bunny

they are having a domestic (informal)
they are having an argument

they have blazing rows
they have very serious, often noisy arguments

(s)he is playing away from home
(s)he is having an affair

to break up with somebody
to finish a relationship with somebody

to split up
to break up

to dump somebody
to finish a relationship with somebody without much thought for the other person

break-up lines
(fixed) expressions, often sweet or apologetic, used to tell a partner, girlfriend or boyfriend that the relationship is finished or is going to finish:

We need to talk
I just need some space
It's not you, it's me
I hope that we can always be friends
This is hurting me more than it is hurting you
It's not enough that we love each other
It simply wasn't meant to be

A secret admirer
Someone who fancies someone else but keeps it a secret

CPR
Short for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the technical medical term for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or the kiss of life