Breadcrumbing.

This is the term coined for the type of dating behaviour where you're not overly interested in someone but you'll keep them on the backburner, you know 'just in case'. It's not exactly a new thing but the term most certainly is and you can probably see where the name came from because if you're doing this, you're basically feeding someone breadcrumbs. Unlike ghosting where people phase out of someone's life when they're no longer interested (eventually going all cold turkey on them without any explanation), breadcrumbing is sending the odd message here and there to pique someone's interest. If you haven't experienced this before and need a proper definition of the term, Alicia Winokur, a recent graduate based in Massachusetts has you covered. Speaking to The New York Times, she quipped:

"The worst type of bread crumber is the one who resurfaces every six months, and like the Loch Ness monster, you almost can’t believe this creature has come back into your life. But there he is, saying, ‘Hey, I was just thinking about you".

UGH. So it would seem that 'bread crumbers' tend to send text messages now and again but never actually take it as far as setting up a date. Sometimes, the messages are characterised by one-word texts/emojis/Snapchats but hey look, every bread crumber is different. If you think you're experiencing this with someone you're seeing, it might be wise to nip it in the bud because the 'bread crumbing' circle seems to be a vicious one that doesn't end until one person breaks it.