Sometimes, we don't text what we really mean. That's totally understandable, but there are some texts that pretty much never mean what they say, and have pretty strong connotations or impacts on your relationships with the opposite sex.
If you've dated in the age of texting, then odds are you've encountered at least a few of these. Here are 10 simple texts your date might use, along with translations.
See also: 10 Reasons You Should Take a Date to the Arizona State Fair
10. Fine
Realistically, "fine" almost never actually means fine, no matter what medium it's conveyed over. It's generally used as a passive aggressive way to say "anything but fine" and should probably never be taken at face value. Add a couple of extra vowels in the middle to make it "fiiine" and that's a whole different topic for another time. Bottom line, if someone (we're looking at you, ladies) tells you that he/she is "fine," they're almost definitely not fine.
9. Hey ;)
Unlike "Fine," this one's pretty simple. If you get it, you're in (literally). Sending a winking emoji to your romantic interest is usually enough of a sign that you'd like to see the person naked, but starting off a conversation with one is a dead giveaway that you have one thing on your mind.
8. O i c
In our experiences, the shortened version of "Oh, I see" almost never leads to anything positive. This is the kind of thing that a woman will text you when she's pretending like she understands your side of the argument but really stopped listening/decided you were wrong several texts ago. Just know that if you get this text, you're probably already beyond salvaging that part of the conversation, so cut your losses, figure out what you did wrong, and pick up the pieces.
7. idc
The abbreviated "I don't care" is more of an early warning sign in conversation. It's not necessarily guaranteed to be a bad thing if the person you're romantically interested in doesn't care about a certain item (what to eat, what time to go out, etc.), but it can be a major cause for concern if used in more serious situations (whether to see each other that night, running into an ex, etc.). One or two of these won't doom a budding relationship, but the more you start to see, the more problematic it should seem.
6.Wyd?
For those who are unfamiliar with it, this technically translates to "What're you doing?" But it often means significantly more than that. Generally speaking, this is often used as a three-letter way of asking if you're free enough to go see the person texting you. It doubles as a (slightly less desperate sounding) way to say "Hey, I'm bored and wondering what you're up to," which is generally more information than people are willing to admit in the age of screenshots and saved texts.
5. I miss you
There's two circumstances in which you'd probably receive this text. The first is from someone who you're currently seeing and just happen to be spending some time apart from. It's totally acceptable if you're gone on a business trip or away for a few days, but it's a little weird when he/she misses you while you're at work for the day or only separated for a matter of hours. As for the second situation, this is the classic desperation text from an (often inebriated) ex. In that case, it's best left unanswered, or possibly with a quick dismissal, unless you really want to go down that road again.
4. We need to talk.
Do we even have to explain what this one means? It doesn't really matter if your significant other tells you this via text, phone, or in person, it's almost always bad news. There are some rare exceptions when it isn't, but for the most part, you should expect to be at least mildly devastated by the conversation that follows.
3. ...
The old ellipses. There's no more clear way to say that you're speechless (not in a good way) than lining up three dots in a row. You probably received this text after saying something ridiculously stupid or that needed much more explanation. In most cases, it's an entirely deserved text, but we feel like sometimes it's just better to ask for explanation than to make the other person guess what it is you're trying to say solely with punctuation.
2. You up?
As the booty call text of all booty call texts, this text is actually just missing its middle portion. It should read "You awake and willing to hook up?" There's a slight possibility it could be used late at night when you desperately need a favor from someone, but 99 times out of 100, "You up?" is just the feeler text for a late-night sex request.
1. K.
Translation: Go die a terrible death in a ditch somewhere.
