A beige flag is dating slang for a trait that is neither alarming nor admirable, just odd. Dictionary.com defines it as “a behavior someone considers to be odd, eccentric, or weird.” The term has two dated senses: it began in 2022 as a sign that someone is boring, and since early 2023 it mostly means a harmless quirk.
Origin
- May 8, 2022: the “boring” sense. According to Know Your Meme, “the name ‘beige flag’ was originally coined by TikToker @itscaito in May 2022.” On May 8, 2022 she posted a video listing beige flags, explaining that she coined the term to mean “signs you’re probably very boring.” She went on to make a series reviewing dating profiles and calling out the beige flags in them.
- September 2022. Know Your Meme records an Urban Dictionary definition from that month: “Beige flags are a sign that someone is boring or lacks originality.”
- February 2023: the “quirk” sense. Dictionary.com reports that “In early 2023, beige flag shifted to have a more neutral meaning,” referring to quirky behavior rather than boring behavior. “One of the earliest TikTok videos to use this new meaning was posted in February 2023 by user averybrynn1.”
How It’s Used
In the newer sense, people post their partner’s (or their own) harmless eccentricities. Examples cited by Dictionary.com include “My husband’s beige flag is that he can’t stick to a theme for a potluck” and “Dunking Oreos in water instead of milk is a beige flag.” TODAY quotes dating coach Max Alley describing a beige flag as “a super niche idiosyncrasy that is kind of funny, weird and unique,” and Dr. Zoe Shaw as something that makes you go, “Huh. What is that person doing?”
The tone is affectionate and teasing. As Shaw told TODAY: “I don’t think anybody should be ruled out because of the beige flag, because we are all quirky.”
In the older 2022 sense, a beige flag is a sign of blandness, typically spotted in a dating profile.
Red vs. Green vs. Beige Flags
| Flag | Meaning | Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Red flag | ”A danger signal” (Dictionary.com) | Stop or reconsider |
| Yellow flag | Something that can “signal that caution is warranted” (Psychology Today) | Proceed carefully |
| Green flag | ”Desirable qualities, in a potential partner” (Psychology Today) | Go |
| Beige flag (2022 sense) | “Signs you’re probably very boring” (@itscaito, via Know Your Meme) | Mild turn-off |
| Beige flag (2023 sense) | “Generic or minor quirks that don’t reveal much about a person” (Psychology Today) | Neutral, often endearing |
For the neighbouring terms, see #RedFlagsDating and #GreenFlagsDating.
Sources
- https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/beige-flag
- https://www.dictionary.com/e/pop-culture/beige-flag/
- https://www.today.com/today/amp/rcna87242
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/small-talk-and-big-questions/202507/the-colorful-terms-we-use-to-describe-behavioral-cues
- https://www.dictionary.com/browse/red-flag