What are beige flags as being a picky eater revealed as one of many icks
While you’ve likely heard of red and green flags when it comes to relationships, what about a 'beige flag'?
The flag terms are generally used when entering a relationship or dating someone for the first time, with green flags being positive attributes you notice about your potential partner and red flags being warning signs that this may not be a relationship for you.
Beige flags, on the other hand, refer to things that make someone a little bit odd, straddling the line of being an ‘ick’.
The concept of relationship beige flags is currently trending on TikTok with over 172 million views, and a 575% increase in searches in the past year alone.
What are 'beige flags'?
Users of the video sharing site in long-term relationships use the term to highlight something their partner does that annoys them, which tends to be a 'quirk' they're prepared to overlook.
A beige flag, in this new sense, is not a warning sign like a red flag, nor is it a positive sign like a green flag, but it sits somewhere in the middle.
Whilst not ideal, they’re not actually deal breakers for most, but that hasn't stopped couples sharing their own personal beige flags online and recent research reveals there are certain traits that get mentioned on the regular.
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Turns out being a picky eater is the worst beige flag according to 62% of British participants who cite not being adventurous with food as a wrinkle-your-nose trait.
Coming in second place is giving indecisive answers, not knowing where you see yourself in five years or even your favourite film can really put a downer on those hoping to find love, with 56% of Brits declaring it a bonafide beige flag.
In third place sits those who lack wanderlust, not travelling abroad can definitely put off those with an adventurous spirit, with 54% of respondents branding it something to watch out for.
Other beige flags making the top ten, according to the research from BonusFinder, include only liking one genre of music, agreeing with everything you say and not being able to tell your left from your right.
Giving non specific compliments was also mentioned as a relationship talking point alongside making cliched statements.
Top 10 beige flags according to Brits
Not being adventurous with food 61.7%
Giving indecisive answers 55.5%
Never been abroad 54.3%
Only likes one genre of music 52.3%
Non-specific/genuine compliments 51.3%
Agreeing with everything you say 46.2%
Doesn’t know their left and right 43.4%
Making cliche statements 40.8%
Doesn’t want to leave their hometown 37.2%
Makes a food or drink their personality (coffee, craft beer) 37.2%
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Where did the term 'beige flags' come from?
Interestingly, the term was originally coined by TikTok user @itscaito, who described beige flags as signs on a dating app profile that the person is probably boring. Some examples she used were those who wear loud novelty suits and people who have an opinion on whether pineapple should be a pizza topping.
The video clip sparked others to share their own experiences of beige behaviour with one TikTok user called Ruby explaining that her husband's beige flag was that no matter how mad he gets while driving he will "never flip someone off. Instead, if he's really upset he'll make eye contact with the bad driver and slow clap. It's not a good thing. It's also not a bad thing. It's just a thing he does."
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Another, Bella Moncada says her husband's beige flag is that every time she's watching a show he will join her, watch an episode and then proceed to call it 'their show'. "Which means I cannot watch it without him. I have zero shows I can watch on my own."
User @sam_the_snack said her boyfriend’s beige flag was that he safety pins his socks together in the drawer and then the laundry so that he only needs to unpin them when he wears them. "He’s never lost a sock," she adds.
When someone in the comments asked for clarification on the difference between a red, yellow, green and beige flag was, another user responded: "Green flag is a good thing. Yellow is a 'hmmm that may be a problem in the future' thing. Red flag is a bad thing. Beige flag is just a quirk."
