Seeing someone else, talking to someone else

[Die Hard]

I live in Europe and English is not my native language. I was just wondering about this expression "I'm seeing someone else at the moment".

I've read a few posts lately, where the girl said "I'm talking to someone else at the moment". Is this a new expression that formed because of the mobile phone/internet era, where people are more often talking to each other (through text messages, phone conversations, facebook messages, MSN chats) than actually seeing each other?

 

[Atom Smasher]

That's an interesting distinction you made there, Die Hard. I just started noticing that "talking to someone else" phrase, too.

It probably has something to do with women's favorite tactic of minimizing their sense of commitment and keeping their options open on a subconscious level. And yes, it is probably birthed out of the texting phenomenon.

 

[squirrels]

THat's one thing I could NEVER figure out...the subtle difference between "seeing someone", "dating", etc...supposedly they represent different levels of commitment, but I've heard "seeing" used to mean just going out on a few datse, I've heard it used to mean "this person is my boyfriend" (notice I said "boyfriend" and not "boyfriend/girlfriend" because only women use terms like "seeing someone")

In the context you mention, I'd interpret it to mean, "I'm not committed to this guy, but I'm worried that he'll throw a hissy if I date/f**k someone else, and if it DOES work out I don't want to jeopardize that".

If you really want to see her, suggest something ambiguous. Dinner and drinks may be too much. Maybe just some kind of "hang out" activity would be better...go grab some drinks and play some pool, or go check out a local band or something.

 

[Die Hard]

So am I right in thinking that this phrase "talking to someone else" was never used until recently?

The only places I frequently encounter English is on the internet and from watching movies. In movies. you always hear the expression "seeing someone else", I've never heard the "talking" variant before. But also on the internet, I never encountered it before until it popped up in a few threads on this site.

So has the "talking" variant always been existing but I just never heard of it because it is less common? Or has it just recently come into existence?

 

[AAAgent]

to me and some of the girls i've dated in the past, "Seeing someone" generally means that the girls is casually dating a guy she probably likes. The situation they are in is basically they are dating but the guys hasn't given her any solid confirmation of exclusivity and there the girl doesn't want to sound like a psycho calling a guy a boyfriend yet.

It's either that or she's telling you she's definitely not interested. I have told a girl before that i was seeing someone else because i was in a relationship with the girl i was seeing at that time.

---
and by recently u mean past 10 or so years? because this was pretty common when i entered college about 5 years ago.

 

[loveshogun]

If a girl says anything that is not a "yes," (and that "yes" has to be followed up with congruent action) all I hear is "no."

That's how you should look at it.

We're splitting hairs over the meaning of "Talking to someone" else vs "Seeing someone else."

Both of those phrases, among an infinitely large number of others, mean "no."

 

[Die Hard]

ROFL, I never meant to ask about the meaning of "I'm currently seeing someone", so if more people are planning to explain that phrase here, save your breath!

All I'm asking is whether the variant of this phrase where the word "seeing" is changed into "talking" is something new, because I never heard it before until recently! My question has absolutely ZERO to do with pick up game, it is purely a linguistical question, out of curiosity!

 

[loveshogun]

I'm not ignoring your distinction. That particular phrase is new to me.

I'm just trying to reinforce the bottom line that a lot of people on SS don't understand: that a woman has more than 10,000 ways to say "no," and you could waste a lifetime analyzing it.

"Seeing someone else" vs "Talking to someone else."

I admit that the 2nd one is something I've never heard before.

But more importantly, if anything but a very clear, decisive "yes" comes in reply, I stop caring.