I know, I KNOW, the correct verb is to ghost. Like in I ghost, you ghost, he/she/it ghosts. I just learned this new word since I started online dating. I was sitting next to a young woman who was lamenting on her last date who “ghosted” her and then I knew. I had been ghosted too. Multiple times.
I am from the boomer generation. I have had my share of being “ghosted” when younger, but we never had a specific word for it. But since I have dipped my toe into the online scene, I have lost track of the times I have been ghosted. Not so much after a first date (but then I have only had 4, in 4 months, one ghosted me) but in the initial texting, getting-to-know-you stage. One day he’s there, the next he’s not. I understand now why the word was created.
There is even The Second Date Update radio show by Brooke and Jubal out of Seattle where you can phone in if you’ve been ghosted after the first date. The hosts call the guy or gal and find out what went wrong and if they would go on a 2nd date, If so, the podcast would pay for it. I listened to a couple of episodes, and decided that I really truly do NOT want to know why I have been ghosted. I can think of lots of ways I am not perfect, I don’t need some guy to add to my list and shame me in public.
That said, having been raised with Casper the Friendly Ghost, I decided that I prefer the word “Caspered”. That Casper is just messing around with me. Nothing bad. Nothing serious. Just playful. Truthfully, do I want to actually meet a guy who doesn’t have the courtesy to even say “see ya”? Probably not.