"My favorite beige flag of my bf's is when he uses phrases that have nothing to do with the situation and makes them apply," TikToker @pen15_spam wrote in her video that has garnered over 9.6 million views, reigniting the trend.
@pen15_spam ♬ Summer Background Jazz - Jazz Background Vibes
The trending term can be traced back to creator @itscaito, according to Know Your Meme. In May 2022, she uploaded a video detailing her list of "beige flags" in dating apps. Exacerbated by the landscape of dating apps, she noted "signs you're probably very boring" in a video that has garnered more than 72,000 likes. A year later, the term is back, and it's being used all over TikTok.
Unlike red flags, which usually underline harmful behaviors, one can say a "beige flag" alerts you of personal annoyances that may not be deal breakers. They are different from "green flags," which are usually signs that someone would make a good partner.
"My bfs beige flag is I don't have a boyfriend," a top comment reads from @ashamedegg's video on the topic, which has more than 960,000 views.
While the core definition of the term hasn't changed, the catchphrase since May of 2023 has morphed into quirky callouts. People are using "beige flag" to call out the habits of their intimate partners that vary from benign to high-key suspicious depending on who's watching.
One creator's boyfriend's enthusiasm didn't go over well after the video was shared on Twitter. The text overlay on the video from @zoefried_ reads, "My boyfriends beige flag is that he gets impatient at restaurants and helps the waitress bring the plates to our table." It has more than 1 million views on TikTok. On both Twitter and TikTok, his action is deemed a "red flag" by several commenters.
"Beige flag is something that would cause someone to take a 3 sec pause but continue the relationship like make u think for a sec but it’s kinda funny," another TikTok comment reads.
Another TikToker's video about her boyfriend made its way to Twitter. In it, the TikToker says her boyfriend's beige flag is that "he's so unbothered he never asks for details," such as where his sister works. "This is actually a red flag but she’ll see why on her own time," read one quote tweet.
"This seems bad actually, like he doesn’t care enough about other peoples experiences to be engaging in conversation about them…?" another user said.
As the trend continues, creators are using the term to not only share their partner's beige flags, but their own as well. In a video that has garnered more than 3.1 million views, TikToker @lexil02 expressed her qualms over cash.
"My beige flag and that i literally cannot accept that cash is money."
Several of the beige flag TikToks include the same sound—an upbeat jazz melody.
@lexil012 cash is not money #beigeflag ♬ original sound - Lex
Along with beauty and lifestyle content, Gen Z and Millennials alike are in love with dating culture. From the hypergamy aesthetics to 2022's dating warped presentations, social media wants to know who and how you're dating.
Ultimately, what makes a "beige flag" so different from a yellow one or even a pink one?
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