What does the English word 'ghosting' mean? 👻

35,158 views ・ 2019-10-28

BBC Learning English


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

00:11
Neil: Feifei, why are you cutting holes
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in that bed sheet?
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00:13
Feifei: Oh, just getting my costume ready
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for tonight, Neil. I'm coming as a ghost.
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00:18
What about you?
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00:20
Neil: I don't really feel like it, Feifei.
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00:22
Feifei: I thought you were bringing
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your new girlfriend?
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00:25
Neil: Sadly not. She hasn't replied
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to any of my messages for a whole week.
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Feifei: Oh, sorry Neil. Looks like
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she's ghosting you.
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00:34
Neil: No. Like I said, she's
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not coming tonight. You'll be
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the only ghost at the party, I'm afraid.
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00:38
Feifei: Neil, 'ghosting' is a slang word.
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If you ghost someone, it means
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you suddenly stop all communication
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with them, with no explanation.
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Neil: Ah right. Yes, she doesn't answer
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my calls, doesn't reply to my texts.
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00:52
Feifei: That's ghosting. Some people do it
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to end a relationship.
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00:55
Neil: So, are you saying she wants
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to split up with me?
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00:58
Feifei: I don't know, but it's not a very
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nice way to treat people. We even use the
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word 'ghosting' between friends when one
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stops contacting the other, it's not only
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for romantic relationships.
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01:10
Anyway, help me cut this second eye
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out of my ghost costume while
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we play some examples.
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Katia felt awful for weeks after being
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ghosted by a guy she really liked.
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Keiko wanted to break up with
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her boyfriend but didn't want to upset him.
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So when he suddenly started
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ghosting her, she actually felt relieved.
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Jorge and Rafa used to hang out all
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the time at school. But once
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they started university,
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Jorge just ghosted Rafa.
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01:47
Feifei: You're listening to The English
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01:48
We Speak from BBC Learning English.
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01:51
The expression we're looking at
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in this programme is 'ghosting'.
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And, Neil... there we are!
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One ghost costume.
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Thanks for your help.
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02:00
Neil: I just want to know why, Feifei. Why
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is she ghosting me? What did I do wrong?
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02:06
Feifei: Neil, that's the difficult thing about
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ghosting. You won't get those answers.
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02:11
Sorry.
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02:13
Neil: Oh, it's her.
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02:14
Feifei: What is she saying?
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02:16
Neil: "Sorry Neil. I lost my phone last week
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and only just found it again. Call me.
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Kiss."
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02:22
Feifei: There you go!
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02:23
Neil: She sent a kiss! Feifei, let's make
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her a costume - I'm going to invite her to
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this party.
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02:29
Feifei: OK! One more ghost costume?
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02:31
Neil: No, I think I've had enough ghosts for
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one day.
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02:34
Both: Bye.
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