A Girl's Guide To Guy-Speak

It's an undeniable fact that guys and girls are different.....not just physically but also mentally.

Do you speak guy?Can you comprehend all the subtle—and not-so-subtle—nuances of his secret language? If you’re a woman, chances are the answer is sort of, kind of, not really. Guy-talk looks like English, sounds like English, but it’s more like Himglish.

Cracking the code can be difficult—but not impossible. Men don't always say what they mean. To give you a head start, allow relationship experts and real guys (who speak in the native tongue) shed some light on some of a guy’s most common lines—and what in the world he really means by them.


GUY SPEAK


What he says: “I really like your shoes.”

What he means: “I really like you.”

Why he says it: Granted, he could genuinely like your shoes. But if he says this during the early stages of dating, it also likely means he’s physically attracted to you—but doesn’t want to come right out and say it and seem like a dog. He would try to boost her confidence and shows her how sweet a guy he is and she will in turn, notice that he doesnt come right out and compliment her legs or something. Which is of course, what he was really complimenting in the first place!



What he says: “Maybe we should take some time off from each other, I need space.”

What he means: “Maybe I’m better off keeping my options open.”

Why he says it: Seems harsh, but it’s common. It is a guilt statement which is driven by the man’s fear of hurting the woman or by wanting to have it both ways—having her without committing. But problem is, women often take “the break” at face value. Trust me, if a guy is crazy about you, he’ll want to spend as much time with you as possible, period.



What he says: “I am listening!”

What he means: “I’m listening, but I really don’t want to get into a long, emotional discussion right now.”

Why he says it: When a guy zones out, women generally interpret that to mean he’s shut her off. More likely he’s just overwhelmed. Men process verbal information better when it’s direct and to the point says experts. They just wish she’d get to the point sooner. One way around this is to ask him for his advice — guys love to fix problems — or to make sure he’s primed for a marathon talk session. So rather than launching right in, say, “This story’s kind of involved—can you listen now or should we talk later?”



What he says: “You’re just too good for me.”

What he means: “I need out of this relationship.”

Why he says it: A guy can say that to you many times, but not once have they really mean it. Infact it simply means they need out in the relationship but want to make the girl feel good about it. Another popular alternative to this is the, “You deserve someone better than me” line. So why can’t guys just come out and tell you the truth? Unless you’re new to the planet Earth, you may have noticed men aren’t big on having talks—particularly breakup talks. In fact they’ll say anything to avoid them, such as butter you up so you don’t chew them out. Blech!



What he says: “I think I’m falling in love with you"

What he means: “I am this close to saying the L-word, but I can’t bring myself to say it just yet and when I do say it, I want to be sure you’ll say it back.”

Why he says it: The “in-between line”—it’s a warm-up act to “I love you,” and it tests the waters to see if she’s feeling the same way. For women, talking about your emotions and exposing your vulnerabilities is a way to bond with another person, but men don’t view exposing your vulnerabilities as a positive. They don’t want to appear weak that’s why words like “thinking” and “falling” come in very handy—they give him an out. But they also allow him to express something meaningful in a way only he understands. Hopefully, now you will, too.