Freckling
- “we only ever get together in summer”
- “the word for a summer-only romance”
- “he comes back every summer then disappears”
- “opposite of cuffing season”
:: COMPARE ::
FrecklingvsCuffing season
The short answer
They are the same instinct pointed at opposite ends of the calendar. Cuffing season pairs people up for winter warmth and company; freckling is its summer mirror — lighter, looser, and far more likely to repeat with the same person year after year.
Side by side
| Aspect | Freckling | Cuffing season |
|---|---|---|
| Season | Summer | Autumn to winter |
| Driven by | Long light, loose plans | Cold, holidays, company |
| With | Someone already known | Often someone new |
| Ends | By fading | Around spring |
Which one you meant
Readers who land here meaning Freckling rather than Cuffing season are usually searching for phrases like “we only ever get together in summer”, “the word for a summer-only romance”, “he comes back every summer then disappears”.
Cuffing Season
- “wanting a relationship just for the cold months”
- “why do I suddenly want a boyfriend every winter”
- “the word for coupling up only in winter”
- “everyone gets into relationships around the holidays”
Which came first
Cuffing season. 2008 — Musa Murchison is credited with popularising it on Brooklyn College's Because We Said So Radio — by their own account the phrase was already circulating in New York.
- 2008Cuffing SeasonMusa Murchison is credited with popularising it on Brooklyn College's Because We Said So Radio — by their own account the phrase was already circulating in New York.
- 2018FrecklingNamed and reported as a dating trend in the summer press; the coinage is credited to a men's magazine, though that attribution is secondhand.
Read either one in full