Great

as in

"I think you’re great."

Variations: "I think you’re outstanding ... amazing ... really special ... Wouldn’t that be great ... amazing ... outstanding ... really special!!"

Be honest! This sounds marvellous. Very flattering. Totally committed. Just what a blushing girl wants to hear. But - this is where you have to be honest - it is disconcertingly vague, isn’t it?. He could just as easily be talking about a toothache, the burger he had for lunch, or a chat with his accountant.

Mountains are "great". Bank balances can be "outstanding". Hurricanes tend to be "amazing". And two parking tickets on the same day would be "really special".

Is he simply incapable of defining your "greatness" - your charm, wit, warmth, beauty etc? If so, you might do well to make a run for it now. A general degree of inarticulateness is nothing to be troubled about - it’s to be expected - but if it encompasses your virtues, the chances of happiness in the future are small. Or is he perhaps trying to hide from you the fact that he doesn’t think you have any virtues. (Yes, some men can be that blind!). Praising you the way he would say to a howling canine, "There’s a good dog", hoping to escape before you can sink your teeth into him.

So cut to the chase. Tell him "great" is good for starters, thank you very much, but can he please show that he knows what exactly makes you so "really special"?

As for the other way he uses the word, dreaming of things you and he could do in the future, listen closely to what it is that he imagines would be so "great ... outstanding ... blah blah." Too often this will merely be something he has always wanted to do himself but needed a partner for support, like a child wanting to look over a wall but needing a lift up.

This is his used car salesman mode, a form of gene males are born with. "This is a great car ... outstanding." If you find yourself buying that suggestion from him without checking the tires closely, you may have a rough ride.