20 Ridiculous Phrases Men Use to Break up with Us ...

Well, according to my dating experience and to the experience of my girlfriends, "It's not you, it's me." line isn't the most ridiculous one men came up with to break up with us. There's lots more where that came from!

I've just put together a list of 20 Ridiculous Break Up Phrases from Men I've ever heard of and my translation of what they really mean.

Have you heard even better ones than these? Please share them and we'll complete this list together! ;)

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"I'm Just Not Ready for a Relationship Right Now, but if I Were... You'd Be the One!"

aka:"I'm still not ready to spend the rest of my life sleeping with one person, but if I were, it might be you."

"I Still Really Care about You."

aka: "... Just not enough to really date you or spend much time with you. But I still care!"

Related: 10 Breakup NoNos ...

"I'd Love to Still Be Friends and Hang out after All This."

aka: "Can you hook me up with your hot friends after you get over me dumping you?"

"I Just Really Need to Focus on (fill in the Blank... School, Job, God, Whatever) Right Now."

aka: "I don't think you'll take this break-up well, but you can't argue with this one."

"I'm Moving to a Foreign Country, but I'll Call You when I Get Back."

aka: "I've got to get away from you, fast!"

"You Can do so Much Better than Me!"

aka: "And I know I can do so much better than you!"

***

This phrase is a double whammy of insult and faux humility, often intended to soften the blow but actually doing the opposite. It sends a contradictory message – on one hand, suggesting they’re not worthy of you, while on the other, insinuating they’ve got grander prospects ahead. The subtext here is clear: they’re trying to absolve themselves of guilt by framing the breakup as a favor to you. But let's be real: it's patronizing at best. The implication that you're in competition for who 'wins' post-relationship is simply unnecessary.

"It Has Been so Great Getting to Know You, but I Think We Need to Spend Time with Other People."

aka: "I've already met someone I'd rather spend more time with."

Related: 25 Worst Chatup Lines ...

"I've Got a Fear of Commitment."

aka: "I've got a fear of being tied to you for life!"

"I'm Feeling Smothered, and I Just Need to Get Some Space."

aka: "You're way too in my business, too fast - I am ready to get you out."

"the Guy Who Marries You is so Lucky!"

aka: "I just hope I'm not that lucky!"

"I Think We Need to See Other People and Just See What Happens."

aka: "I'm already sleeping with someone else, and I'm just telling you this before you find out."

"I Still Want to Be with You, but I Just Want to Take a Break."

aka: "I want to try sleeping around, but keep you close in case I can't find anyone else."

"I've Got a Lot of Issues I Need to Work on Right Now."

aka: "My main issue is that I'm just not that into you."

***

When a man trots out this line, it's tempting to nod understandingly – but let's be real. It's often not about his battle with existential dread or climbing the career ladder. It's code for, “You're not on my priority list”. And sure, self-improvement is noble, but when it's suddenly tabled as an all-consuming quest right as things should be heating up? Please. We weren't born yesterday. It's a soft letdown, a way to bow out without looking like the bad guy. But between us, it's a thinly veiled break-up cue. Watch for it.

"I Feel like You're More of a Friend than a Girlfriend to Me."

aka: "You're just not as cute as you were when we started dating."

"I Just Need Something More."

aka: "I'm not sure what more is, but I'm kind of bored, and this line sounds really convincing."

"I'm Still Not over My Ex."

aka: Ouch. This one's probably true.

"I Wish We'd Met Five Years from Now Instead."

aka: "I'm really not that mature right now, but I probably will be in five years, and then I could've made a great boyfriend/husband!"

"We're Just in Totally Different Places in Our Lives!"

aka: "I'm in this place called I Want to Go Out Drinking, Partying, and Sleeping Around, and you're in this place called Let's Settle Down, and those two places don't fit well together."

"I Just Respect You so Much."

aka: "Please don't tell your friends I'm a jerk, because I might want to date some of them."

"I Think We Got Too Close, Too Fast."

aka: "When you put your toothbrush beside mine in the bathroom, that really freaked me out."

Post in the comments and let me know the worst ones you've heard of! There must be plenty I missed on ...

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Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

Oh my god these are awful...

He is my housemate and one evening he came to my room with cans of beer asking to have a chat with me since we were both bored. Well...as you may know..things got a bit out of control. We kissed, cuddled. Then he wanted more..sex..I kind of said no and told him that I am looking for a serious relationship.....while he was keeping trying to see if I would give in to have sex with him and he asked me if I can be his girl friend..God..in that kind of situation, how can I take his words seriously? in the end I kind of helping him come and forgot what he asked that night. After that night, it has been akward to see him in the kitchen. None of us mentioned about that night..because I still feel something from the way he looked at me..and I do like him..One day, I decided to ask him about what he thinks about that night? That was what he told me..." he is looking for a casual relationship at moment and he dont think he is over his ex yet..it will not be fair for me and him...He really likes me as a person and would like be the friends with me.." Well...to be honest..I was soo embrassessed to say anything..he is living right next to my room..and I still like him..but I know he is not interested in me any more...feel a bit hurt thought. Still dont know if he said that was because I did not sleep with him.. Only thing I feel I did right is that I did not really sleep with him :)))..

I need help girls. I dated him for 3 weeks but I have feeling that he's getti g distract from me. So I confronted him. He said no hes just stress from paying his bill and mortgage. The two days later he told me that he thought hes ready for a relationship but he's not. He need to forcus on himself before he can be with anyone now. So we broke up, I told him I want to work thing out but he said its not me it him. One night after we broke up he drunk called me and said that he really care about me and want thing to work out between us. He need my help with his finacial and if I can move in with him. I ask him in the morning and he said I don't remember what I said I was drunk. So I told him don't drunk call or text me bc it hurt. Then he said sorry... He called and talk to me like we never broke up and he keep calling and texting until I answer... I'm confuse... What should I do now? Move on and just be friend with him? Or should I just forget about him and totally cross him out of my life?

I used #2 when I told my last boyfriend I was thinking of breaking up with him, but I really did mean it at the time! The only thing was that he suggested AIM when we talked about it, so the whole breakup was quite cold. I was like "I care about you alot, but I'm really confused right now" because I wasn't sure if we should continue the relationship since we were starting to drift apart and become less interested in eachother the previous 2 weeks and he said he was moving to a different city soon too. His response to #2 was, "lets just say idc....then you don't have to think about it anymore. does that clear things up for you?" That really hurt, but I've been over him for a while now. It's been 3 weeks since we broke up, and we haven't spoken a word to eachother since then except that a week ago he told out mutual friend to tell me that he "really liked me" but I "nagged him too much" . What that means, I don't know, and I really don't care. A couple days ago I ran into his friends at the park and they told me that I should talk to him because he's "really sad" now. What should I do? I have no feelings for him, but it would be weird to just text him out the blue one day and be like "Hey let's be friends" especially since the day we broke up I was really heartbroken. I ALSO don't understand who broke up with who, from an objective opinion, who do you broke up with who? Should I try talking to him? I wouldn't mind being friends, but I'm very unsure how he feels about me right now.

The last one was funny :)

we never really dated too much but we both really liked eachother and one day he txted im gonna slap that boy till he has nightmares about me wen hes awake make any sence....no well think about me he just after that never talked to me only when he randomly called me ugly or a couple bad words id rather not repeat...and the weirdest thing wuz that be4 he txted that we were just having small talk..like whats your favorate color or shape or bug or leaf or whatever

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