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Aileen Barratt calls herself the Tinder translator.
Barratt, 38, started using dating apps like Tinder in 2016 after separating from her husband. As a millennial, he had never used them before he got married, and he was surprised by the new way of dating. In fact, some men on Tinder seem to repeat phrases in their messages that act as a sign of sexual desire rather than a relationship.
He started wrong Instagram account in 2019 to reveal the euphemisms she saw men using on dating requests. He called it “Tinder translation.” For example, he saw the phrase, “Looking for someone who doesn’t take himself too seriously,” and he wrote his own. translation: “I keep meeting women who have these ‘standards’ and want me to ‘respect them,’ so I’m looking for someone with less money.” Resonating with the audience millennial women and single mothers like her.
His new book, Tinder Translator: An AZ of Modern Misogyny, As a result of his popularity on social media. Friendship skills are divided into 26 chapters, each representing a letter of the alphabet, such as “Y for not being like other girls.” It will be released on November 15th.
Originally from London, Barratt now lives in Manchester where he runs his Instagram account, which now has 77,800 followers, almost full time. He does freelance copyright work on the side and participates in short plays at local theaters.
The Observer’s Rachyl Jones spoke with Barratt. This query has been edited.
How did you get started on social media?
I’ve always been on rate requests, and I’ve always been interested in language—especially ephemis. And with dating apps, there are a lot of what I call “pet phrases” and a lot of repetition. I followed a few different stories where people described funny or bad bios, and I thought it would be funny to take those images and translate them into reality. I set up a fund to help with the story, because you are on dating apps, you see a lot of bad news. It’s really nice to think, “Ah, I can use that for a project,” instead of thinking, “Oh, that’s a bad guy.” It really resonated with people in a way that surprised me at first, actually.
Can you just give me some examples of these animal phrases?
“Just looking for fun” means “I’m just looking for sex.” “No drama” in all caps—the translation there is “no emotion, thought, or challenge of any kind.”
How can you make money from your social media?
I’m just rubbish at making money from my wallet. I don’t do a lot of brands because my whole thing is that people respect my opinion and honesty. But when I approach brands they say, ‘We don’t like your vibe to our aesthetic’ or whatever. That’s right. But I’ve done a lot of things—like good women’s brands, self-love brands, and of course, renewables.
Where do you think the maker economy is headed?
Most of us really appreciate and care about the people who follow us, because they make our lives possible. When it comes to advertising, we don’t like to think we’re taking a chance. If you are in the million [of followers], it is easier to promote a large expenditure because it is impossible to touch those numbers, you do not lose your credibility as a small producer. If I start doing Shein, I will lose fans. People are like, “I thought you wanted women with a living wage?”
When did this account transfer into you to write a book?
Too early. But I doubt everything. I was approached by a writing client on Instagram in early 2021. He asked if I had thought of writing a fun book about Tinder Translators. So it looks like it’s real. I always thought that once I got some students I could do a book. Hardie Grant sent it well, and I began to write.
How did you use your social media to promote your book?
I think the biggest ad was my ad, and it was a static ad on Instagram, so I thought no one would see it. But I got the most beautiful, beautiful feedback. When I first got a proof copy of the book, when I opened it and saw it for the first time, I smiled and hung up. Closer to release, I’ve posted the graphics the publisher gave me, like previews of different stories. I have done a lot of reporting in the UK and Australia, published some extracts and written a couple of articles about the book. And we’ve outsourced it to other content creators. I think when it comes to book recommendations, small accounts are really good at doing that, because they have a connection with their followers.
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