Is YOUR neighbour a swinger? These are the secret signs to watch out for
YOU may think you are on good terms with your neighbours, but how well do you really know them?
There may be some tell-tale signs to look out for which might show that your neighbour is a swinger.
What are the signs your neighbour is a swinger?
A few tell-tale signs could reveal couple are secret swingers...
Pampas Grass
This grass, which you may have seen on front lawns across the country, has been associated with swinging since the '70s.
It's not clear where the link originated.
In 2017 it was reported that plant sellers had noticed a slump in sales for pampas grasses, leading to some nurseries stopping stocking, as buyers avoided buying it thanks to its connotation with swinging.
Nick Coslett, a manager as Palmstead Nurseries, noticed sales were falling.
He said: "I've got no evidence that it was ever used for [swinging]- I think it goes back to the fact that it was planted in people's front gardens.
"But there is that connotation, unfortunately."
In a surprising turn of events, however, the plant regained popularity thanks to online influencers just a few years later, leading to a spike in pampas grass thefts from green-fingered thieves looking to sell on mature plants.
Certain jewellery
Cooper Beckett, host of the Life on the Swingset podcast, says many swingers choose to wear a black ring.
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Beckett told The Stranger: "Wear your black ring on your right hand if you are out and open to meet other swingers.
"If someone wearing a black ring on their right-hand approaches you, start a conversation with them, 'I see you're wearing a black ring on your right hand. Maybe we are in the same club'."
Anklets, toe rings, thumb rings and switching your wedding ring to the right hand, according to alternative lifestyles website Bigger Love.
Although watch out, as in many European countries, wearing wedding rings on the right hand is the norm.
A special sign
The Swinger Code website suggests people who are up for swapping partners often wear a wristband showing a special symbol for swinging.
The symbol was designed to help swingers recognise each other, ultimately helping them find potential couples.
According to the Swinger Code website, this symbol is "unobtrusive and respects the privacy of the ones who wear it".
The symbol, which consists of the internationally known male and female signs, intersecting and oriented horizontally, with three plus or minus signs on both sides, which differs based on what the swinging couple are into.
The three plus signs on both sides indicate the couple are "looking for partners as a pair" while the minus signs mean they would also join in solo.
Home decorations
An intriguing range of home decor could link your neighbour to swinging.
White rocks and pink or purple decorations in the front garden are also seen as a signal of swinger activity by some people.
Oddly, an upside-down pineapple imagery in the garden — or worn on jewellery and clothing — is known as another swinger trait, in the form of a door knocker.
Despite innocent appearances, it seems garden gnomes are a likely indicator that the resident is keen on swinging.
An estate agent in the US found this out the hard way when their client was warned off buying in a "huge swinger community".
Some also suggest that pink flamingos on the lawn is a swinging tell.
Hot tubs
Installing a hot tub in the garden is also said to be a classic swingers move.
But Ross Phillipson, sales director at Hot Tubs Superstore in Blackpool, maintains that this is a myth.
He said: "The biggest misconception is that hot tubs are the preserve of swingers, indulgent Premiership footballers or flashy types who live in Essex. In fact, they are bought by anyone and everyone."
One final sign of swinging is that your neighbour will never open their garage door until they're in the car with the doors closed, according to a Reddit thread.
Approaches to monogamy vary from couple to couple.
Newer to the scene is monogamish, where a committed couple is mostly monogamous but there is room for occasional sexual involvement with others.