Green flag
Etymology
Coined by direct analogy to red flag, inverting the danger signal into an all-clear (echoing the green flag that starts a race). It spread through dating and relationship discourse on social media in the early 2020s.
noun · /GREEN flag/
A positive sign that someone is likely to be a healthy, trustworthy partner.
What it names
It names the reassuring counterpart to the red flag: the behavior that predicts things will go well — good communication, respect for boundaries, steadiness under stress. Naming green flags shifts attention from spotting danger to actively recognizing what good looks like.
Example
He remembered every allergy I mentioned in passing — genuine green flag.
Related idea
The mirror image of a red flag: same framework, opposite signal.
See also