Lifestyle: Beware of the player

A player is a slang term that describes a man who toys with the emotions of women (oftentimes many women at the same time) when he really isn't at all serious about pursuing real relationships.

If you are in a relationship with a guy and fear that he is a "player," watch out for certain key signs that cannot be ignored.

• Words: One indication that a man is a player is his being good with words. If you are dating a man who knows how to talk his way out of almost any type of situation, it could be because he has had a lot of practice.

Also, if a man always knows exactly what to say to get you wrapped around his finger and under his spell again (even after a major argument), he may be a player with a charming and smooth persona.

If a man is a sweet-talker who always says what he thinks will make you happy (even if he doesn't necessarily think it), he may be trying to manipulate you and play around with you emotionally.

• Friends: Another crucial way to analyse whether a man is a player or not is by observing his social circle. If he doesn't appear to have any meaningful friendship relationships, but instead only has a lot of casual contacts and acquaintances, it could point to him being a player.

Take note of how many female buddies he has. If the amount greatly surpasses that of his male pals, you may just have a player on your hands.

• Busy: If you are dating a man who has an insanely-packed social calendar and hardly ever can be found, then he may be a player. If most of the time you are not even aware of who he is socialising with, it could be because he has other special women in his life.

Also, if a man never seems to invite you to any of his social obligations or events, it may be a sign that he is going with someone else or simply wants to flirt with strangers (and not be seen in public with a steady girlfriend).

• Details: If a man has a tough time keeping track of things he said to you, and behaves in an inconsistent manner, it could be because he is a player.

As well-versed as a man may be in the art of telling untruths, it is inevitable that he will occasionally have a blunder. One example is telling you that he has plans to go to a friend's birthday party, and later saying that it is a work function.

• Scheduling: If you notice a pattern in that your boyfriend only has time for you on weekdays, and that his weekends always seem mysteriously jam-packed, it may be a sign that he has other women that he "saves" for the weekend.

• Fast: One sign of a player is moving fast in a relationship, especially when it comes to the physical. If a man is always much more concerned with establishing a physical connection with you rather than an emotional one, it could be because he simply doesn't care about getting to know you in a deep way, as hard as that may be to accept.

• Phone: If your boyfriend is way too attached to his cell phone and is always firing off mysterious text messages (and receiving them from other people), or if you try to call him and he never seems to pick up for you, it could mean that is a player.

• Social Networking Sites: If your boyfriend's social networking profiles are mysteriously sparse and do not mention anything about your relationship with him (from pictures to a relationship status), it could be that he is trying to maintain the impression that he is single in order to encourage the interest of other women.

• Friends and Family: If you have never met any of your boyfriend's closest friends and family, it may be because he doesn't take his relationship with you seriously.

Also, if you go out in public with him and he never seems to mention to others that you are his girlfriend (and instead acts like you're just a friend), he probably is a player.