whacked

The abrupt ending on the series finale of "The Sopranos" now has a place in the dating world, according to this article.

The newest phrase in dating vernacular? "To pull a 'Sopranos' ending."

It refers to a relationship that seems ideal and destined for long-term success.

UNTIL:

"The screen fades to black, and you never hear from him again. You and your friends will come up with about 75 different interpretations for what happened, but the truth is, you’ll never know. Because when you get relationship-whacked, you never hear it coming - it’s just . . . nothing."

I've suffered at least one genuine "Sopranos ending" in my dating career. I had the most romantic sushi dinner with a former fling, shared a steamy car makeout session and went home with visions of finally securing a new boyfriend. I even spent the entire next morning buying dresses for a future date he promised to take me on.

When he called me a day later, my heart raced. It was, I figured, the moment he'd ask me to be his girlfriend.

Um, false.

After the obligatory awkward banter, he said with hesitation, "I can't be in a relationship right now."

I was devastated, and rebounded that night by buying the entire series of "Sex and the City" on DVD.

Even though we remain friends, the reason we severed romantic ties still escapes me. It genuinely was an experience that offered no warning signs.

Other breakups, meanwhile, initially seemed abrupt but in hindsight offer TONS of alarms. Things like guys who consistently showed up late.

In relationships, are "Sopranos endings" legit? Are breakups ever a complete surprise? Or, if you look hard enough, are there always warning signs?