It's now cuffing season, when many singles scramble to find short-term partners to help them get through the upcoming holiday season and what may seemingly be the dreariest and loneliest months of the year. Cuffing is short for handcuffing from October through March; people temporarily handcuff themselves to partners before the release in the following Spring. But before you partake in this annual singles dating ritual off the cuff—meaning without thinking it through—it's important to be mindful of the risks.

Such risks may not be the first thing on your mind when your priority is to find that human blanket to cuddle with when the days get short and the nights get long and cold. You focus on making sure you are not alone during all those holiday parties or when the ball drops on New Year's Eve. Perhaps you really want someone to exchange gifts with during Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Valentine's Day, and Groundhog Day, since you may feel left out otherwise. And, yes, if you are relatively new to dating, you may not be thinking long-term anything. You may be at the

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