Term used to describe someone you once dated, who unlike you, cannot let go. So they "
pop-up" randomly in places they know you frequent as such: Your favorite
book store, the park where you go jogging, the mid-night movie at the theater near your house - even though they live at least an hour away.
An individual demonstrating
Jack-in-the-box tendencies can quickly become a Stalker or a full blown Psychopath if not confronted with the Jack-in-the-box behavior.
Smitty and Jane break-up. Smitty, in a fit of anguish tells Jane he is leaving the country and never coming back.
Later that week....
Jane is
jogging along her favorite running trail, rounds
the bend and there Smitty is running toward her with a shit eating grin..."Oh Jane! I wasn't expecting to see you here!?!?" Smitty has pulled a classic Jack-in-the-Box.