Partners!!!!!!!!

[johnlambert]

When did we all stop having wives, husbands, girlfriends and boyfriends? Everyone now refers to their respective partner and I very rarely hear the term wife/husband etc

[joko]

i have my 'bit of stuff'

[maggie01]

My husband was talking to someone the other week and they asked if I was his partner. He quickly said no this is my wife. At the time I thought it sounded nice but after thinking about it, I wasn't sure if he was making a point that he wasn't so lucky in that I was more of a permanent fixture. lol

[rojash]

I've had to stop referring to my business partner as "my partner", because even when said in a business context, may people think we are in a homosexual relationship.

[jno]

if I send out invitations, they just say Jo Shmo and partner, and leave it up to Jo what sort of partner comes along. Individuals can call their significant others what they like, though personally I think husband and wife should be restricted to legally married couples of opposite gender (common-law marriages don't get treated the same by law), and if you're told old to be called a girl you're too old to be called a girlfriend. (Same for boys.) That leaves the long-term unmarrieds, and gays; I think 'partner' is fine for either, but you may have to explain whether the partnership is romantic or businesslike. Terms like 'my snugglebunny' are not to be used in high society.

[jno]

sorry, *too* old...

[jake-the-peg]

People dont all live in neat little 4.5 people famillies with a mother and a father etc.

Husband and wife gets awkward especially when people are seperated and living with other people or when people are gay.

While partner is not an elegant word it's a lot better than 'significant other' (who dreamt that up?) and I haven't heard any better sugestions yet although I like devoted supplicant willa :c)

[Drusilla1S]

I remember being introduced by someone at a party as their lover. I blushed for a week!

[Xollob]

The Germans use "partner", too, but they also have the even worse term Lebensabschnittspartner, literally:
"life-section partner".
It sounds like someone is on a five-year lease.

[raysparx]

Hi john, Iv'e got a Wife,and she's a special lady, she does give me a kick though when I say to people,have you met june she's my first wife !!!

[Cetti]

Take your partners

Swing her back

Make your feet go clickety clack!!

That's what this awful word reminds me of - a Barn Dance.

[wonder years]

up here in the northeast men often refer to wives and girlfriends as our lass, and women, somtimes refer to husbands and boyfriends as our lad. remember arthur daley he used to say her in doors when refering to his wife