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Comment by AndrewDucker | Hacker News Reader

Many people over the age of, say, 30, feel weird about using the word "boyfriend" or "girlfriend", because they feel that it implies a young person.

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This describes me (I live in the UK). I'm 31 I've been in a lovely heteronormative relationship for eight years. We aren't married, and we've called each other 'partner' for years. In my head it lives in the linguistic space between '[boy|girl]friend' and the state-sponsored '[husband|wife]'. I also enjoy its gender neutrality.

"I've been in a lovely heteronormative relationship "

Are you kidding? My sarcasm detector is failing here.

Just man-up and get married.

"partner" implies a deeper relationship than many "boyfriend/girlfriend" relationships. When someone describes someone as their partner (in a relationship context), I assume they are married or common-law (or would be married if it was legal -- e.g. gay marriage).

I had a fabulous middle-class friend once who would refer to his Mum's boyfriend as "My mother's lover". Let's bring "lover" back.

Failing that "Other Half" or "Baby Mums".

Ugh the word "lover" really creeps me out for some reason. It might be because of the Welshly Arms Hotel SNL sketch. Either way, I can't imagine referring to anyone as "my mom's lover." shiver

I always thought "lover" meant the person one was having an affair with.

I've always thought that lover implied sex ('lover' describing that they 'make love'), which is not a given in all relationships.

It would probably be unusual (and super depressing) to have a sexless affair. I have also heard the term used in place of "fuck buddy" though.

I meant to imply that "lover" was defined as "someone you have sex with," not "someone you are having an affair with." It's just used in the context of an affair because your partner in the affair is someone you have sex with.

I haven't noticed it. I know a guy well into his 50s who says "girlfriend" and she's of similar age.

You "haven't noticed it" because you know ONE guy?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anecdotal_evidence

Translated:

  I know many people, and none of them refer to their
  significant other as a 'partner.' For example, I know
  one guy that is 50, who refers to his same-aged
  significant other as his 'girlfriend,' and it doesn't
  seem to bother him that 'girl' is in the name instead
  of 'woman.'

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