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Seeing as how 'bint' is the Arabic word for 'daughter', there could be raised eyebrows in some quarters at that.
In a part of the world where the men openly walk hand in hand and women are routinely stoned, I can see why. 😛
Partner
The boss (when referring to obtaining permissions)
Her ladyship (when referring to domestic duties I must perform)
Partner is sooo vague. It's so middle class and bland, so straight.
She's my gf, easy to understand no misunderstanding, were not in business together, she's not some-one I dance with...she's currently snoring her head off and woke me up 😆 , but she's my girlfriend.
In a part of the world where the men openly walk hand in hand and women are routinely stoned
That sounds like Old Compton St actually. 🙂
I have always been 'the mrs' even since the early days. He's always been my 'other half'. Partner is too formal, fiancé is stupid and gf/bf didn't fit once we had been together a few years as it didn't really reflect how we felt ie it's a bit casual.
I've always been called the missus.
'Me bird', is a favourite among the northern types.
I like "other half" it's like he/she needs to be there, otherwise you're not complete.
If there's one phrase I hate even more than people saying "partner" or "significant other" (which are both truly awful), it's this whole notion of someone being an "other half".
Everytime I hear someone talk about their BF/GF as an "other half" I feel immediately compelled to shoot one of them in the head, just to see what happens. When one half dies, does the other wither and die too? Or maybe they're like a worm when you chop it in half, it grows back stronger than before...
Other half implies that you are one entity... You are not, you are 2 separate human beings
Partner is too formal, and is generally only used (in my experience) by gay men introducing their boyfriends (or obviously people talking about their business partners). That emsz calls her Girlfriend her Girlfriend is probably just cos she's a lot more open and honest about her sexuality than many people who still might say "partner".
SO is just a teeny weeny bit lacking in any kind of emotion whatsoever.
Her Indoors (and any such like) implies some kind of possession, and one cannot own another person (at least not in this day and age).
What the hell is wrong with girlfriend? To say someone is your girlfriend does not imply any kind of ownership, or any stupid idea that you are not a whole without each other, it implies merely that the person you spend a lot of time with, share a bed with and happens to be of the opposite sex, have a special relationship.
And it's ageless too. To be called someone's girlfriend (or boyfriend) isn't age restricted, nor should it be. It's just a nuance of society. After all, do little boys and little girls have to pee outside at a restaurant cos they can't use the Gentlemans or the Ladies toilets? Anyway, rant over, carry on... 😉
I had a couple of girlfriends. The first one for ~6 months before we broke up. The current one is up to 23 years. Yes, she's a girl and we're friends, but somehow "Girlfriend" just doesn't cut it. Our lives are shared, dedicated to each other, and totally intertwined: two individuals leading one life. We are like husband and wife, but unmarried.
It seems we've not yet derived a satisfactory term for this condition.
What the hell is wrong with girlfriend? To say someone is your girlfriend does not imply any kind of ownership, or any stupid idea that you are not a whole without each other, it implies merely that the person you spend a lot of time with, share a bed with and happens to be of the opposite sex, have a special relationship.
It's not to do with age really - to me it just doesn't really convey the level of commitment of the relationship. A girlfriend could be someone you've been seeing casually for the last 6 weeks.
I usually just use their name.
Same thing I call her now - Bint Jaws.
I'm not married, but have been together now for nearly ten years and have 2 boys together, and another on the way. I joked with her a few months back that rather than having the expense of getting married, she should change her surname by deedpole to the same as mine.
That way when we book into a hotel etc, we can book in as Mr. And Ms J 😀
It's not to do with age really - to me it just doesn't really convey the level of commitment of the relationship. A girlfriend could be someone you've been seeing casually for the last 6 weeks.
It's just me that has "the chat" then is it? You know, the one where after however many weeks or months you've been dating or seeing each other casually, you progress to being boyfriend and girlfriend?
I know what you mean, but I would never use the term of girlfriend unless there was a level of commitment there in the first place. Granted, that level is likely to grow somewhat in 20 odd years together, but do you really feel the need for a special term for your level of commitment? I'd have thought by the very nature, people who choose not to get married as they don't need/want a piece of paper and a change of status to confirm their commitment, they wouldn't feel the need for a special term for each other supposedly elevated from the traditional boyfriend/girlfriend?
6 wesks? 😯 after 4 years I'm still just seeing my "girlfriend/partner/SO/not wife" casually and we have a 2yr old child together. it's funny how people need to stick everything in their life in neat little compartments with labels. I've always just called the person I'm having sex with by their name (if I can remember it 😳 )A girlfriend could be someone you've been seeing casually for the last 6 weeks.
Granted, that level is likely to grow somewhat in 20 odd years together, but do you really feel the need for a special term for your level of commitment?
Is that intended to sound so sneery? I just find that girlfriend doesn't quite 'fit' - was wondering if other people found the same. It's not exactly something I lose sleep over.
And those saying 'call her by her name' - well durr, of course I do that, but there's some situations where I'm talking to other people who don't know her, just using her name then wouldn't make sense.
it's funny how people need to stick everything in their life in neat little compartments with labels.
It's funny how some people seem to need to be constantly criticising other people for no reason.
Why wouldn't it make sense to use her name to others Grum? has she got a really silly name or something?
No Junkyard
Is that intended to sound so sneery?
Not at all, I just find it odd that people don't get married (which I totally understand) yet still feel the need for a status elevated above BF/GF occasionally. I thought that was usually a primary reason for not marrying, that both parties didn't feel the need to formalise anything?
Had a chap visit my help desk last week. He put his iphone down on the while he was talking to me. A call came in and the contact popped up on the screen as "Wife"....
I believe this is quite common if your bit on the side/gay lover has the same name as your wife.
out of nothing more than nosiness, what did you help him with?
Why wouldn't it make sense to use her name to others Grum? has she got a really silly name or something?
Because they don't know her! Do you often refer to friends by name to people that don't know them, ie - 'me and Dave are going on holiday next week' when they don't know who the hell Dave is?
Do you really need this kind of stuff spelling out to you? I thought that was pretty much standard - but not on STW clearly.
yes. I do. you simply introduce "Dave" into the conversation as a proper noun as you would with any proper noun (eg. for your situation it would be something along the lines of "Dave, I'm going on holiday with.." then you can re-use his name throughout the conversation freely) it's pretty obvious he's a freind whether who you are speaking to knows Dave or not.Do you often refer to friends by name to people that don't know them, ie - 'me and Dave are going on holiday next week' when they don't know who the hell Dave is?
[b]Do you really need this kind of stuff spelling out to you? I thought that was pretty much standard - but not on STW clearly[/b]
(eg. for you're situation it would be something along the lines of "Dave, I went on holiday with.."
That doesn't make any sense.
I really don't know why you go out of your way to be a dick to everyone on here. I'm guessing it's 'internet hard man syndrome' and you're probably perfectly friendly in real life.
sorry, you're right! edited the post to make more sense now (hadn't been paying attention to your interesting wee "holiday story" properly 😉 )
If I say "I'm going on holiday with Jo", I don't really care who anyone thinks Jo is. If they need to find out they can always ask.
Married now, but my husband has always called me "the Doris", or "Doris" when it's directed at me.
The term gf/bf just seems to be putting together the word 'friend' with 'boy' or 'girl'. My 'other half' is more than just a friend. We each have lots of girl and boy 'friends' who we are not humping. My husband is as far as I see it the other half of me, we share pretty much everything and make decisions jointly. It's part of being a couple.
Wallop mine tried to call me Doris a few times, nipped that in the bud pretty quickly by threatening to call him cock face all the time. I do get 'sugartits' on a daily basis though.
'Sugartits', lol 😆
I quite like Doris, it doesn't bother me.
I've always just called the person I'm having sex with by their name (if I can remember it
Very good sex then?
idave who is jo ? are they male or female
Ta
All of the internet
Jo = female
Joe = male
In my little world.....
whatever you wan't.. she can't hear you.. !! 😆
oh.. err.. hold on.. that's deaf tigers.. 😳
What's knowing your sexual partners name got to do with the quality of sex you're having? 😕
What's knowing your sexual partners name got to do with the quality of sex you're having?
well if you thought it was jo, but turns out to be joe, it can leave a bitter taste behind 😯
open your mind man - jo's can taste bitter too
The term gf/bf just seems to be putting together the word 'friend' with 'boy' or 'girl'. My 'other half' is more than just a friend.
Girlpartner it is then (which gets over any confusion about somebody you're in business with).
My husband is as far as I see it the other half of me, we share pretty much everything and make decisions jointly. It's part of being a couple.
Whilst I think it's great that you're both obviously deeply in love still, the fact is the two of you are not an entity, you are two separate people who for various reasons choose to spend much of your time together, live together and share a bed together. If the unthinkable happened and he died, you would not suddenly cease to be able to exist yourself.
I think maybe my deep seated feelings come from my hatred of many couples seemingly becoming inseparable once they get together. I've lost numerous friends to their BF's/GF's suddenly stopping them doing anything fun (like riding bikes, going for a night out etc.), insisting that everything be done as a couple, and all individualism destroyed. And before you accuse me of being sexist, I've got female friends that this applies to about their boyfriends too. Whilst it is healthy to be in a loving committed relationship, it is also healthy to have your own hobbies and interests separate from one another.
I think maybe my deep seated feelings come from my hatred of many couples seemingly becoming inseparable once they get together.
Ah I wondered where your obvious issues with commitment/couples comes from and clearly it seems to be jealousy that your pals get a girl that they have 'the chat' with them dump you. Nevermind, we all grow up one day
Ooooooo friend!
"all individualism destroyed"
Slightly unfair really. You dedicate [u]part[/u] of your life for sure, and that sacrifice can be frustrating at times. Don't hate, it's love 😀
Ah I wondered where your obvious issues with commitment/couples comes from and clearly it seems to be jealousy that your pals get a girl that they have 'the chat' with them dump you. Nevermind, we all grow up one day
Hahaha, I love how one comment I made on the Internet makes you suddenly think you know me! I have been in 2 very serious/committed relationships in the past, neither of them ended cos of a lack of commitment from either side! And there's no jealousy on my part of any of my mates GF's/BF's etc. I just find it annoying how some people (not all by a long stretch, my best mates wife for instance positively encourages him to do things that get him out of the house) lose all sense of identity once they are in a relationship. The girl I've been on a few dates with recently and really quite like is worried (she's a good few years younger than me, but she needn't worry!) about "a relationship" and not being able to see her friends or do things she wants to do. I keep telling her that should we actually end up in a relationship, she really needn't worry about that with me, I'd be the last person in the world to stop someone going and doing things with their friends. She worries cos most it seems a lot of her friends are in relationships where they live in each others pockets too it would seem!
"all individualism destroyed"
Slightly unfair really. You dedicate part of your life for sure, and that sacrifice can be frustrating at times. Don't hate, it's love
OK maybe a touch dramatic I'll agree, and you're right it is about a compromise. Maybe it just says a lot about some of the people I know that the "compromise" is doing exactly what their GF/BF tells them to do...?
I call my imaginary girlfriend Shaz.
Hahaha, I love how one comment I made on the Internet makes you suddenly think you know me
You've made a couple of comments in past threads where you seem to get stressed out/defensive about it, not just that one comment.
lose all sense of identity once they are in a relationship
That's not what your on about though, your on about
I've lost numerous friends to their BF's/GF's suddenly stopping them doing anything fun (like riding bikes, going for a night out etc)
. The girl I've been on a few dates with recently and really quite like is worried (she's a good few years younger than me, but she needn't worry!) about "a relationship" and not being able to see her friends or do things she wants to do. I keep telling her that should we actually end up in a relationship, she really needn't worry about that with me, I'd be the last person in the world to stop someone going and doing things with their friends
Such a stud. Lucky girl that's all I can say.