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Partner vs. Girlfriend/Boyfriend

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by catoptriclenses, May 29, 2013.

  1. catoptriclenses

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    I honestly love calling my girlfriend well, my girlfriend. I see people calling their significant others their partner and to be honest it just makes me feel old an awkward to say that. Do y'all just say it because other people find partner more "acceptable" or do you really prefer it? I'd love to hear some opinions.
     
  2. Owen

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    I would use "boyfriend" at the beginning of the relationship, but if we reached the point where things are getting serious, where we maybe live together, where we become a significant part of each other's lives, then "boyfriend" would seem like an understatement, almost like it's dismissing the seriousness of the relationship. In my opinion, it would be like calling your best friend an "acquaintance". So I'd use "partner" at that point because it's a more serious word.
     
  3. catoptriclenses

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    I never thought about it like that. I suppose that's because I haven't reached that point in a relationship. Though it does make a lot of sense.
     
  4. Mike92

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    Yeah, I always find it a little weird when people call their boyfriend/girlfriend their "partner."
     
  5. greatwhale

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    I recently read a funny definition of "acquaintance":

    An acquaintance is someone from whom you are comfortable asking for a loan but not comfortable enough to lend money to.

    "Partner" is definitely an appropriate word at the "involved" stage of a relationship; where both parties have "skin in the game" as it were, and the risks and rewards of the relationship are shared; hopefully equally.
     
  6. Bolin

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    "Partner" sounds way too formal and businesslike for me (not to mention impersonal).
     
  7. gravechild

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    I don't like... partner, lover, 'room mate'.. I'm okay with boyfriend, fiance, or husband. For me, less about stage of relationship, and more so the freedom to refer to a male partner in similar terms as I would if he were a she.

    It might not be completely logical, but it's what would be ideal for me.
     
  8. Colcha

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    I like the term girlfriend... makes me feeel like I'm 17 again...sigh. Of course when i was 17 I was into boys. Now I'm into girls and I get such a rise out of someone calling me their girlfreind. So, yeah, I like it.

    C
     
  9. AKTodd

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    I use 'partner' because I'm comfortable with it (and we have been together a good while now) but my partner usually introduces me as 'my other half'.

    In our case the terms just sort of evolved without any real discussion.

    I have called him my husband once when someone at work asked in a opened ended manner though.

    Todd:slight_smile:
     
  10. Redd

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    I definitely perfer girlfriend/boyfriend.... Partner makes it feel like it's some kind of special circumstance that you don't really know what to call so you end up using an awkward word that doesn't really feel as close. But I could see why you would use it if you were more than boyfriend/girlfriend but couldn't really technically say husband/wife or fiancee
     
  11. Jonathan

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    Partner sounds too impersonal. I would call them my boyfriend, and should it ever reach the point, then my husband.
     
  12. greatwhale

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    I like the term husband or wife over partner (although partner is appropriately correct) as it does convey the emotional component of the relationship.

    Indeed, as stated above, a partnership can be seen as a kind of business arrangement, and can also be misunderstood in that sense by strangers.

    There is no such ambiguity when a woman says "my wife" or a man says "my husband". These words say it all...boy do they ever!
     
  13. King

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    I don't like the term partner. I'd use boyfriend until marriage, which is when I'd refer to him as my husband.

    And on the off chance I never get married (but I'm still in a committed relationship), I'll still refer to my boyfriend at the time as my husband.
     
  14. MixedNutz

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    I think boyfriend is a good term while dating, but once things get serious I like the term partner. Also once you reach a certain age "boyfriend" to me seems a little juvenile when introducing your significant other to adults of a certain age.
     
  15. BryanM

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    I prefer boyfriend, but if it gets serious partner is okay with me.
     
  16. SamAlex728

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    Ugh, the cringe-worthy P-word. I absolutely can't stand it. I'd rather sit here and listen to nails on a chalkboard..or a duet between Justin Bieber and Rebecca Black. THAT'S how awful is sounds to me. Definitely boyfriend. If it gets to the point where calling him my boyfriend is no longer appropriate, maybe fiance or husband, but my crystal ball isn't seeing that far into the future.
     
  17. That1Guy

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    I prefer boyfriend.
     
  18. Gen

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    While I can understand someone finding boyfried/girlfriend to be a bit juvenile, the vast majority of straight couples would refer to themselves as boyfriend/girlfriend if they were in a relationship regardless of age. What annoys me about using non-gender-specific terms is that they were mainly used by same sex couples in the past to lighten the fact that they were in a relationship deemed unacceptable by society. I just don't encourage the "lightening" of anything.

    Plus fiance and husband are just going to be too cute to pass up. ^_^
     
  19. Pret Allez

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    In my area, the connotation of "partner" is that it immediately outs you as gay. So if I have a "partner" it's assumed that I'm with a guy (although I don't see myself as one, other people sure the hell do).

    If I am with a woman, I'll still say she's my partner.

    Actually, I had a straight anarchist friend do that while I was in Victoria. She was a good ally. So sweet.
     
  20. Hypnotico

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    I prefer to use boyfriend for myself, I don't know, partner makes me think "law firm", but I'm okay with other people using partner for themselves.