Friends and Lovers
March 5th, 2010
Since I am a writer and a storyteller, it should be no surprise that I am fascinated by words. After all, words are the tools of my trade. When I come across an interesting word, one that is very descriptive or just because I like the way it sounds, I copy it on a piece of paper and save in a file. Some examples are sobriquet, plink, antimacassar, chalet, and molten. I do the same for phrases that intrigue me. Here’s a three I copies recently: ‘the spiked foot of lightning’, ‘His smile suggested a disdain for toothpaste’, ‘ terror ran through her like a river’. I don’t know what I am going to do with these words and phrases. Use them sometime, I guess.
Once in a while, I run across a word that annoys me. Preternatural is one of these annoying words. I have seen it in books quite a bit lately. I just don’t like the sound of it. Don’t run to the dictionary. The definition is –beyond what is natural, strange, abnormal, inexplicable -. Why don’t they use strange, abnormal, inexplicable, or even just unnatural? I think writers use preternatural to make their readers think they’re really smart. Maybe I should use it.
Another annoying word is “boyfriend(girlfriend) when used by a person of a certain age. When we are in high school, we may have a boyfriend(girlfriend). It’s still appropriate in college. It can be used even up to forty years of age, but after that, I don’t think so. I ran into an acquaintance recently. I don’t know her age, but she looked as if she has been collecting social security for a while. She introduced the man with her as her ‘boyfriend’. The guy looked more like somebody’s grandfather instead of somebody’s boyfriend.
Please don’t misunderstand me. I have nothing against love for seniors. In fact, I am all for it. What I am saying is I think there is a need for another word to describe someone who is more than a friend for middle agers and older who are single. Therefore, I am enlisting the help of you, my readers.
Here are some words that can be used as an alternative:
1. Friend: Yes, this can be used, but it doesn’t denote the intimacy that may be desired.
2. Partner: I would wonder if this couple is close. This word sounds more like a business arrangement.
3. Significant Other: This clearly explains the relationship but it is too long and clumsy to my thinking. I would prefer a single word.
4. Companion: One of the better choices and may be okay but it sounds as if they are living together or married, and we’re talking about single couples dating.
5. Lover: This word is being used a lot in books. If someone introduced me to their ‘lover’, my writer’s imagination would immediately see them in a compromising situation, and I don’t want that picture in my head.
Dear readers, what do you think? None in the above list is perfect. Can you come up with a short descriptive word for single couples over forty? We can begin to use it and eventually it may find its way in the dictionary. Webster’s Dictionary added over 100 new words in 2009. Why not our new word?
