(Sunday Oct 9, I will attend Alternative Press Expo, San Jose Convention Center south hall. Say hi if you see me!)
Once upon a time, a 40ish woman introduced another woman to me with, “Dave, this is my girlfriend.” That did not surprise me. I knew she was gay. But a grown woman referring to another grown woman as a GIRLfriend? The word sounds juvenile to me. But ladyfriend and womanfriend sound clumsy.
I’ve wrestled with writing that. In my stories, 20ish Super Holly Hansson thinks of 30ish Cal “The Intellectual” Critbert as her boyfriend. Does manfriend sound better? Nope. So it’s boyfriend and girlfriend, no matter how old you are. Maybe when you LIKE them like them, they make you feel young again.
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If a significant relationship is involved, it would be better to say “my partner” or “my significant other”.