A 'partner' is someone you are in a LTR with, probably cohabiting, not someone you met last month or are dating.

[RubberTreePlant]

It means life partner not shag partner.

AIBU?

TheFastandCurious

Am I the only one who calls themselves ‘wifey’ after the first date and shows their undying love by following them to work and ensuring a nice rabbit stew awaits them on their return?
😀

My swain calls me his paramour.

(But he makes me call him "My demon lovairrr" in bed )

I love gentleman caller! I think id just say 'this is Jim' I like the expression 'stepping out' too 'I'm stepping out with a man called Jim' sounds so civilised.

I worked with a woman who referred to her boyfriend as “The man I kiss at night”. I thought that was a bit awkward.

I suppose you could just introduce your boy/girlfriend as your lover. The focus will then shift to people thinking about all the sex you are having.

We need to expand the English language. Boyfriend/girlfriend does sound silly for two mature adults who are dating. Maybe manfriend and womanfriend or manshag and womanshag. 😬

Calling your adult offspring your children, that doesn’t sound right to me either. Mmmm adultren might work, though maybe not. 😊

I worked with a woman who referred to her boyfriend as “The man I kiss at night”. I thought that was a bit awkward.

Just slightly.

I like the expression 'stepping out' too 'I'm stepping out with a man called Jim' sounds so civilised.

Like a musical. A bit prancey

Didn't Del Boy call Raquel his Significant Other... 😁

I think of 'partner' as a short version of 'life partner', i.e. committed relationship equivalent of marriage for people who don't intend to marry for whatever reason (like me)

I love gentleman caller

God no! That sounds like a hooker talking about a client

well partner is someone you live with imo.

If I'm introducing my er lover to someone, I use his name. But when I'm talking about him it's a bit trickier. I can't use boyfriend either because we're both old and it's faintly ridiculous.

So lover it is
Or beau maybe?
Special Friend
My man?!

I call him my partner still - we got engaged a couple of months ago, and whilst I'm extremely happy and excited about that I haven't yet quite brought myself to refer to him as my fiancé - I feel for some reason like I would sound a bit pretentious or smug? 'Ooo my fiancAY...'!
Looking forward to being able to say husband - we're too old to be boyfriend/ girlfriend.

Although, that being said, many years after my grandad died, my Grandma had a 'gentleman friend', and although they weren't engaged, they did decide to refer to each other as fiancé, as they too decided they were too old for boyfriend/ girlfriend! It was very sweet.

Annanimity - I like 'beau'! It sounds very romantic (albeit old fashioned) and like a committed relationship, for grownups.

Agree with you Op.

A lady at church in her 80's talks about her man-friend .

@Lemonyfuckit I was the same! Felt like I was screaming to the world "Ooh, look at me and my fiancé!" I have no idea why... thankfully we were only engaged for 9 months before we got married.

Dp is 'My Partner'. Together over 20yrs since 17. I have literally no inclination to get married. Never felt the urge. When I refer to him as my partner, colleagues will correct me and say 'husband', as though a partner is the lesser of the 2.

I don’t like the term partner and cringe when I hear it use but it’s none of my business so not much I can do about it .
I met husband at 26 , engaged at 30 and married at 31 . He was my boyfriend ( even at 31) and then my husband . I dislike the word fiancé too .

I used to really enjoy introducing my husband to people as my lodger. I can feel his eye roll now.

I suppose it could sound worse.
This is my partner keith and these are my kids, I've known Keith 2 months, the kids love him, he's a great dad, and moving in next month.

For me a partner is basically a husband you’re not married to. So there’s no difference emotionally between a husband and partner- just legally. But a big one between boyfriend and partner.

I went boyfriend - fiance' - husband. I found fiance' cringy to say but was fine with husband (got married aged 26)

For elderly people I was watching four in a bed and the 70yr ish old refered to his partner as my 'companion' which was lovely.

This is my current squeeze? putative pal? snogaroonie?

This is Keith/Susan ... and wait for the questions which no one should ask?

I hated calling dp 'my boyfriend'. I would usually just use his name and if people asked who it was I would say 'my other half/the guy I am with'.

We live together now so partner is more accurate. But we have loads of names for each other. He calls me 'our lass', mainly because I give him evils when he does and he finds it funny. I call him 'him indoors', because he gives me the same look.

I do agree with the OP though. The amount of third where people talk about problem with their partner that they have been with 12 weeks. In some cases they are calling them 'DP' but they havent even become exclusive.

Although it doesnt really matter. It's usually that the poster has become overly attached in a short space of time and is devastated they have been dumped or refuse to walk away from a short but awful relationship. Because they have invested too much too quick and do view them as their 'partner'.

Love this.

Definitely going to start introducing Dp as my man-friend.

YANBU at all.

I’ve read posts where someone is banging on about their “partner” and it transpires they’ve had a boyfriend for a month. Needy and desperate I think