About the term 'boyfriend'

[Ijustwantedafringe36]

Light-heartedly of course.
No idea if i'm alone in this but I see the term boyfriend being thrown around a lot here to refer to older men.
Aibu to cringe at this? It just doesn't sound right

I agree actually... I'm 32 and previously married, my boyfriend () and I often have a conversation about how to refer to each other... I've settled with "significant other" in the vein of only fools and horses haha

My parents' generation would refer to so-and-so's friend in heavily weighted tones.

I feel like a teenager calling my partner boyfriend - weve spoken about it a few times but even partner sounds weird! No idea what to call each other at almost 40!

I use the term "partner".

One of the reasons it winds people up is because some people wish to know others sexual orientation when it makes no fucking difference.

When I was a kid my best friend's nan had a gentleman friend, then my aunt had a few in her retirement. Consequently, in my head, you have to be at least 65 to have one. To be a partner there needs to be a high level of commitment (because it is shirt for 'life partner', not 'this winter partner'). Fuck buddy is too casual. Boyfriend seems to be the least worse option.

Me and my boyfriend are mid / late 40s, I'm happy being boyfriend/ girlfriend- the only alternative seems to be partner, which I think sounds sounds too businesslike.

I've used partner in the past but it just sounds so formal. Wish there was a new word for it!! It makes me feel so young and it's just... Yuck

I don’t like BF or partner, usually refer to him buy his name or DS’s dad 😂

I know what you mean, but im not sure what the alternative is.

Once youve introduced them as the boyfriend you can then use their name. It only has to be used occsionally.

Same here! I'm 50, he's 48, we don't live together. Settled on 'partner' but feels overly gut so and business-like... I do say 'boyfriend' occasionally but it does feel very wrong to be using the same term as my 17 year daughter used to describe hers!

No I like boyfriend. Its better than all the alternatives, including husband haha

What are you supposed to call them? Your gentleman caller? Your older-man friend? Sexual companion?

I get your point. However, in the absence of "manfriend" coming into common usage I think boyfriend is underused. Too many women attribute undue commitment from/to the man they've been dating for a few months with terms like "partner" or "OH".

After being together years boyfriend didn't quite feel "enough" before I married my husband. I used to say "partner". Most people then assumed we were in a same sex relationship.

I am 44 the man I’ve been seeing for just over a year is 50, I call him my boyfriend, we don’t live together but at the same time it’s not a casual fwb type thing, what do I call him?

It’s tricky, I know some posters on here have referred to their ‘partner’ when they’ve only been together a short while, and other posters have gone mad at them saying that’s not your partner, you haven’t been together long enough to say that etc etc. It’s a lose lose situation.

Personally I think everyone should call them whatever works best for them.

As others have said, the only real alternative is ‘partner’, which is a bit much after six weeks. Maybe it’s time to embrace feeling younger!

Most people then assumed we were in a same sex relationship.

I can just hear Nana Royle saying ‘He calls him his ‘partner’ - but we all know it’s his boyfriend!’

I call mine my partner, we've been together 13 years and have 2 children together. It would feel weird calling a big hairy 40 year old man my boyfriend, he's not a boy and he's not my friend!

Partner sounds more serious than boyfriend. Like you are living together but not married. Boyfriend can just be 'the guy I'm seeing now'. Establish the relationship then just refer to them by their name I guess.

YABU. If someone isn’t married then all they have is a boyfriend/girlfriend unless they’re engaged.

PicklyPickles - Exactly!! A hairy, builder type man is not a boy!!

I couldn't bring myself to use the term boyfriend. I am 50.

So if I referred to him or introduced him, I just used his name.

He called me his girlfriend though. We aren't together anymore. It become one of those ick things.

I don't see myself having another relationship so it's not something I need to worry about anymore 😊

To me, the word 'partner' means either one of a couple in a single-sex relationship, or people who are running a business as a partnership.

I use partner; we've been together 10 years and own a house together so it's not just 'dating'. Plus boyfriend always sounds so teenage to me. And I feel the word accurately describes how we see each other; as partners in life. Sorry if that sounds cheesy