Charles/Camilla wedding

What's funny is that NPR reported on the story this morning, and described them as "Prince Charles and his partner Camilla Parker-Bowles." I realized as I heard it how rarely I hear that these days, "partner" used in the romantic sense.

The whole debate over marriage has thrust that word aside, hasn't it? (My company's health plan stopped covering the partners in unmarried couples a few months after marriage became legal for all.) Although I sometimes see short pieces in the paper about people (gay or straight) with no intention of marrying, I can't recall that they're called partners any more. (As a data point, my mother used to use "partner", but finally married my stepdad, basically, to cement a few financial details in the event of his death.)

Woof, suddenly I am remembering "longtime companion," which I heard actually used in conversation only years after the movie of the same name.

I realized as I heard it how rarely I hear that these days, "partner" used in the romantic sense.

Huh. I have the hardest time hearing it in non romantic senses. But I guess that's another difference between a gay girl and a straight one.

I realized as I heard it how rarely I hear that these days, "partner" used in the romantic sense.

I still think of it as only romantic, applying to same-sex couples when you're kinda dancing around the meat of the issue. If a man introduced me to his female partner, I'd look at them funny, and eventually think business. But if a guy introduced to his male partner it would take me forever to unimagine the knocking of boots.

I have a "oh, we messed up" e-mail to send out today. I'm so very terribly not looking forward to it.

Huh. When I hear "partner", my first thought is that it means "I'm gay and he's my boyfriend". I'm always surprised when it turns out to be "business partner".

Ooh.

Have you seen it? He's wet.

funny xposts...

I had a former colleague who introduced spoke about her partner a lot. Imagine my abashed surprise when I realized she was talking about her male fiancee.

Have you seen it? He's wet.

must...not...think...things...about...little...sister's...high-school...friends....

I just had the most efficient lunch ever. I ran 5 errands (PO, library, bank, stationary store, gift store) got my lunch and got back within an hour. Also, since I am in such a positive mood, I walked about a mile doing all of it, so exercise! YAY! glass half full.

Damn, Plei. I'm going to have to stop by a bookstore and look that up.

Well, I think that we say "business partner" these days in order to clarify that it's not romantic partner. I have the same associations as you all on that front.

I just hadn't heard romantic partner used in news coverage in months --I don't know why. Coverage of newly-married couples uses phrases like "Person X, who has been with Person Y for 7 years..." which is about as vague a construction as I think is allowed in journalism bylaws.