711:
723:
868:
44:
743:
A 2005 study of 115 people ages 21 to 35 who were either living with or had lived with a romantic partner notes that the lack of proper terms often leads to awkward situations, such as someone upset over not being introduced in social situations to avoid the question.
764:, courtship became a private matter for couples. In the early to mid 19th century in the US, women were often visited by "gentleman callers", single men who would arrive at the home of a young woman with the hopes of beginning a
855:" the female protagonist, seeking a secretarial job, is asked if she has "a young man" – where in later films a similar question would have referred to "a boyfriend".
24:
1019:
658:
941:
781:
905:
1066:
651:
968:
1140:
997:
710:
384:
1125:
768:. The era of the gentleman caller ended in the early 20th century and the modern idea of dating developed.
644:
760:. Prior to that, courtship was a matter of family and community interest. Starting around the time of the
1101:
698:
A boyfriend can also be called an admirer, beau, suitor and sweetheart. The analogous term for women is "
808:, a well-to-do man who financially supports or lavishly spends on a mistress, girlfriend, or boyfriend.
772:
680:
247:
197:
48:
17:
900:
Compact Oxford
English Dictionary of Current English , published 23 June 2005, University of Oxford,
625:
1023:
575:
54:
391:
1145:
852:
786:
570:
483:
274:
237:
881:
478:
473:
260:
1046:
844:"human being, person" was originally applied to either gender, but usually means mistress.
8:
692:
620:
256:
761:
508:
438:
901:
732:
610:
580:
515:
242:
217:
72:
945:
851:
was at some periods used with a similar connotation. For example, in the 1945 film "
790:
757:
434:
337:
730:
Partners in committed non-marital relationships are also sometimes described as a
605:
520:
303:
28:
722:
683:
to the speaker, often specifying a regular male companion with whom a person is
873:
811:
In popular culture, slang, internet chat, and cellphone texting, the truncated
715:
688:
401:
278:
190:
1150:
1134:
684:
553:
503:
406:
364:
159:
919:
313:
298:
232:
1079:
804:
615:
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538:
396:
327:
264:
112:
699:
676:
565:
379:
288:
252:
227:
1102:"My Name is Julia Ross (1945) starring Nina Foch and George Macready"
765:
560:
493:
443:
369:
332:
308:
173:
824:, an archaic word for "sweetheart, paramour," from Medieval British
630:
488:
322:
293:
178:
168:
132:
76:
867:
43:
812:
466:
448:
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411:
147:
117:
85:
374:
142:
122:
105:
100:
95:
90:
593:
548:
543:
453:
498:
152:
969:"Adults stumble over what to call their romantic partners"
1077:
771:
In literature, the term is discussed in July 1988 in
863:
27:, "Boyfriend #2" redirects here. For that song, see
779:On pages 108–110, Bartlett quotes from an issue of
1132:
740:, especially if the individuals are cohabiting.
777:Who Was That Man? A Present for Mr Oscar Wilde.
652:
1044:
659:
645:
998:"The History of Dating and Communication"
939:
917:
756:entered the American language during the
1099:
991:
989:
721:
709:
1133:
995:
966:
782:The Artist and Journal of Home Culture
986:
802:An older man may be referred to as a
34:Romantically involved male companion
13:
14:
1162:
1119:
1100:Aliperti, Cliff (25 July 2010).
1067:BF – Definition by AcronymFinder
1017:
996:Hirsch, Elaine (November 2011).
866:
42:
1093:
1078:The Free Dictionary By Farlex.
967:Jayson, Sharon (23 June 2008).
747:
1071:
1060:
1038:
1011:
960:
933:
911:
894:
714:A woman with her boyfriend at
1:
887:
7:
859:
828:(c.1205), from Old English
796:
10:
1167:
22:
18:Boyfriend (disambiguation)
15:
726:A man with his boyfriend
705:
1141:Intimate relationships
1020:"Ladies and Gentleman"
727:
719:
853:My Name Is Julia Ross
725:
713:
467:Emotions and feelings
882:Domestic partnership
16:For other uses, see
942:"Significant other"
789:as "a boyfriend of
621:Narcissistic parent
832:(cognate of Dutch
785:, which refers to
762:American Civil War
728:
720:
675:is a man who is a
439:marital separation
1045:Merriam-Webster.
906:978-0-19-861022-9
733:significant other
693:sexually involved
669:
668:
626:Power and control
350:
349:
346:
345:
218:Significant other
198:Mixed-orientation
58:
25:technical reasons
1158:
1113:
1112:
1110:
1108:
1097:
1091:
1090:
1088:
1086:
1075:
1069:
1064:
1058:
1057:
1055:
1053:
1042:
1036:
1035:
1033:
1031:
1022:. Archived from
1015:
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1008:
1006:
1004:
993:
984:
983:
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979:
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944:. Archived from
937:
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758:Roaring Twenties
661:
654:
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52:
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1126:EtymologyOnLine
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1026:on 28 July 2012
1016:
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961:
951:
949:
948:on 9 March 2018
940:Thesaurus.com.
938:
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918:Thesaurus.com.
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872:
865:
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799:
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665:
636:
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571:Sexual activity
534:
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469:
459:
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425:
417:
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360:
352:
351:
342:
318:
304:Mutual monogamy
185:
164:
66:
51:
47:
35:
32:
29:Boyfriend No. 2
21:
12:
11:
5:
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1128:
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1120:External links
1118:
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1037:
1018:Hunt, Lana J.
1010:
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874:Society portal
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385:Bachelor's Day
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1146:Terms for men
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1047:"Sugar daddy"
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827:
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818:is also used.
817:
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788:
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783:
778:
774:
773:Neil Bartlett
769:
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718:in March 1975
717:
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576:Transgression
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541:
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509:Unconditional
507:
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407:Singles event
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248:Queerplatonic
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160:Open marriage
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49:Relationships
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30:
26:
19:
1105:. Retrieved
1095:
1083:. Retrieved
1073:
1062:
1050:. Retrieved
1040:
1028:. Retrieved
1024:the original
1013:
1001:. Retrieved
976:. Retrieved
972:
962:
950:. Retrieved
946:the original
935:
923:. Retrieved
913:
896:
848:
841:
837:
833:
829:
825:
821:
815:
803:
780:
776:
770:
753:
751:
748:Word history
742:
737:
731:
729:
697:
689:romantically
685:platonically
681:acquaintance
672:
670:
314:Polyfidelity
299:Non-monogamy
243:Life partner
233:Cohabitation
222:
36:
920:"Boyfriend"
840:) "dear" +
805:sugar daddy
539:Bride price
397:Meet market
328:Concubinage
113:Grandparent
1135:Categories
888:References
700:girlfriend
581:Repression
566:Infidelity
479:Attachment
380:Engagement
359:Activities
253:Friendship
228:Girlfriend
206:Partner(s)
973:USA Today
849:young man
847:The term
836:, German
787:Alectryon
766:courtship
752:The word
673:boyfriend
561:Hypergamy
533:Practices
521:Sexuality
494:Limerence
454:Widowhood
444:Annulment
370:Courtship
333:Courtesan
309:Polyamory
261:cross-sex
223:Boyfriend
174:Polyandry
860:See also
797:Synonyms
631:Stalking
611:Domestic
504:Platonic
489:Jealousy
484:Intimacy
474:Affinity
338:Mistress
323:Cicisbeo
294:Monogamy
275:Intimate
257:romantic
238:Same-sex
179:Polygyny
169:Polygamy
133:marriage
77:adoptive
1080:"Leman"
908:edition
826:leofman
813:acronym
738:partner
616:Elderly
554:service
516:Passion
449:Divorce
430:Breakup
424:Endings
412:Wedding
402:Romance
365:Bonding
255: (
148:Husband
118:Sibling
86:Kinship
73:Genetic
55:Outline
904:
754:dating
677:friend
606:Dating
392:Mating
375:Dating
289:Casual
279:sexual
143:Spouse
123:Cousin
106:mother
101:father
96:Parent
91:Family
1107:6 May
1085:6 May
1052:6 May
1030:6 May
1003:6 May
978:6 May
952:6 May
925:6 May
822:Leman
706:Scope
601:Child
594:Abuse
549:dowry
544:dower
435:Legal
65:Types
1151:Boys
1109:2012
1087:2012
1054:2012
1032:2012
1005:2012
980:2012
954:2012
927:2012
902:ISBN
838:lieb
834:lief
830:leof
791:Mars
775:'s,
499:Love
277:and
265:zone
153:Wife
23:For
842:man
793:".
736:or
702:".
695:.
691:or
679:or
131:By
75:or
1137::
988:^
971:.
816:bf
687:,
671:A
263:/
259:/
1111:.
1089:.
1056:.
1034:.
1007:.
982:.
956:.
929:.
660:e
653:t
646:v
437:/
267:)
57:)
53:(
31:.
20:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
