David Dyer-Bennet responded with: > "Relationship" has varying contextual meanings. Certainly friendship > *is* a relationship in one sense. So is being enemies. But in other > contexts, which includes most contexts where you actually talk about > the relationship by name, no, you don't have "relationships" with your > friends. It's even used for humor now and then, having somebody refer > to "his relationship with X" and have people make the assumption that > he means the "emotional/sexual entanglement" definition when he > doesn't. I generaly use the term to mean a "long-term dating" involvement. Though I should probably say, instead of long-term, "as long as the relationship lasts" I've been in very serious "relationships" that have only lasted 10 months... :) > I've just spent the weekend at my 30th highschool class reunion > avoiding going into that. Only one of my close friends was there, and > he either already knows or there'll be a chance to explain later. Heh. I usualy just try to avoid the issue entirely. I'll use "friend" or "girlfriend" or the persons name (dear god, no!:) and just skirt the issue as best I can. It's easier than getting into a huge discussion. :) > Around here we use "sweetie" a lot. See, that works. But I tend to use that term, and others like it, for most anyone I care about, whether or not I'm dating them. (See also: "love", "darling", etc.) ;) > > * - May be the wrong word, but I've been told I'm a master > > malapropist, so at least I have a lame excuse...<grin> > > Sorry, you got that one right :-) Dagnabbit! <sigh> Oh well. I'll have to try again sometime... Chris "Life is the nightmare that leaves its mark upon you in order to prove that it is, in fact, real." -Thomas Ligotti- 'The Sect of the Idiot'